As Ghibli celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, fans of the Japanese studio can't help but wonder what tomorrow will bring. Hayao Miyazaki, the famous director of Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, isn't getting any younger. Each new film by the filmmaker could be his last, as he has announced his retirement several times. We therefore invite you to consider the ideal subject for his next work. Our desire? An adaptation of The Little Prince, the famous novel by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, whose themes and atmosphere would fit perfectly with those of the artist.
The Little Prince, a timeless work
Published in 1943, 81 years ago, this short story by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is the most translated after the Bible! Yes, the poetic and philosophical hero created by the French aviator has won over readers around the world with its reflections on childhood, friendship, love, loneliness, and romance. In this tale, illustrated by the writer himself, a young boy travels around the world and into space, where he meets many people (a rose, a fox, a sheep). Written during the 1939-45 War in New York, the most famous work by the novelist, who was also a war pilot and journalist, has universal appeal.
Published in over 600 different languages and dialects, this great literary classic would be ideal for a future Hayao Miyazaki film. The 84-year-old Japanese director is the same age as The Little Prince, and his filmography and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's masterpiece share common themes. The magic of Studio Ghibli would work wonders with the boy with the scarf, and here's why. Hayao Miyazaki and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Two Humanists
Many themes of The Little Prince can already be found in Hayao Miyazaki's filmography, including friendship. When the hero meets the fox, the two characters become friends and form a strong bond. Their relationship will give meaning to their existence, as when San (Mononoke) and Ashitaka get to know each other, or when Chihiro and Haku (the dragon spirit of the witch Zeniba) become accomplices. Childhood and purity are also dear to both artists. The Little Prince looks at the world with an innocent, curious, and wonder-filled gaze, reminiscent of the two sisters in My Neighbor Totoro, Satsuki and Mei, when they encounter the magical, hairy creature in their garden.
In the Japanese director's work as much as in the French writer's, the Other is a mystery, that one must learn to know in order to appreciate the difference. While the Little Prince approaches a king, a drinker, and even a lamplighter during his journey, Ponyo, a sea creature, begins a beautiful friendship with Sōsuke, a human. Nausicaä is the only one who gets close to the Ohmus, seemingly frightening insects that everyone fears. Their differences allow them to enrich each other and discover each other's worlds with a fresh perspective, without judgment.
The magic of The Little Prince and that of Studio Ghibli, a perfect match
Knowing that Hayao Miyazaki includes Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince in his list of favorite books, the Japanese director could very well draw inspiration from it for his next film. The dreamlike and poetic atmosphere of the story, the prevalence of emotion over reason, the philosophical and pacifist discourse, the magical landscapes crossed by the hero form a "base" that the filmmaker's style would sublimate. Above, we asked Midjourney to imagine what the rendering might look like: of course, it's only a pale copy of Ghibli's aesthetic...
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