The Boy and the Heron

Legendary Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki directs his twelfth film

The Boy and the Heron is a fantasy-adventure Japanese anime written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The Japanese title of the film is inspired by Genzaburo Yoshino's novel of the same name that was released in 1937, however it is not an adaptation of the novel, instead being a wholly original project by Miyazaki. The film is produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder and long-time Miyazaki collaborator, Toshio Suzuki. Academy Award winner Miyazaki is one of the film industry’s pioneering directors having helmed such beloved titles as Spirited Away (which won the Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2002), Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Ponyo and The Wind Rises, just to name a few. 

After the release of The Wind Rises, Miyazaki declared his retirement in 2013 during a press conference in Venice. He later reconsidered his decision and chose to return from retirement to direct a new film, which was eventually revealed to be The Boy and the Heron in 2017. The film marks his twelfth entry in his groundbreaking filmography. Perfect Blue key animator, Takeshi Honda, joins Miyazaki as the animation director. Acclaimed composer, Joe Hisaishi, scores The Boy and the Heron after having composed every film directed by Miyazaki except his feature-length directorial debut, The Castle of Cagliostro, in 1979. 

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