The beloved studio responsible for ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ and ‘Ponyo,’ home to iconic Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, recently posted an image on Twitter featuring Totoro with iconic characters from the Pixar Universe.
The crossover of the century may have just been revealed. In a confusing but very exciting turn, Studio Ghibli recently posted an image on Twitter that combines a beloved My Neighbor Totoro character with Mike and Sully of the Disney Pixar universe. In the drawing, the Monster’s Inc icons join Totoro at the iconic Cat Bus stop.
— スタジオジブリ STUDIO GHIBLI (@JP_GHIBLI) May 13, 2021
The photo includes no caption, leading fans to wonder if the image means something, or if it was just a nice image the studio lovingly posted (the image in question hangs in the Studio Ghibli offices in Tokyo). While the notion of a crossover seems unbelievable at first, Totoro did appear in Toy Story 3, and both directors Hayao Miyazaki and John Lasseter (Pixar’s former leader) have a mutually respectful relationship dating back decades. Disney’s relationship with the Japanese studio dates back to a 1996 distribution deal.
What do you think? Fun tribute, or something much, much more?
Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.
