First trailer for the US theatrical release of “The Boy and the Heron” released
Before Hayao Miyazaki's latest and possibly final anime film The Boy and the Heron (Japanese Kimitachi wa Dō Ikuruka? ) hit Japanese theaters, no one knew what to expect on screen. The bold marketing strategy was not to publish any advertising material such as trailers other than an illustration.
Around two months after the premiere, the box office results clearly showed that the box office hit was a success even without advertising. Miyazaki's work will be released in North American cinemas in December. In keeping with this, the first trailer ever was released. This can be found further down in the article.
The American film distributor GKIDS acquired the distribution rights for North America and will be bringing The Boy and the Heron to cinemas there from December 8, 2023 . Before that, the approximately two-hour film will celebrate its international premiere on September 7, 2023 at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival in Canada.
In Japan, the film opened in cinemas on July 14, 2023 and achieved good box office results despite no advertising measures. In its first weekend, the film managed to gross a good $13.2 million. After around four weeks, the film has grossed more than $38.4 million in Japan and currently stands at $52.6 million. Although it doesn't quite reach the result of Miyazaki's last film How the Wind Rises from 2013, it is currently the 22nd most successful anime film in Japan.
We recently reported that the first official pictures of The Boy and the Heron appeared online.
Trailer:
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This is what The Boy and the Heron is about:
Twelve-year-old Mahito Maki loses his mother in a fire during the Pacific War and moves to the country with his father and new stepmother. He has difficulty adjusting there and his relationship with his stepmother becomes strained. A mysterious, talking heron lures him to a mysterious tower that hides a magical world full of unusual creatures and adventures. Mahito learns that his mother may still be alive and embarks on a dangerous journey to save her. A captivating film about courage, family and the power of imagination.