‘The Boy and the Heron’ is the Spanish name of Hayao Miyazaki's new film.. And those who have had the chance to see it already rank it as another Studio Ghibli masterpiece.
The movie The boy and The Heron released in Japan July 14, 2023, and has grossed $54.3 million after its 9th weekend in theaters. It is already in the 84th place of the highest grossing films in Japan and the 20th anime film, surpassing ‘Tales of Earthsea’.
The production of this film has been a mystery from the beginning, since director Hayao Miyazaki, had announced his retirement in 2013. However, in 2017 his inquiring mind led him back to the studio. to create a film for his grandson, as revealed by Toshio Suzuki, the producer of the feature film.
Studio Ghibli and its non-promotional campaign
Until the day of its release in Japan, nothing more than a hand-drawn cartoon poster was known about the film, as the same Studio Ghibli opted for a different marketing strategy: not to show any trailer or synopsis about it.
The reason for keeping the details of the work secret and only showing a poster was explained by Toshio Suzuki, producer of Studio Ghibli, in an interview with NHK. “A poster and a title, that's all we had when we were kids. I enjoyed trying to imagine what a movie was about and wanted to recapture that feeling.”.
And yet, the local media reported that on the day of its premiere, The Boy and the Heron attracted a large audience despite the almost non-existent promotion.
“The Boy and the Heron” became Studio Ghibli's second-best opening in Japan. It managed to gross 1.56 billion yen, approximately $11.3 million at exchange rates, coming very close to the successful Spirited Away with 1.6 billion.
However, in order to make it known internationally, the studio did allow the promotion of the film through a trailer. The trailer was released in both English and Spanish during the first week of September.
Premiere of The Boy and the Heron
The international premiere of the film “The Boy and the Heron” took place during the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8. However, it will arrive in Spain on October 27, in France on November 1 and in the U.S. on December 8.
The person in charge of presenting the film at the Toronto Film Festival was award-winning director Guillermo del Toro. He opened by saying that, ”Miyazaki is a man of exquisite technical prowess, but he has also chosen to confide in us his most intimate biography through his work.”
The boy and the heron has a running time of 124 minutes and its soundtrack is composed by maestro Joe Hisaishi. It has received praise from early reviews both in Japan and the international press, receiving a perfect score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
On the other hand, it is already known that The boy and the heron will not represent Japan as Best International Film at the Oscars. However, it will compete for the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
The heron and the child, a play full of personal history
WarningIn the following part we will not give you any spoilers, but if you want to keep your expectations faithfully following the Ghibli philosophy, you can skip the following paragraphs.
At the end of it all, and thanks to its international premiere, information about the plot and characters of this new masterpiece by Miyazaki could be known. Which also carries part of the history lived by the director during the war.
The movie The boy and the Heron follows the story of Mahito, a 12-year-old boy who is trying to adjust in a new town after the death of his mother. But when he hears rumors that she is alive, a talking heron takes him to a fantastic world.
Without losing its own distinct style, this new film features an ensemble cast, along with the magical mix of Japanese and European sets. It also shows us dazzling landscapes and spectacular camera movements.
The interaction of his characters is spontaneously noticeable with improbable creatures. It is a story that crosses, without flinching, the fragile border between the real and the supernatural, a characteristic of Miyazaki.
Hayao Miyazaki will not yet retire from Studio Ghibli
“There's nothing more pathetic than telling the world you'll retire because of your age, and then making another comeback” This is how Hayao Miyazaki mocks his own inability to retire in production dailies shown at the Toronto Film Festival 2023.
Master Miyazaki at 82 years old has no plans to retire from animation. So said Junichi Nishioka, president of Studio Ghibli in an interview during its presentation in Toronto.
“Some people say this might be Miyazaki's last film, but he doesn't feel that way at all. He's currently working on ideas for a new film. He comes to his office every day and he's at it. This time he's not going to announce his retirement. He's still working as he always has,” the studio president told CBC.
Undoubtedly this season Ghibli has been full of good news for its fans, who are also waiting to see The boy and the heron to fill us with emotions watching his new masterpiece.
Image: Ghibli
Español de Colombia
English
Português do Brasil