Netflix is Broadcasting “The Boy and the Heron” Film Globally, Except in U.S. and Japan – Anime

On Thursday, entertainment news website Deadline announced that Netflix has secured the global streaming rights for Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki‘s latest feature film, The Boy and the Heron (Kimi-tachi wa Dō Ikiru ka), outside of Japan and the United States. This agreement is part of a new deal between Netflix, Goodfellas, and GKIDS. Additionally, 22 other Studio Ghibli titles will continue to be available globally on Netflix under this deal, including classics like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Arrietty, Kiki’s Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.

GKIDS also revealed the schedule for the Studio Ghibli Fest 2024, which will run from April 27th to December 11th.

The Boy and the Heron will exclusively stream on Max (formerly HBO Max) within the United States, as part of its extended multiyear U.S. licensing deal with Studio Ghibli.

The film recently won the Best Animated Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards ceremony on March 10th, marking Miyazaki’s second win after Spirited Away in 2003. Miyazaki has also received nominations for Howl’s Moving Castle and The Wind Rises.

Moreover, the film was awarded Animation of the Year at the 47th annual Japan Academy Film Prizes and won the Best Motion Picture – Animated category at the 81st Golden Globes Awards earlier this year. It also received recognition from the Annie Awards for storyboarding and character animation, as well as from the British Academy Film Awards for Best Animated Film. The Alliance of Women Film Journalists honored it with the Best Animated Film award in its EDA Awards on December 31st. Additionally, the 78th Mainichi Film Awards announced prior to its February 14th ceremony that the film would receive the Noburou Oofuji Award, recognizing animated works that offer new forms of creative expression.

Upon its release in Japan in July 2023, the film achieved notable success, selling 1.003 million tickets and earning approximately US$13.2 million within its first three days. Over the Friday-Monday long weekend (July 17th was the Marine Day holiday in Japan), it sold 1.353 million tickets and garnered 2.149 billion yen (about US$15.53 million). It ranks as the #71 highest-grossing film in Japan and the third highest-grossing domestic film in Japan in 2023, with a gross of 8.66 billion yen (about US$61.4 million).

In the U.S., the film debuted at #1 in its opening weekend at the box office, earning US$12,836,313 within its first three days. Variety noted that the film is the “first original anime production” to top the U.S. box office.

Since 2020, the Max streaming service has been offering GKIDS‘ “entire Studio Ghibli film library.”

Sources: Deadline (Anthony D’Alessandro), press release