GKIDS announced its acquisition of North American distribution rights to the highly anticipated new film from Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, co-founder of Japan’s Studio Ghibli. Informally referred to in English-language press by its tentative title, How Do You Live, the official international title is unveiled as The Boy and the Heron.
Released in Japan as Kimitachi wa Do Ikiruka (How Do You Live), the film is written and directed by Miyazaki, produced by the Oscar-winning Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, and features a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator, Joe Hisaishi.
The all-rights deal marks a continuation of GKIDS’ long-standing relationship with Ghibli, which will see the producer/distributor theatrically release The Boy and the Heron in North America later this year.
The hand-drawn animated feature — Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years — opens exclusively in Japanese cinemas today. In an unprecedented decision by Studio Ghibli, no images, trailers, synopses, advertisements or other information about the film have been made available to the public prior to its release in theaters in Japan. In keeping with this policy, GKIDS will not release any further details or marketing materials at this time.
According to a story in Japan Times lines were getting longer by the minute at a Toho cinema in the Kabukicho district of Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward on Friday morning.
As previously reported, the only hint from the studio about the film is that it is “a grand fantasy” based on the 1937 book How Do You Live by Yoshino Genzaburo. The novel centers on a teenage boy’s experiences growing up after the loss of his father, as his beloved uncle keeps a diary of their talks about emotional challenges, life, relationships and the world.
“Hayao Miyazaki is a living legend in filmmaking, as evidenced by his Academy Award win for Spirited Away and his two Oscar nominations for Howl’s Moving Castle and The Wind Rises,” said David Jesteadt, GKIDS President. “It’s been 10 years since the world has seen a new film from Miyazaki-san, and GKIDS is so proud and honored to unveil his latest, highly anticipated masterpiece in North America.”
GKIDS handles North American distribution for the famed Studio Ghibli library of films across all theatrical, home video, digital, and streaming platforms. The company has released Studio Ghibli’s most recent films in theaters nationwide, including the Academy Award-nominated The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, the Academy Award-nominated When Marnie Was There, From Up on Poppy Hill and more.
Since 2017, GKIDS has produced the annual Studio Ghibli Fest, a monthly nationwide theatrical program of Ghibli film screenings in over 800 theaters across the country. The series continues this year with a focus on the films of Hayao Miyazaki.
