Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron to Stream Teaser Video with Film Footage

The secret Hayao Miyazaki film The Boy and the Heron will finally not be so secret anymore.

As per Anime News Network, GKIDS streamed a pre-teaser video for The Boy and the Heron, the alleged final film from acclaimed film director and Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki. The pre-teaser video introduced the story and shared that a longer teaser video that will showcase clips from the film itself will be released on Sept. 6. This will mark the first time viewers will get to see any animated footage from The Boy and the Heron as the film has kept the plot and casting details under lock and key prior to its release.

The pre-teaser video is cryptic, and tells the story of “A young boy named Mahito, yearning 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.” It continued, describing the film as “A semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.”

In June, producer Toshio Suzuki revealed that The Boy and the Heron, titled How Do You Live? in Japanese releases, would be taking an unconventional route and not share any kind of promotional material prior to the film’s release. The only thing fans would get would be a single teaser image of a person wearing a heron costume.

“Really, it’s an issue of over-supply. From the perspective of the viewer, it’s like they’re taking away all the truly interesting parts. So, since it’s come to this, I thought we should just go with a single poster,” Suzuki said. He later elaborated, “You get tired of doing the same thing over and over. We Wanted to try something new this time.”

Despite the lack of promotional activity for the film, Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron have already been smashing box office numbers, earning $13.2 million in its first three days in Japan. As the first Studio Ghibli film to get a simultaneous IMAX release, The Boy and the Heron earned more than Spirited Away in its first four days and earned more than $1.7 million from 44 IMAX screens, breaking a three-day opening record.

The Boy and the Heron will have its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 7, opening the festival up. This marks the first time TIFF has opened with an animated film and a Japanese film.

Miyazaki directed and wrote the script with Takeshi Honda as the animation director. Celebrated composer Joe Hisaishi returns to compose the music score. Kenshi Yonezu performed the theme song “Chikyūgi” (Globe). Soma Santoki voices the protagonist Mahito Maki.

The teaser video for The Boy and the Heron releases on Sept. 6.

Source: Anime News Network