Miyazaki's "The Boy and The Heron" to be released in the USA in December

Debbie Diamond Sarto, GKIDS Drops Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and The Heron’ English Trailer, Anime World Network, Thursday, November 2, 2023:

GKIDS has just released the new English-language trailer for Oscar-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s new feature, The Boy and The Heron. The film's previously announced English language dub will feature the voices of Christian Bale; Dave Bautista; Gemma Chan; Willem Dafoe; Karen Fukuhara; Mark Hamill; Robert Pattinson; and Florence Pugh. The trailer offers a first look at voice performances of the film’s all-star English language cast. The English-language dub was produced in accordance with the SAG-AFTRA Foreign Dubbing Agreement.

The Boy and The Heron heads to cinemas in the U.S. and Canada on December 8, 2023, in the original Japanese and English language versions. GKIDS also announced special preview engagements in New York and Los Angeles on November 22.

Released in Japan as Kimitachi wa Do Ikiruka (translated as How Do You Live), the hand-drawn animated feature – director Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years – opened exclusively in Japanese cinemas earlier this year. Produced by Oscar-winning Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, the film features a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi.

An original story, Heron is set in World War II and follows a boy grieving for his deceased mother while his father quickly remarries his mother’s sister. As a teaser had previously described, “A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.”

The Boy and The Heron premiered internationally at Opening Night Gala of the 48th Toronto International Film Festival on September 7. The film made its U.S. premiere at the New York Film Festival, its European Premiere at the Opening Night of San Sebastian International Film Festival, its UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, and its Los Angeles IMAX premiere at the Opening Night of the Animation is Film Festival.

Source: GKIDS