The first images revealed from Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron have hit the web, captured from the official movie pamphlet released in Japan this week. These film materials often accompany new releases with artwork, creator interviews and more details from the pic — which is great for those outside Japan who have been biding their time under Studio Ghibli’s bold no-marketing strategy for their latest release.
These excerpts were snapped by Catsuka:
Released in Japan by Toho on July 14 as How Do You Live (Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka), the fantastical and philosophical coming-of-age tale, which according to producer Toshio Suzuki is Miyazaki’s final feature film and a legacy message to his grandson, surpassed 5 billion yen at the box office this past weekend.
Suzuki has also let on that 2D animated opus may be the most expensive film ever produced in Japan, according to an interview with LiveDoor News. This would mean it cost more than previous record holder, Studio Ghibli’s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, which was released in 2013 with a price tag of $43.9 million dollars and was directed by Isao Takahata.
From early critical reviews, we know that The Boy and the Heron centers on a boy named Mahito whose mother is killed in the WWII fire bombings of Tokyo. Moving out of the city and struggling to adjust to his grief, a new stepmother (his mother’s sister) and a half-sibling on the way, Mahito is lured by a talking heron into a fantastical journey through an alternate world.
The Boy and the Heron will have its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7 before enjoying a wide release through GKIDS.
[Sources: Catsuka, World of Reel, LiveDoor, FilmBusiness Asia]
