Fans of Hayao Miyazaki’s beautiful creation, “The Boy and the Heron,” are in for a treat as the film gears up for a massive expansion in Japan.
Scheduled for later this week, the expansion includes screenings of the film’s English dub across the country. But even before this exciting event, audiences have been rushing to theaters, catapulting the Studio Ghibli production to even greater heights.
As of March 17, “The Boy and the Heron” has pulled in an incredible 9.08 billion yen (US$63.55 million) at the Japanese box office, with over 6.12 million tickets sold.
This recent milestone is a huge achievement, pushing the film up 15 spots on the all-time charts since September 2023.
Surpassing the 9 billion yen mark is a remarkable feat, placing the Miyazaki masterpiece at the 64th position, just a stone’s throw away from “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.”
Originally released in Japanese theaters on July 14, 2023, “The Boy and the Heron” made its international debut at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7.
After captivating audiences at the New York Film Festival on October 29, the film went wide on December 8. The excitement builds as the film expands nationwide in Japan on March 20 and returns to theaters across North America on March 22.
Adding to its impressive list of accolades, the movie clinched several prestigious awards, including Best Animated Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards, Best Animation of the Year at the 47th Japan Academy Film Prize Awards, Best Animated Film at the British Academy Film Awards, and the Golden Globe for Best Animated Film.
Crunchyroll played a pivotal role in bringing the film to audiences in Australia and New Zealand on December 7, 2023. Described as a semi-autobiographical fantasy, “The Boy and the Heron” explores themes of life, death, and creation, paying tribute to friendship through the imaginative lens of Hayao Miyazaki.
