( CNN ) -- Watch a movie from acclaimed Japanese animators Studio Ghibli , and you might see a boy turn into a flying dragon , a deer morph into a monstrous god , or a fish transform into a young girl . But with the retirement last year of Hayao Miyazaki , the studio 's legendary co-founder , signs suggest the venerable and inimitable company is headed for a transformation of its own . In a Japanese TV interview last Friday , Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki said the firm needed to `` think about its future , '' and would be `` changing the way we make ( animation ) . '' He also speculated that Miyazaki might `` make something again , '' though it might be a no more than a short film for the Studio Ghibli museum . Suzuki 's comments followed his own remarks from early last week , when he said Studio Ghibli would take a `` brief break , '' leading to panicked online speculation that the studio was about to close . A Ghibli representative told CNN the speculation was untrue , saying `` Studio Ghibli has decided nothing officially for the future of the studio . '' Yet after concluding nearly three decades with Miyazaki at the helm , the fate of the company suddenly looks uncertain . The secret to Ghibli 's longevity . The studio has been producing hand-drawn animated films for decades , sticking to old-school , painstaking frame-by-frame methods even as other studios have long embraced computer-aided animation and CGI . Every one of Studio Ghibli 's hits -- from `` My Neighbor Totoro '' ( 1988 ) to `` The Wind Rises '' ( 2013 ) features a signature artistic style -- delicately rendered characters , exquisitely crafted environments , and an effortless sensation of movement . Anime expert Helen McCarthy says Ghibli has been able to perfect its hand-drawn tradition because it has employed the same animators for a very long time -- unlike many other studios , which rely on per-project contracts and short-term piecework . `` This means Ghibli can be sure of a consistent quality of artistry and craftsmanship , '' she said . But as Ghibli 's staff ages , the firm must figure out how to carry on with younger talent . McCarthy says the Japanese studio has focused for decades on `` the personal visions of two remarkable directors , '' Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata -- both now in their 70s . `` ( Studio Ghibli ) is like a great violin , a Stradivarius maybe , in the hands of two great musicians . But when those musicians retire it has to be passed on to new players or else falls silent , because its structure is expensive to maintain . '' What 's next ? The big question : Can anybody succeed Hayao Miyazaki ? `` Studio Ghibli has young creators , Goro Miyazaki and Hiromasa Yonebayashi , '' Studio Ghibli 's representative told CNN . `` They are continuing to work for the studio . '' But the films of Goro Miyazaki , -- Hayao Miyazaki 's 47-year-old son -- and Yonebayashi , 41 , have yet to achieve anywhere the success of the elder Miyazaki 's work . Hayao Miyazaki 's 2001 epic , `` Spirited Away , '' grossed a record-breaking $ 274 million worldwide and took home the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature . In 2013 , Miyazaki 's swansong `` The Wind Rises , '' made over $ 117 million . By contrast , the studio 's newest film , `` When Marnie Was There , '' directed by Yonebayashi , is only expected to make $ 36 million . Goro Miyazaki 's 2013 `` From Up on Poppy Hill '' made about $ 61 million . That 's why the studio must now perform a sober self re-evaluation after enjoying years of steady success . `` We wanted to make a dream company , '' said Suzuki . `` We were able to realize ( that dream ) to some extent and we 're very happy about that . But now we 're at a point where we 've got to think about what we 'll do next . '' Should fans be worried ? McCarthy says Ghibli 's tradition of hand-drawn animation should survive , as long as audiences `` accept the high costs and the demands it places on the workers involved . '' `` Art is viable as long as people are willing to make it and buy it . '' CNN 's Junko Ogura contributed to this report .
Studio Ghibli co - founder : Firm needs to ` ` more about its future '' Retirement of legendary director Hayao Nakamura leaves future in doubt . Expert : Ghibli must figure out how to carry on with younger talent .