On Tuesday, Deadline, a prominent entertainment news outlet, broke the news that Studio Ghibli’s and Hayao Miyazaki’s latest cinematic masterpiece, The Boy and the Heron, is set to stream exclusively on Max, the revamped version of HBO Max.
This announcement coincides with Max’s decision to extend its multiyear licensing deal with Studio Ghibli. The film’s triumph at the 96th Academy Awards, where it clinched the Best Animated Feature Film award, marks Miyazaki’s second victory after Spirited Away in 2003. Notably, Miyazaki received nominations for his other acclaimed works, Howl’s Moving Castle and The Wind Rises.
Adding to its accolades, The Boy and the Heron secured the Animation of the Year title at the 47th annual Japan Academy Film Prizes and bagged the Best Motion Picture – Animated category at the 81st Golden Globes Awards. Further recognition poured in from the Annie Awards, where it was honored for its exceptional storyboarding and character animation, and from the British Academy Film Awards, which celebrated its excellence in the animated film category. Not to be overlooked is the acclaim from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, who deemed it the Best Animated Film in their EDA Awards on December 31. Moreover, the film is slated to receive the prestigious Noburou Oofuji Award at the 78th Mainichi Film Awards for its innovative approach to storytelling.
Following its release in Japan in July 2023, the film made a significant impact, selling over 1 million tickets and earning approximately US$13.2 million in its inaugural three days. Over the Friday-Monday long weekend, which coincided with Japan’s Marine Day holiday, the film continued its success, selling 1.353 million tickets and raking in 2.149 billion yen (about US$15.53 million). It now holds the esteemed position of being the 71st highest-grossing film in Japan and ranks as the third highest-grossing domestic film of 2023, accumulating a gross of 8.66 billion yen (about US$61.4 million).
It conquered the U.S. box office, claiming the top spot during its opening weekend with earnings surpassing US$12.8 million in its initial three days. Variety hailed the film as the “first original anime production” to achieve such a feat, solidifying its status as a groundbreaking success both domestically and internationally.
GKIDS describes the film as follows:
After losing his mother during the war, young Mahito moves to his family’s estate in the countryside. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to a secluded and ancient tower, home to a mischievous gray heron. When Mahito’s new stepmother disappears, he follows the gray heron into the tower, and enters a fantastic world shared by the living and the dead. As he embarks on an epic journey with the heron as his guide, Mahito must uncover the secrets of this world, and the truth about himself.
