In an interview with IndieWire, Studio Ghibli president Toshio Suzuki opened up Hayao Miyazaki’s next movie following The Boy and the Heron. Suzuki revealed that Miyazaki’s latest coming-of-age fantasy has given the acclaimed filmmaker “newfound confidence” to continue exploring other stories.
In addition, Suzuki confirmed that Miyazaki has not yet figure out the story for his next project since his focus is still on The Boy and the Heron ahead of its upcoming U.S. theatrical release. “He needs to empty his mind again,” he said, “and then when he’s emptied his mind with a blank canvas, he usually comes up with new ideas. So we have to wait a little more.”
When will The Boy and the Heron arrive in U.S. theaters?
Following its theatrical run in Japan in July of 2023, The Boy and the Heron (originally titled How Do You Live?) will finally make its debut in U.S. theaters on December 8, with GKIDS handling its North American distribution. Prior to this, the film recently had its international premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival where it received positive reviews from critics.
“Through encounters with his friends and uncle, follows a teenage boy’s psychological development,” reads the synopsis. “He enters a magical world with a talking grey heron after finding an abandoned tower in his new town.”
The film is written and directed by Miyazaki, who’s best known for directing classics like My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Ponyo. The hand-drawn animated film features the voices of Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda (The Backwater), singer Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura (Confessions), Shōhei Hino (As Long as We Both Shall Live), Ko Shibasaki (47 Ronin), Takuya Kimura (Howl’s Moving Castle), and more.
