Hayao Miyazaki is as great as Mozart, says Guillermo del Toro

It is no news that Hayao Miyazaki is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers in animation, nor that Guillermo del Toro is his fan. But the Mexican decided to remind the public that his work is one that should never be underestimated. During the premiere of The Boy and the Heron – 100%, the director of The Shape of Water – 92% compared the Japanese with Amadeus Mozartfor the brilliance of its animated films.

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In accordance with Deadline, Guillermo del Toro made a surprise appearance at the Toronto Film Festival. The event kicked off last night with the North American premiere of The Boy and the Heronthe new movie Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. The Mexican director presented the performance and took the opportunity to remind the public of the importance of the Japanese work and to call him one of the greatest in history:

Animation is cinema and tonight’s film goes beyond that. We are privileged enough to live in a time when Mozart composed symphonies. Miyazaki san is a master of that stature and we are very lucky to be here. He has changed the medium in which he began, he has revolutionized it, he has proven time and time again that it is a tremendous work of art. In my opinion, Miyazaki is the greatest animation director.

As you know The Boy and the Heron – 100% is one of the most anticipated films of the year. Although it was released very discreetly in Japan in mid-July, the film has not found distribution in other territories. Its passage through Toronto is its first in America and, until the writing of this text, it has only had a release date in Spain. Early reviews have been extremely positive, calling it one of Miyazaki’s best works.

What is The Boy and the Heron, the new film by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, about?

The film is the story of Mahito, a young man who has problems adapting to his new home after the death of his mother. After meeting a strange bird, he travels to a supernatural world where he believes it will be possible to meet her again. The first trailer was released last week and shows that the animation and character design remains faithful to the style that has characterized Studio Ghibli.

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Del Toro has spent the last few years trying to remind the industry and the public that animation is a medium that should be taken seriously and should not be relegated to children’s stories. Most recently, he won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature for his stop-motion version of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. 96% and he has confirmed that he is developing an adaptation of the novel The buried giantwhich he hopes will be his next title.

Unfortunately, The Boy and the Heron It does not yet have distribution in Mexico, but it is most likely that after the positive reaction from audiences in Toronto, some company will decide to acquire the rights to bring it to theaters here. Until then, most of Miyazaki’s films, in case you are not very familiar with his work, are available on Netflix.

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