Studio Ghibli’s latest feature film, The Boy and the Heron, will be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7. The movie of Hayao Miyazaki will be the only Japanese or animated film to open the prestigious film festival.
The Boy and the Heron had its debut in Japan on July 14 and has already become a box office success, grossing over $11.3 million in domestic ticket sales during its opening weekend. This makes it one of Hayao Miyazaki’s highest-grossing projects and one of the most profitable anime films in history.
The Boy and the Heron marks Hayao Miyazaki’s first film in a decade and is a significant project for Studio Ghibli. Production started in 2016, with a talented team of 60 animators working on the project. Despite their efforts, only one minute of animation was completed each month due to the film’s hand-drawn nature.
A Unique Story Set during World War II
The Boy and the Heron takes inspiration from the 1937 novel “Kimitachi wa Do Ikiruka” but tells a wholly original story. It is set during World War II and follows a young boy named Mahito Maki as he discovers an abandoned tower in his new town and encounters a talking gray heron. Hayao Miyazaki has dedicated the movie to his grandson.
Distributor GKIDS is planning a wide release for The Boy and the Heron in North America later this year. This will give fans the opportunity to see the latest Studio Ghibli masterpiece in theaters. In the meantime, other iconic Studio Ghibli films can be streamed on MAX, including Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Howl’s Moving Castle.
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