It's been speculated that legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki will retire after the release of his next film, "Ponyo on a Cliff," but now it looks like we'll have at least a year to worry about it. The flick's not scheduled for release until summer of 2008.

(Very) well-known and globally admired for films like "Howl's Moving Castle," "Spirited Away," and "Princess Mononoke," Mr. Miyazaki is presently hard at work on "Ponyo," and early word indicates that there will be NO CGI in this film. Just pure, beautiful, hand-drawn animation all the way. (Cool.) The story will be about a goldfish princess who dreams of becoming human after making a two-footed friend.

And although Studio Ghibli has employed CGI effects in the past, the company's "Toshio Suzuki told reporters at Monday's press conference announcing the toon. "Instead he will use simple, childlike drawings. He intends to make something different from his previous films."

And if Toho is releasing it in Japan next summer, I guess that means we can expect the Weinstein-approved American-voiced version sometime in the fall of 2008.

Source: Variety