Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning film “The Boy and the Heron” has finally announced its streaming release date. Since its premiere in 2023, “The Boy and the Heron” has been making history for anime fans. It made history at the Oscars by becoming the second anime to win Best Animated Picture after “Spirited Away.” Now, fans of the film and those that have yet to see it can finally watch “The Boy and the Heron” on Max later this year.
According to Max, “The Boy and the Heron will make its U.S. streaming debut exclusively on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 on Max.” This comes just four years after Max became the home for Studio Ghibli by being the exclusive distributor of the studio’s films.
Now, “The Boy and the Heron” will be joining countless iconic works by Hayao Miyazaki (“Spirited Away,” “Kiki’s Delivery Service”), among other notable films like “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” as the next entry in Ghibli’s library to stream on the service.
The film follows Mahito after the death of his mother as he experiences “a series of mysterious events [that] lead him to a secluded and ancient tower, home to a mischievous gray heron.”
“The Boy and the Heron” Streaming Debut Set to Shine with Star-Studded English Dub
What’s going to be interesting to see when “The Boy and the Heron” hits streaming is how successful its debut could be. The film has garnered worldwide acclaim over the past year with its massive box office haul and numerous awards.
It will become available for anyone with a Max subscription to see, and this could lead to even more audiences recognizing why the film has become so beloved by Miyazaki, anime, and movie fans alike.
What will likely help bolster the film’s streaming numbers is its massive cast for the English dub. While both versions of the film will be available to stream like the other films in Max’s Ghibli library,
“The Boy and the Heron”‘s cast has been praised for providing one of the most unique dubs in Studio Ghibli’s history. “Featuring the voices of Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson, and Florence Pugh,” the English dub of the film is sure to draw in eyes across the US with its stacked cast.
“The Boy and the Heron” Streaming Release to Spark New Interest in Studio Ghibli Classics
The best thing about “The Boy and the Heron”‘s official streaming release is how it could introduce new fans to the world of Studio Ghibli. With the studio’s entire filmography available on Max, newcomers will have the chance to explore the films that came before the Oscar-winning film before it officially debuts.
The platform hosts some of the most iconic anime films throughout the years by Hayao Miyazaki and more talented filmmakers, with “Ponyo,” “Castle in the Sky,” “Only Yesterday,” “Spirited Away,” and “Howl’s Moving Castle” just to name a few.
“The Boy and the Heron” will debut on Friday, September 6th for everyone in the US to stream. The film has become a major success for not just fans of Ghibli, but movie fans in general. Now, with its upcoming streaming date officially confirmed, everyone will finally get to see just why “The Boy and the Heron” has become one of Miyazaki’s most well-regarded films after decades of creating masterpieces.
