The Big Picture

  • Hayao Miyazaki's latest film, The Boy and the Heron, has been in development for almost a decade and marks his return to filmmaking.
  • The story revolves around a 12-year-old boy named Mahito who embarks on a magical adventure to find his mother after her death. It explores themes of loss, self-discovery, and hope.
  • While some speculate that The Boy and the Heron could be Miyazaki's final film, it has been revealed this is not the case.

Hayao Miyazaki’s latest feature in collaboration with Studio Ghibli, The Boy and the Heron, has just released its official English-language trailer. The voiceover cast includes some of the biggest names of Hollywood including Christian Bale, David Bautista, Robert Pattinson, and Florench Pugh, among others. The Boy and the Heron was released in theaters in Japan by Toho on July 14, 2023, however, is coming to the U.S. UK, and Ireland in December 2023.

Miyazaki is returning with a feature after ten long years — so The Boy and the Heron has been in development for basically almost a decade. With the release of this film, slated for release on December 8 throughout the U.S., the acclaimed director will mark eleven mysterious and needless to say, beautiful projects to his name — ten of them being in collaboration with Studio Ghibli.

The Boy and the Heron tells the heartwarming story of Mahito, a 12-year-old boy who is trying to find his place in a new town after his mother's death. His life takes a magical turn when a talking heron tells him that his mother might still be alive. Filled with hope, Mahito explores an old tower and finds himself in a different world. Through his adventure, he learns more about himself and how to cope with his feelings of loss. The film, although inspired by a 1937 novel by Genzaburo Yoshino, still maintains Miyazaki’s signature and touching craft.

Is ‘The Boy and the Heron’ Miyazaki’s Final Film?

In short, no, The Boy and the Heron is likely not his final film. While many fans and critics have speculated whether The Boy and the Heron could be the last movie from the renowned director Hayao Miyazaki, this is not the case. Though as noted in Ross Bonaime's review, this film has certain elements that make it feel like a concluding masterpiece. ScreenRant, earlier this year, reported that Studio Ghibli’s vice-president Junichi Nishioka informed that it’s true that Miyazaki will no longer be working on animation. However, he is coming up with new ideas already and does plan to continue writing.

In the North American release of Studio Ghibli's The Boy and the Heron, distributed by GKIDS, the ensemble cast includes Christian Bale lending his voice to Shoichi Maki, while Dave Bautista takes on the role of The Parakeet King. Gemma Chan voices the character Natsuko, and the Noble Pelican is voiced by Willem Dafoe. Karen Fukuhara breathes life into Lady Himi, and the character of Granduncle is voiced by Mark Hamill. The Gray Heron is voiced by Pattinson, and Pugh takes on the role of Kiriko.

The Boy and the Heron is coming to cinemas all over the U.S. on December 8, 2023. The fill will later hit theaters in the UK and Ireland on December 26, 2023. Check out the official trailer of The Boy and the Heron in English, below:

the-boy-and-the-heron-poster
The Boy and the Heron
PG-13AnimationAdventureDrama

Through encounters with his friends and uncle, follows a teenage boy's psychological development. He enters a magical world with a talking grey heron after finding an abandoned tower in his new town.

Release Date
December 8, 2023
Director
Hayao Miyazaki
Cast
Soma Santoki , Masaki Suda , Takuya Kimura , Aimyon
Runtime
124 minutes
Writers
Hayao Miyazaki
Production Company
Studio Ghibli, Toho Company