GKIDS has announced the English-language voice cast for acclaimed Oscar-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s new feature, The Boy and the Heron. Featuring in the English dub of the film are:
- Christian Bale (Ford v Ferrari, Amsterdam, The Pale Blue Eye) as Shoichi Maki
- Dave Bautista (Dune, Guardians of the Galaxy) as The Parakeet King
- Gemma Chan (The Creator, Eternals, Crazy Rich Asians) as Natsuko
- Willem Dafoe (At Eternity’s Gate, The Florida Project) as Noble Pelican
- Karen Fukuhara (The Boys, Suicide Squad) as Lady Himi
- Mark Hamill (The Machine, House of Usher) as Granduncle
- Robert Pattinson (The Batman, Tenet, upcoming Mickey 17) as The Gray Heron
- Florence Pugh (Oppenheimer, Black Widow, Little Women) as Kiriko
- Luca Padovan as Mahito Maki
- Mamoudou Athie, Tony Revolori and Dan Stevens as the Parakeets
GKIDS handled casting and produced the English version in close consultation with Studio Ghibli, with ADR direction by Michael Sinterniklaas at NYAV Post, and English script adaptation by Stephanie Sheh. The English-language dub was produced in accordance with the SAG-AFTRA Foreign Dubbing Agreement.
The latest feature from Studio Ghibli begins special preview engagements on November 22 before expanding to cinemas nationwide and in Canada on December 8. The film will be presented in IMAX at L.A.’s Chinese Theatre on October 18 as the Opening Night screening of the Animation Is Film festival.
The hand-drawn, animated feature — director Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years — is an original story written and directed by Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, produced by Academy Award-nominee and studio co-founder Toshio Suzuki, and featuring a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi. Its theme song, “Spinning Globe,” was written and performed by global J-pop superstar Kenshi Yonezu.
Bale is represented by WME, Viewpoint and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher. Bautista is repped by CAA, Meisner Entertainment Group’s Jonathan Meisner, Kovert Creative and Jackoway Austen Tyerman’s Karl Austen. Chan is represented by Independent, WME and M88. Dafoe is represented by Circle of Confusion, WME and Narrative. Fukuhara is represented by UTA and Stride Management. Hamill is represented by Gersh, R&CPMK and Robert M. Lange. Pattinson is represented by WME, Curtis Brown, 3 Arts Entertainment, Narrative and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Pugh is represented by CAA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, Shelter PR and Gregory Slewett from JSSK.
