GKIDS has acquired the North American distribution rights The Boy And The Heron, Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki’s highly anticipated upcoming film. GKIDS will release the film theatrically in North America later this year.
Released in Japan as Kimitachi wa Do Ikiruka (translated as How Do You Live), the film is an original story written and directed by Academy Award-winning Miyazaki, produced by the Oscar-winning Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, and features a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi.
Informally referred to in the English-language press by its tentative title, How Do You Live, the official international title is unveiled as The Boy And The Heron. The hand-drawn, animated feature — director Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years — opens exclusively in Japanese cinemas this weekend.
In a decision by Studio Ghibli, no images, trailers, synopsis, advertisements, or other information about the film have been made available to the public prior to its release in theatres in Japan. In keeping with this policy, GKIDS will not release any further details or marketing materials at this time.
“Hayao Miyazaki is a living legend in filmmaking, as evidenced by his Academy Award win for Spirited Away and his two Oscar nominations for Howl’s Moving Castle and The Wind Rises,” said GKIDS president David Jesteadt. “It’s been ten years since the world has seen a new film from Miyazaki-san and GKIDS is so proud and honoured to unveil his latest, highly anticipated masterpiece in North America.”
GKIDS handles North American distribution for the famed Studio Ghibli library of films across all theatrical, home video, digital and streaming platforms. The company has released Studio Ghibli’s most recent films in theatres nationwide, including the Academy Award-nominated The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, the Academy Award-nominated When Marnie Was There, From Up on Poppy Hill and more.
Since 2017, GKIDS has produced the annual Ghibli Fest, a monthly nationwide theatrical program of Ghibli film screenings in over 800 theatres across the country. The series continues this year with a focus on the films of Miyazaki.