Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning film “The Boy and the Heron” has finally announced a streaming release date. Since its release in 2023, “The Boy and the Heron” has been making history for anime fans. The film made history at the Oscars as the second anime to win Best Animated Feature after “Spirited Away.” Now, fans of the film and those who haven’t seen it can finally watch “The Boy and the Heron” on Max later this year.
According to Max, “The Boy and the Heron will premiere exclusively on the streaming platform in the United States on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 on Max.” This comes just four years after Max became the exclusive distributor of Studio Ghibli films.
Now, “The Boy and the Heron” will join the long list of Hayao Miyazaki’s iconic works (“Spirited Away,” “Kiki’s Delivery Service”), along with other notable films like “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” as the next entry in Ghibli’s film 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] leads him to an ancient and secluded tower, home to a mischievous grey heron.”
“The Boy and the Heron” Streaming Debut Set to Shine with All-Star English Dub
What’s interesting about watching “The Boy and the Heron” go online is the success of its initial release. The film has received worldwide acclaim over the past year with huge box office receipts and numerous awards.
Anyone with a Max subscription can watch this movie, and this could help even more viewers realize why the movie is so beloved by Miyazaki, anime fans, and cinema fans.
What could help boost the film's streaming numbers is the strong cast for the English dub. While both versions of the film are available to stream, like the other films in Max's Ghibli library,
The cast of “The Boy and the Heron” has been praised for providing one of the most unique dubs in Studio Ghibli history. “Starring the voices of Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson and Florence Pugh,” the film’s English dub is sure to attract attention across the United States with its strong cast.
“The Boy and the Heron” Streaming Release to Spark New Interest in Studio Ghibli Classics
The best thing about the official streaming release of “The Boy and the Heron” is how it can introduce new fans to the world of Studio Ghibli. With the studio’s entire filmography available on Max, newcomers will have the opportunity to explore the films that came before the Oscar-winning film before it officially comes out.
The platform hosts some of the most iconic animated films over the years from Hayao Miyazaki and many other talented filmmakers, including “Ponyo,” “Castle in the Sky,” “Only Yesterday,” “Spirited Away,” and “Howl’s Moving Castle,” to name a few.
“The Boy and the Heron” will be available for streaming in the United States on Friday, September 6. The film has been a huge hit not only among Ghibli fans but also among film fans in general. Now, with the upcoming streaming date officially confirmed, people will finally get to see why “The Boy and the Heron” has become one of Miyazaki’s most critically acclaimed films after decades of creating masterpieces.