Hayao Miyazaki to announce shock retirement?

Sad news for Miyazaki fans. Speculation had been rife that the Japanese director best known for the movie The Boy and the Heron, will announce his retirement from all public activities, at age 85, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 20/03/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being a director isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being a director just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouHayao

For a little while on Thursday evening, #ThankYouHayao was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“You’ve accomplished everything I ever dreamed of #ThankYouHayao.”
— @DesireePlum, 19 Mar 2026

“Miyazaki wasn't retired?”
— @borisB0, 19 Mar 2026

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