Though he’s best known for his gorgeously animated fantasy stories, Hayao Miyazaki has decided to go a different route by basing his next film off the life of the man who designed the plane used to attack Pearl Harbor.

After previous reports indicated that Miyazaki‘s next film would be biographical and “not the sort of work that everyone in the audience can relax and watch,” Japanese animators Osamu Kobayashi (Paradise Kiss) and Takashi Hashimoto (Samurai Horror Tales) recently tweeted more about the project’s plot. The film will focus on the life of Jiro Horikoshi, the designer of the Zero fighter plane used to bomb Pearl Harbor during World War II. Horikoshi, an aeronautical engineer, developed many military aircrafts, the Zero being the most notable of his inventions. Reports indicate that Studio Ghibli, the studio behind all of Miyazaki‘s films since 1985, has fulfilled a large-scale search for animators specializing in drawing aeroplanes to work on the new project. The project is planned for completion late next year.

I’ve been a Miyazaki fan ever since Princess Mononoke made its way across the sea in the late 90′s. Sadly, this new project is still in its infancy and there aren’t too many details available yet. But the whole thing sounds rather promising, if not different from Miyazaki‘s usual fare. Personally, I’ve never heard of a project focusing on this subject, which makes it all the more fascinating. But Miyazaki‘s past films have focused strongly on the relationship between humans, nature and technology, as well as the trials and tribulations of being a pacifist in the face of adversary. All of these themes seem perfect for a film on the man who inadvertently drew America into World War II due to the power of his mind. Needless to say, I can’t wait to hear more. Check out a Discovery Channel special on the fighter below.

What do you think of Miyazaki’s latest project?

Source: ANN, Twitch