Warner Bros. India took to Twitter on Monday to announce the upcoming release of Hayao Miyazaki's latest film, The Boy and the Heron, in Indian theaters. The film will release in the original Japanese version with English subtitles as well as an English dubbed version.
Previously, Singapore-based film distribution company Encore Films confirmed plans to bring The Boy and the Heron to Indian audiences. Additionally, Netflix secured streaming rights to the film for territories outside of Japan through a new deal involving the company, Goodfellas and GKIDS.
The film premiered in Japan on July 14, achieving significant success, selling over 1.003 million tickets and grossing approximately US$13.2 million in its first three days of release. During the long weekend from Friday to Monday, coinciding with Japan's Maritime Day holiday on July 17, the film sold 1.353 million tickets, grossing 2.149 billion yen (about US$15.53 million).
The success of “The Boy and the Heron” in Japan and internationally
Notably, it ranked as the 59th highest-grossing film in Japan and emerged as the third highest-grossing domestic film in 2023, grossing an impressive 8.66 billion yen ( about 61.4 million USD).
Billed as the first Studio Ghibli film to receive a simultaneous IMAX release, The Boy and the Heron is also shown in formats such as Dolby Atmos, Dolby Cinema and DTS:X, further enhancing the cinematic experience.
Furthermore, the film received critical acclaim, winning several prestigious awards. The film won Best Animated Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards in March and won Best Motion Picture – Animation at the 81st Golden Globe Awards in January.
Awards and recognition for “The Boy and the Heron”
The Alliance of Women Film Journalists honored the film with the award for Best Animated Feature in the EDA Awards on December 31. Additionally, the 78th Mainichi Film Awards recognized the film with the Noburou Award Oofuji, highlights the film's innovative creative expression.
Furthermore, the film received two awards at the 51st Annual Annie Awards in February for Best Storyboard and Best Character Animation, along with winning the Animated Feature Award at the Awards. British Academy Cinema.
Hayao Miyazaki is credited as the original writer, director, and screenwriter. Famous composer Joe Hisaishi composed the music, while Kenshi Yonezu performed the theme song “Chikyūgi” (Globe).
