Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron won the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Film. This is the first Golden Globe awarded to a Studio Ghibli title. The movie beat out Suzume, Super Mario Bros. Movie, Elemental, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Makoto Shinkai’s Wish were also nominated in the same category.
In addition to Best Animated Feature, The Boy and the Heron was also nominated in the Best Original Score category for Joe Hisashi’s soundtrack at the 81st Golden Globe Awards. Miyazaki was not present at the ceremony but Joe Hisashi and producer Toshio Suzuki were present. Suzuki spoke after the victory:
“This is the first Golden Globe awarded to a Studio Ghibli film and it is a very special feeling. Since the beginning of this year, Japan has suffered a series of earthquakes and tragic accidents… In such circumstances, I hope the bright news of winning the award can bring a smile to my face. everyone’s face, even if just a little.”
The Boy and the Heron, dubbed Miyazaki’s last film, was released in July this year in Japan. The film is inspired by How Do You Live? by Yoshino Genzaburo. novel from 1937, but it is not a direct adaptation. Instead, it features elements from Miyazaki’s own life. The film had its international premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, while its US premiere took place as part of the 61st Annual New York Film Festival. The film was shown in North theaters. US, Australia and New Zealand from December.
Kenshi Yonezu performed the film’s theme song titled “Spinning Globe”. The voice cast includes:
- Soma Santoki/Luca Padovan trong vai Mahito
- Masaki Suda/Robert Pattison as Gray Heron
- Ko Shibasaki/Florence Pugh trong vai Kiriko
- Aimyon/Karen Fukuhara vai Himi
- Yoshino Kimura/Gemma Chan vai Natusko
- Takuya Kimura/Christian Bale vai Shoichi
- Shinobu Otake vào vai Aiko
- Keiko Takeshita vai Izumi
- Jun Fubuki vai Utako
- Sawako Agawa vào vai Eriko
- Karen Takizawa vào vai Warawara
- Jun Kunimura as the Great Parrot King
- Kaoru Kobayashi/William Dafoe as Old Pelican
- Jun Kunimura/Dave Bautista as the Macaw King
The Boy and Heron was also the first Japanese film to win a Golden Globe Award.
Source: The Boy and the Heron at the Golden Globes©2023 Studio Ghibli