There is no doubt that one of the biggest animated filmmakers is Hayao Miyazaki director of films such as Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Kiki’s Delivery Service, The Wind Rises and more. In 2013 he announced his retirement, but after working on a short film changed his mind in 2016. Now after all these years his latest feature The Boy and the Heron is finally here. The film features the original voice cast of Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, KoShibasaki,  Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura, Takuya Kimura, Kaoru Kobayashi, and Shinobu Otake. The US release offers up an all-star cast as well including Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson and Florence Pugh.

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The Boy and the Heron follows young Mahito who moves to his family's estate in the countryside after losing his mother during the war. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to a secluded and ancient tower, home to a mischievous gray heron. When Mahito's new stepmother disappears, he follows the gray heron into the tower, and enters a fantastic world shared by the living and the dead. As he embarks on an epic journey with the heron as his guide, Mahito must uncover the secrets of this world, and the truth about himself.

 

This release not only features the film but also includes feature-length storyboards, an interview with Golden Globe®-nominated composer Joe Hisaishi, an interview with Academy Award®-winning producer and Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, an interview and drawing featurette with Annie Award-winning supervising animator Takeshi Honda, the music video for the film’s theme song “Spinning Globe” from global J-Pop superstar Kenshi Yonezu, and teasers and trailers.

 

Grab your copy of The Boy and the Heron when it hits digital on June 25th and then on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD and limited edition steelbook on July 9th.