[…] Miyazaki taps a cigarette from a silver case. The Disney deal suits him, he explains, because he has stuck to his guns. His refusal to grant merchandising rights means that there is no chance of any Nausicaa happy meals or Spirited Away video games. Furthermore, Disney wields no creative control. 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.”

Miyazaki 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.” (via)

(note: In the 1980s, an English-dubbed and heavily edited version of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, retitled Warriors of the Wind was released in North America. Part of the film’s narrative meaning was lost or significantly altered. As a result, Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki asked fans to forget its existence and later adopted a strict “no-edits” clause for all future foreign releases).