According to The Hollywood Reporter, Miyazaki, who won an Academy Award for Spirited Away in 2003, said that he wants to avoid the use of computer animation with Ponyo and return to simpler images that appear more hand-painted.
The story, which Miyazaki came up with during a beach holiday in western Japan, revolves around a 5-year-old boy named Sosuke and a goldfish named Ponyo that wants to become human.
Longtime collaborator Toshio Suzuki will produce the title for Studio Ghibli, studio spokeswoman Mikiko Takeda told the trade paper. The film is scheduled to be released in summer 2008.