It's official: Hayao Miyazaki's 'The Boy and The Heron' gets January 2024 release date
Good news for Pinoy Studio Ghibli fans! Hayao Miyazaki's much-awaited film The Boy and The Heron is officially landing in Philippine cinemas on Jan. 8, 2024.
The film's local distributor, Encore Films Philippines, made the announcement on social media today, Nov. 30, with the film's poster and a caption that reads, "At last, a Hayao Miyazaki film will be seen in Philippine cinemas for the first time on January 8, 2024."
"Embark on a mesmerizing journey with #TheBoyandTheHeron, a cinematic masterpiece that chose the timeliness storytelling of Academy Award Winner, Hayao Miyazaki," Encore Films wrote.
"Immerse yourself in a world of magic, adventure and wonder! Stay tuned for more updates."
The Boy and The Heron was initially set for a Nov. 29 release in the Philippines until the company announced in an email sent to PhilSTAR L!fe that it has been moved "to a later date that has yet to be determined."
The film has been making rounds online for a number of reasons. For starters, it was planned to be Miyazaki's final film prior to Studio Ghibli's announcement in September that this is not so, as the acclaimed animation master is still "working on ideas for a new film."
Studio Ghibli also announced in June that the movie, then titled How Do You Live, will launch in Japan's cinemas without any trailer or promotional materials to pique people's interest further.
Later retitled to The Boy and The Heron, Miyazaki's film has big Hollywood stars, including Christian Bale, Rober Pattinson, Dave Bautista, William Dafoe, and more voicing its English-dubbed edition.
The Boy and The Heron follows a boy named Mahito who enters a magical world with a talking gray heron after finding an abandoned tower in his new town. Yearning for his mother, Mahito ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead where death comes to an end and life finds a new beginning.