Studio Ghibli once again proves itself as the king of classic hand-drawn animation with the latest movie, The Boy and The Heron. Just like other movies, it became one of the best studio Ghibli movies to date. It is to be expected because it is the first film of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki who once announced his retirement.
For starters, the name of the movie has changed. The actual Japanese name was actually Kimitachi wa Dou Ikiru ka (How Do You Live?). The change happened when the movie went through English-speaking distribution. Thus, the movie now becomes The Boy and The Heron for audiences outside Japan.
GKIDS handled the movie’s English localization. Michael Sinterklass is serving as dub’s director, while Stephanie Sheh is writing the English script. It is also thanks to them we get the official trailer for The Boy and The Heron. For the record, the movie premiered in Japan with no trailers, no VA list, no nothing.
As the trailer suggests, the world Miyazaki creates almost reflects his other magnum opus, Spirited Away. It shows an enchanted forest with fluffy monsters. It is bizarre how he can depict the world as beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
Not only that, the music and dub also feel as natural as they intended to be. So, who is the one behind the English dub for The Boy and The Heron? Read on!
The Boy and The Heron English Dub Cast
GKIDSfilms unveiled the English dub cast for the movie, The Boy and The Heron, on October 17, 2023. The company handled the dub following the SAG-AFTRA Foreign Dubbing Agreement. The English voice cast includes:
- Luca Padovan as Mahito Maki
- Robert Pattinson as The Grey Heron
- Karen Fukuhara as Lady Himi
- Gemma Chan as Natsuko
- Christian Bale as Shoichi Maki
- Mark Hamill as Granduncle
- Florence Pugh as Kiriko
- Willem Dafoe as Noble Pelican
- Dave Bautista as The Parakeet King
- Mamoudou Athie as Parakeet #1
- Tony Revolori as Parakeet #2
- Dan Stevens as Parakeet #3
Hayao Miyazaki is serving as the director and the scriptwriter of the movie. Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro) is composing the music, while Kenshi Yonezu (Chainsaw Man) performs the theme song “Globe”.
The Boy and The Heron Reception
The brief synopsis of the movie called this work a “semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki”. Meanwhile, in a nutshell, the story is about 12-year-old boy Mahito who ventures into a world of life and death to meet his mother.
The movie first premiered in Japanese theaters on July 14, 2023. It grossed $13.2 million in its first week becoming the highest-grossing anime film in Studio Ghibli’s history. As of November 12, along with South Korea, France, Spain, Turkiye, and Portugal, the movie grossed a total of $77.7 million.
The Boy and The Heron will be available in American theatres on December 8, 2023. Before that, there will be special preview engagements for lucky audiences on November 22 in New York City and Los Angeles.
Conclusion
The Boy and The Heron undoubtedly become one of Hayao Miyazaki’s best works so far. Becoming his first movie after 10 years, it lit the spark of Ghibli stans worldwide. Of course, no one will miss this chance to watch this Magnum Opus.
Now that GKIDSfilms already released the English-dub anime trailers. The stage for the movie is set. It is less than three weeks before the premiere. Can The Boy and The Heron surpass Spirited Away as the most successful movie in Ghibli’s history?
The English dub of the movie will premiere on December 8 in the USA.
Hayao Miyazaki is the co-founder of Studio Ghibli. His work includes the famous Spirited Away, Ponyo, Princess Mononoke, etc.
It grossed $13.2 million in its first opening week. As of November 12, the movie grossed a total of $77.7 million including the premiere in different countries.
