GKIDS announced on Wednesday that it will release Hayao Miyazaki’s latest feature film, The Boy and the Heron (Kimi-tachi wa D Ikiru ka, or How Do You Live?) on December 8 in North American theaters and IMAX, with special preview engagements on November 22. The corporation uploaded an English teaser video featuring film footage:
Film footage is being shown outside of Japanese theaters for the first time.
GKIDS held the film’s license. As an Official Selection in the Spotlight category, the New York Film Festival (NYFF) will screen the film’s U.S. premiere. The 61st NYFF will occur between September 29 and October 15.
The film will have its international premiere as the inaugural film of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Thursday at Roy Thomson Hall. This will be the first time the festival has opened with an animated film and the first time a Japanese film has opened the festival. After the inaugural ceremony on September 22, the San Sebastian Film Festival (SSIFF) will screen the European premiere at the Kursaal Auditorium in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain. This will be Miyazaki’s fourth film to be screened at SSIFF, and his first film to be included in the Official Selection.
On July 14, the film debuted simultaneously on IMAX and in general release in Japan. In its first four days, the film earned more than Miyazaki’s 2001 Academy Award-winning film Spirited Away and 50% more than his 2013 film The Wind Rises. According to the entertainment news website Deadline, the film surpassed US$1.7 million from 44 IMAX screens in its first three days of release. In its first three days in Japan, the film sold 1,000,000 tickets and grossed approximately $13.2 million. The film sold 1.35 million tickets and grossed 2.149 billion yen (approximately $15.53 million) during its Friday-Monday opening weekend in Japan (July 17 was Marine Day).
This is the first Studio Ghibli film to be simultaneously released in IMAX. Additionally, the film is screened in Dolby Atmos, Dolby Cinema, and DTS: X.
The plot occurs during World War II. After losing his mother in the Tokyo firebombings, Mahito and his father relocated to the countryside. There, Mahito’s father remarries the expectant sister of his late mother. As Mahito contends with his circumstances, he encounters a talking heron and enters another realm in order to reunite with his mother, as promised.
Soma Santoki, who is 18 years old, provides the voice of Mahito Maki, the primary character. The character Takuya Kimura makes an appearance. Masaki Suda, Kou Shibasaki, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura, Keiko Takeshita, Jun Fubuki, Sawako Agawa, Karen Takizawa, Shinobu Ishikawa, Jun Kunimura, Kaoru Kobayashi, and Shohei Hino are also featured in the cast.
In addition to directing and writing the script for the film, Miyazaki is credited with the original work. The animation director is Takeshi Honda (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, Rebuild of Evangelion films). The music was composed by Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro). Toshio Suzuki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, is the producer. The theme song “Chikygi” (Globe) is performed by Kenshi Yonezu (Chainsaw Man, My Hero Academia, March is like a Lion).
In June, Studio Ghibli producer Suzuki revealed that there would be no trailers for the film prior to its release. There were no television commercials or newspaper promotions for the film. Prior to the release of the film, the studio had not disclosed a narrative synopsis, a voice ensemble, or the majority of the film’s crew.
Miyazaki adapted the film from the 1937 novel How Do You Live? by Genzabur Yoshino. He added that this book is a story that has tremendous meaning to the protagonist of his film. In October 2021, Algonquin Young Readers published the book in English.
Miyazaki revealed the film officially in 2017. Suzuki reported in April 2017 that Miyazaki had been working on the project’s storyboards since July 2016.
