Studio Ghibli’s Latest Film “The Boy and the Heron” to Stream Exclusively on Max
Deadline, the popular entertainment news website, recently reported that Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki’s latest feature film “The Boy and the Heron” (Kimi-tachi wa Dō Ikiru ka) will be exclusively available to stream on Max (formerly HBO Max). This exciting news has left fans eagerly anticipating the release of the film on the streaming platform.
‘The Boy and the Heron’ Wins Big at Awards Ceremonies
This latest film from Studio Ghibli has been a huge success and has received numerous accolades. At the 96th Academy Awards ceremony, the film won the award for Best Animated Feature Film. This was Miyazaki’s second film to win after “Spirited Away” in 2003. The film has also won awards at the Japan Academy Film Prizes, the Golden Globes Awards, the Annie Awards, the British Academy Film Awards, and the EDA Awards. The film’s success has been a testament to the incredible storytelling and animation skills of Miyazaki and his team.
“The Boy and the Heron” Breaks Box Office Records
The film opened in Japan in July 2023 and broke box office records with its incredible performance. Within the first three days of its release, it sold 1.003 million tickets and earned about US$13.2 million. The film went on to sell 1.353 million tickets and earned 2.149 billion yen (about US$15.53 million) in its Friday-Monday long weekend.
It is the #71 highest-grossing film ever in Japan and the third highest-grossing domestic film in Japan in 2023 with an 8.66 billion yen (about US$61.4 million) gross. The film also ranked #1 in its opening weekend at the U.S. box office, with an earning of US$12,836,313 in its first three days. Variety reported that the film is the “first original anime production” to top the U.S. box office.
Max Streaming Service Extends Deal with Studio Ghibli
The Max streaming service has been offering GKIDS’ “entire Studio Ghibli film library” since 2020, and the recent news of the exclusive streaming of “The Boy and the Heron” has only added to the excitement of fans. The streaming service has also extended its multiyear U.S. licensing deal with Studio Ghibli, which means that fans will continue to have access to some of the best-animated films ever made.
