The Boy and the Heron, the Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning animated feature from Hayao Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli, has been set to premiere exclusively on Max in the U.S. on Friday, September 6. There, the film will join the rest of the Studio Ghibli library, which came to Max as part of an exclusive multiyear U.S. deal announced earlier this year.
Max closed its initial deal with Studio Ghibli in 2020, marking the first time the studio’s films were available to stream. Previously, The Boy and the Heron was set to stream on Netflix across the majority of the globe, excluding Japan and the U.S. This was part of a new deal between Netflix, Goodfellas and Gkids, though a premiere date was never disclosed by the streamer.
A hand-drawn, original story, The Boy and the Heron marks Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years as both writer and director. The film follows young Mahito, who after losing his mother in a hospital fire, moves to his family’s estate in the countryside. 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.
Produced by Toshio Suzuki, the film’s English-language voice cast includes Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson, and Florence Pugh. Joe Hisaishi penned its music.