Studio Ghibli Once Planned to Adapt the Ultra-Violent Parasyte—and It Almost Happened
Hayao Miyazaki Nearly Made an R-Rated Horror Film That Could’ve Redefined Studio Ghibli (Photo Credit – Netflix)

Studio Ghibli has built its reputation on thoughtful narratives involving wonder, nature, and quiet reflection. Films including Spirited Away, Totoro, and Princess Mononoke beautifully combine fantasy aspects with real emotion to capture the curiosity of audiences from children to adults. Yet at one point, the studio almost took a far more darker approach.

Apparently hidden behind Ghibli’s gentle image was a surprising idea and that was an adaptation of Parasyte, the horror manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki. Although it sounds far removed from Ghibli’s world, the project was seriously discussed and Hayao Miyazaki himself was interested. However, the idea faded before it began, not because it didn’t fit, but because someone else already owned the rights.

Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki Considered Adapting Parasyte

Former Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki mentioned this idea back in 2015 during a podcast conversation with producer Genki Kawamura. According to Suzuki, both he and Miyazaki were drawn to Parasyte at one point.

The manga was already notable in the 1990s. It is about a boy who loses his hand to an alien, paving the door to weird events and leading to questions about morality. It’s extremely violent and disturbing in nature, and is filled with body horror. But underneath the blood there are themes that Ghibli had touched upon before – the nature of being human, our connection to nature, and the cost of survival.

These were the very same themes that Miyazaki showed in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, where the main plot was about both humans and non-humans coming to a state of coexistence, per Screenrant. Ghibli has tended to always grapple with the state of balance between man and nature. However, Parasyte does it with blood and dismembered limbs but maybe that conflict between subject matter and philosophy is what caught Miyazaki’s eye in the first place.

What Went Wrong with Studio Ghibli’s Parasyte?

However, Ghibli never got to move forward as Hollywood had already stepped in. In 1999, Don Murphy and Jim Henson Pictures secured the rights for a live-action version. Later, it moved to New Line Cinema and horror director Takashi Shimizu got attached to it. But nothing came of it as the project stalled and shifted hands and never reached the screen.

As far as Ghibli is concerned, the door had already been closed by then and rather than chasing the rights, the studio continued with original work.

Parasyte Found New Life in Anime and Japanese Cinema

Years later, Parasyte was revived in Japan. In 2014, Madhouse released an animated adaptation, which stayed very close to the original story yet placed it to a present-day touch. Also around this point in time, two live action films, directed by Kawamura himself, were released.

The Japanese audience welcomed both versions, showing that Parasyte still had something important to say.

Even though Ghibli never made the film, the idea still lingers. Would Miyazaki have softened the violence or leaned into it? Could Ghibli have embraced a new, more adult tone? No one knows but the possibility remains a fascinating chapter in the studio’s history.

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