Normally, when we at CableTV.com recommend an upcoming movie, we like to include the trailer for added context. When page loading speeds forbid us from using a trailer, we opt for a screenshot. In the absence of a screenshot, we, at the very least, give a synopsis.
But when it released in Japan earlier in 2023, the new film from director Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli offered none of this. How Do You Live? (or Kimi-tachi wa Dō Ikiru ka), which arrived in Japanese theaters on July 14, did not have a trailer. It didn’t have any promotional images, save for a single poster. And while we knew that the film is an adaptation of a book from 1937, the studio didn’t provide a ton of additional information.
This lack of info is a deliberate choice from producer Toshio Suzuki, who works closely with Miyazaki. Suzuki said the lack of marketing is the antithesis of the American approach—that is, releasing so many trailers that the audience knows the whole story before they show up—and is ultimately “what moviegoers latently desire.”
(And honestly? He’s probably right.)
However, Western movie theaters have slightly less faith in their audiences. Retitled The Boy and the Heron, this latest Ghibli film does have a trailer ahead of its September 6 Max release date. You can find it below (unless you’d rather be a purist and remain unspoiled.)
How to watch The Boy and the Heron in the US
The English-language sub and dub of How Do You Live?, retitled The Boy and the Heron, is available to rent or buy on VOD, and will be available to stream on Max with the rest of the Studio Ghibli collection beginning September 6.
The Boy and the Heron‘s English dub features a slew of A-list stars, including:
- Christian Bale
- Dave Bautista
- Gemma Chan
- Willem Dafoe
- Karen Fukuhara
- Mark Hamill
- Robert Pattinson
- and Florence Pugh!
What is The Boy and the Heron about?
Well, hey now, that would defeat the purpose of the anti-marketing campaign! What we can tell you is that The Boy and the Heron is an adaptation of a 1937 novel called How Do You Live?, about a high-school student coping with a death in his family.
Also, some added context about The Boy and the Heron: this is probably Hayao Miyazaki’s final film with Studio Ghibli. He already retired once before, in 2013, but came out of retirement in 2016 to start working on just one more film.
But who really knows? It might not be his last film after all.
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Pro tip: Getting impatient? While you wait for Miyazaki’s final film to make its way to the States, relive your favorite Studio Ghibli stories with Max.
The Boy and the Heron US release date and trailer
The Boy and the Heron, the English-language version of How Do You Live?, premiered in American theaters on December 8 and will be available to stream on Max beginning September 6.
It is director Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature film since 2013’s The Wind Rises. After premiering in Japan, the film opened the Toronto Film Festival in September and will soon screen at the New York Film Festival.
If you’d like to enjoy the film unspoiled, as its producer intended, stop reading now. Japanese audiences knew nothing going into the film, and you can, too.
But as for American audiences, we have a little more information, including a trailer. (Watch it below.) We also have the official logline, or short teaser description, of the film: “A young boy named Mahito longing for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death and creation, in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.”
The Boy and the Heron movie trailer
Olivia Bono loves entertainment, and she’s never going to shut up about it. Here at CableTV.com, you’ll find her writing about the wild world of streaming. Her specialty is animation—you can find much of her work at our anime hub page. Olivia previously wrote for the Cornell Daily Sun, where in addition to television, she reviewed movies, albums, and video games. Outside of work, she loves to listen to audiobooks, make art, and spend time outdoors.
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