The Time Studio Ghibli Stood Up To Harvey Weinstein With A Katana

Thanks to the sexual abuse scandal rocking big time Hollywood producer, Harvey Weinstein, it looks like an old story regarding Hayao Miyazaki has resurfaced. Back in 2005, the Academy Award-winning director sat down with The Guardian for an interview. There, he revealed a bit of an anecdote between Studio Ghibli and the now-embattled producer.

Before his fall from grace due to sexual misconduct, many consider Weinstein as one of the most powerful men in Hollywood. He would use his power to bully his subordinates, and of course, that includes women. But during that 2005 interview, Miyazaki claimed that they stood up to the powerful director by sending him a samurai sword, also known as a katana. In that sword, they wrote a clear message, “No Cuts”. This was all to ensure that the US release of Princess Mononoke remained unedited.

There is a rumour that when Harvey Weinstein was charged with handling the US release of Princess Mononoke, Miyazaki sent him a samurai sword in the post. Attached to the blade was a stark message: “No cuts.”

The director chortles. “Actually, my producer did that. Although I did go to New York to meet this man, this Harvey Weinstein, and I was bombarded with this aggressive attack, all these demands for cuts.” He smiles. “I defeated him.”

Weinstein was known to edit foreign films to his liking, so the legendary director standing up to him and forcing him to release Princess Mononoke unedited proves how much dedication and love Miyazaki has for his work. And given that Weinstein is also a big bully, many see Miyazaki as a hero even more.