It’s not based on a novel, as previously reported.
The Big Picture
- GKIDS released a pre-teaser for Studio Ghibli’s highly anticipated new film, The Boy and the Heron, giving a glimpse at its premise and themes.
- The film marks Hayao Miyazaki’s return after 10 years and features the signature hand-drawn animation of Studio Ghibli.
- The Boy and the Heron has already generated high anticipation, with tickets selling out for its screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival.
GKIDS has just released a new pre-teaser for the highly anticipated new Studio Ghibli film, The Boy and the Heron. The new film comes from the legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, who previously worked on such films as Spirited Away. The Boy and the Heron has been shrouded in mystery throughout its rollout, with no footage or trailers for the film being made available to audiences prior to its release in Japan this July.
A Look into Hayao Miyazaki’s Final Film
This latest ‘pre-teaser’ gives audiences a first glimpse at the plot of the upcoming film ahead of the first teaser, which is set to be released on September 6. The new teaser comes ahead of the film’s international premiere at the Opening Night Gala of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7. The film will debut in theaters in North America later this fall. This is Miyazaki’s first film in 10 years and is written and directed by the Studio Ghibli co-founder. The film will feature the signature hand-drawn animation of the studio.
The new pre-teaser does not show the animation signature of Studio Ghibli. However, it does give us a glimpse at the film’s premise. “A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead,” the teaser states. “There,” the teaser continues, “death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning.” And though this description is vague, it certainly tunes us into the primary themes of the movie, which will deal with one boy’s reckoning with life, death, and his own grief. The new pre-teaser also indicates that the project is a semi-autobiographical story based on Miyazaki’s life.
The film has already created a high level of anticipation among Studio Ghibli fans and film lovers alike. Tickets to the film’s screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival sold out in record time. The film will work its way through several other festivals, such as the New York Film Festival, before it comes to theaters in North America later this fall. You can catch the pre-teaser below. The film’s first teaser trailer will be released next week, on September 6, ahead of its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
