ELYSIAN FILM GROUP have today debuted the UK Poster and Teaser Trailer for THE BOY AND THE HERON, the highly anticipated next Studio Ghibli feature from the Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki. The film will be released in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on Boxing Day, Tuesday 26th December 2023. THE BOY AND THE HERON is Miyazaki’s return to filmmaking after a ten year hiatus, featuring his renowned, celebrated imaginative animation and ideas.
A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death and creation, in tribute to friendship from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.
From the beloved and award-winning animation house, Studio Ghibli’s latest is a beautiful, reflective and engrossing tale of love, loss and discovery. Both original and English-dubbed versions will be available on general cinema release.
The English language dubbed version of the film will feature the voices of Christian Bale (Ford v Ferrari, Amsterdam, The Pale Blue Eye), Dave Bautista (Dune, Guardians of the Galaxy), Gemma Chan (The Creator, Eternals, Crazy Rich Asians), Willem Dafoe (At Eternity’s Gate, The Florida Project), Karen Fukuhara (The Boys, Suicide Squad), Mark Hamill (The Machine, House of Usher), Robert Pattinson (The Batman, Tenet, upcoming Mickey 17), and Florence Pugh (Oppenheimer, Black Widow, Little Women). Luca Padovan joins the cast as Mahito Maki, and Mamoudou Athie, Tony Revolori, and Dan Stevens are featured as the Parakeets. US distributor GKIDS handled casting and produced the English version in close consultation with Studio Ghibli, with ADR direction by Michael Sinterniklaas at NYAV Post, and English script adaptation by Stephanie Sheh. The English language dub was produced in accordance with the SAG-AFTRA Foreign Dubbing Agreement.
The Studio Ghibli production opened in Japan this summer surpassing the first four-day box office of Spirited Away (2001) and recently had its international premiere to a rapturous response as opening night of the Toronto International Film Festival. Following its TIFF premiere, press hailed the film as “a masterpiece” (BBC), “exquisite” (The Hollywood Reporter), “among the most beautiful movies ever drawn” (IndieWire), and “a wholly satisfying, bittersweet sendoff” (Screen). The film recently had its U.K. Premiere as a Special Presentation at the BFI London Film Festival on Sunday 8th October.
THE BOY AND THE HERON is a hand-drawn, original story written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro). Produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, the film features a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi. The theme song for the film “Spinning Globe” was written and performed by global J-pop superstar Kenshi Yonezu.
