It's officially happening: Hayao Miyazaki's new film The Boy and The Heron is ready for its international release. The Studio Ghibli feature, which has been screening in Japan for more than a month, has just been confirmed to get its North American debut at the New York Film Festival next month!
The Boy and The Heron, also known as Kimitachi wa Do Ikiru ka, was initially unveiled in 2017. However, the precise release date remained undisclosed until December of the previous year. In a subsequent move, Studio Ghibli unveiled a poster featuring the titular heron, which turned out to be the sole promotional material for the film. The animation studio deliberately opted against any form of promotional campaign, resulting in the absence of trailers, images, or casting information for the movie prior to its recent premiere in Japanese theaters.
Amazingly, things changed after NYFF announced its Spotlight section which features carefully chosen features. One of the films that was confirmed to screen at the event in The Boy and The Heron which was announced along with a new image from the movie.
This is great news but it is important to point out that NYFF did not release when The Boy and The Heron will be screened. However, the event will run between September 29 and October 15. Hopefully, the film's North American premiere will be announced soon.
The Boy and The Heron has been officially announced as Hayao Miyazaki's final feature film. Drawing from the Japanese title, which pays homage to Genzaburo Yoshino's 1937 novel of the same name, the film takes a new narrative direction that remains detached from the original book's storyline. The movie follows a young boy who relocates to a fresh locale and stumbles upon an abandoned tower, where he encounters a talking grey heron. The film premiered in Japan on July 14, 2023, and has not yet been given an official international release date.
The 61st New York Film Festival will take place at the Lincoln Center from September 29 to October 15, 2023.
