Warner Bros. India took to Twitter on Monday to announce the upcoming release of Hayao Miyazaki’s latest feature film, The Boy and the Heron, in Indian theaters. The film will debut in its original Japanese version with English subtitles, as well as an English dubbed version.
Previously, Singapore-based film distribution company Encore Films had confirmed its plans to bring The Boy and the Heron to Indian audiences. Additionally, Netflix secured the streaming rights to the film for territories outside Japan through a new agreement involving the company, Goodfellas, and GKIDS.
The film premiered in Japan on July 14, achieving significant success by selling over 1.003 million tickets and earning approximately US$13.2 million within its initial three days. Over its Friday to Monday long weekend, coinciding with Japan’s Marine Day holiday on July 17, the film sold 1.353 million tickets, accumulating 2.149 billion yen (about US$15.53 million).
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, amassing an impressive 8.66 billion yen (about US$61.4 million).
Distinguished as the first Studio Ghibli film to receive a simultaneous IMAX release, The Boy and the Heron also screened in formats like Dolby Atmos, Dolby Cinema, and DTS:X, further enhancing its cinematic experience.
Moreover, the film garnered critical acclaim, securing several prestigious awards. It won the Best Animated Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards in March and claimed the Best Motion Picture – Animated category at the 81st Golden Globes Awards in January.
Awards and Recognition for “The Boy and the Heron”
The Alliance of Women Film Journalists honored it with the Best Animated Film award in its EDA Awards on December 31. Additionally, the 78th Mainichi Film Awards recognized the film with the Noburou Oofuji Award, highlighting its innovative creative expression.
Furthermore, it received two awards at the 51st Annual Annie Awards in February for Best Storyboarding and Best Character Animation, along with winning the Animated Film award at the British Academy Film Awards.
Hayao Miyazaki is credited with the original work, directing the film, and writing the script. The renowned composer Joe Hisaishi composed the music, while Kenshi Yonezu performed the theme song “Chikyūgi” (Globe).