MANILA, Philippines – Surprise! Eighty-year-old filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film The Boy and the Heron had already premiered in Tokyo on July 14.
Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation studio known for quintessential films such as Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle, released the film without any form of promotion aside from a poster. More than a month after its premiere, the studio has finally shared stills from the movie through their website.
Inspired by the 1937 Genzaburo Yoshino novel How Do You Live?, The Boy and the Heron follows the life of a 12-year-old boy after the events of World War II. After he loses his mother in the bombings of Tokyo, he and his father move to the countryside. He encounters the titular heron who tells him how he can meet his mother again. This then leads to a fantastical journey through another world.
In its first three days of release in Japan, the film earned $13.2 million. It also set a three-day opening record for its IMAX release, garnering $1.7 million.
A release date for the Philippines has yet to be announced.
The film was created after Miyazaki came out of retirement in 2021. He originally retired in 2013 after the success of his last film The Wind Also Rises.
Studio Ghibli was founded by Miyazaki along with producer Toshio Suzuki and fellow director Isao Takhata in 1985. They are known for their meticulously crafted films featuring poignant stories brought to life by primarily hand-drawn animations.
The studio’s films have garnered multiple awards in the fields of filmmaking and animation. Their 2001 film Spirited Away won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. – with additional reports from Luna Coscolluela/Rappler.com
Luna Coscolluela is a Rappler intern.