The Big Picture
The Boy and the Heron, Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, will make its European debut at the San Sebastián Film Festival, following its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film, inspired by a novel, is a grand fantasy and touching coming-of-age tale, but the plot specifics remain unknown. Despite being shrouded in mystery, the film’s secretive release approach paid off, as it grossed 1.83 billion yen ($13.2 million) in its opening weekend, Studio Ghibli’s biggest debut in its nearly forty-year history.
After an alluringly secretive rollout which saw the upcoming Studio Ghibli feature The Boy and the Heron make its Japanese debut without the prior release of any trailers or promotional material, fans are finally able to get a look at what is set to be legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s final directorial venture. Alongside the release of a new image from the film, San Sebastián Film Festival announced that The Boy and the Heron will make its European debut at the festival, following its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7.
The upcoming film, previously titled How Do You Live?, has been a long time in the making, having been in production for almost a decade. The specifics of the plot remain unknown, though the film is inspired by the 1937 novel of the same name by Genzaburo Yoshino. While not a direct adaptation, that novel chronicles the story of a teenage boy named Junichi and his uncle, as the boy – nicknamed Koperu – endeavors to make sense of the world around him. The new film will take inspiration from this premise in what is said to be a “grand fantasy” and a touching coming-of-age tale.
After being promoted with only a single minimal poster, anticipation for the film has been sky-high, only exacerbated by it being Miyazaki’s final film; the acclaimed director is behind some of Studio Ghibli’s most iconic and beloved features, including Spirited Away, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Howl’s Moving Castle. Miyazaki is also one of the co-founder of the studio, which he created alongside Isao Takahata back in 1985. The Boy and the Heron made its Japanese theatrical debut on July 14 of this year, but despite this, the oversees marketing campaign has kept the film shrouded in mystery: a trailer has yet to be released, while even the cast remains unknown. The secretive approach to the film’s release may have been a risk, but it was one that paid off for the studio; The Boy and the Heron grossed 1.83 billion yen ($13.2 million) in its opening weekend, which marked the studio’s biggest debut in its nearly forty-year history. It beat out previous record holder Howl’s Moving Castle, which opened with 1.48 billion yen.
When Will The Boy and the Heron be Released?
While the film will finally make its American and European debuts next month in Toronto and San Sebastián, respectively, there is still no official date for when it will make its way to theaters – though fans can expect it at some point later this year. It will be distributed to North American cinemas by GKIDS.
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