Hayao Miyazaki's first feature in ten years, The Boy and the Heron, will be released in Russia on December 7th.

17 November 2023

The most anticipated animated film of 2023, "The Boy and the Heron" by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, will be released by Russian Report on December 7th.

Hayao Miyazaki is the Oscar-winning creator of such animated pictures as "Spirited Away", "Howl's Moving Castle", "My Neighbour Totoro" and "The Wind Rises".He has been working on his new film since 2016 and, like all of Miyazaki's previous works, this animation is painstakingly handmade and impresses with its outstanding visual style.

Studio Ghibli kept in secret details of the new film until its release in Japan. Only one poster was available, while the first teaser trailer appeared right on the eve of the Toronto International Film Festival and caused an outburst of delight among the fan communities, professionals of the film industry and cinema audiences. "The Boy and the Heron" was the first animated picture in history to open the Toronto Film Festival and the first animated film ever to enter the top three winners.

Plot:

Mojito's mother was killed during an air attack on Tokyo. The 12-year-old boy tries to cope with the tragedy and accidentally meets a talking gray heron. The bird promises him a meeting with his mother if he finds a portal to a fantastic world.

Facts:

• the cartoon scored a rating of 89 out of 100 at Metacritic.
• "The Boy and the Heron" collected at the Japanese box office $54,000,000 and entered the top 20 highest-grossing Japanese animated films.

The press unanimously calls "The Boy and the Heron" the most anticipated "visual masterpiece".

Foreign reviews:

• «Visual Splendor»(Vanity Fair)
• «Starting from the Ghibli's style and to the plot, this visual masterpiece undoubtedly confirms Miyazaki's status as one of the most beloved directors in the world». (Deadline)
• «Hayao Miyazaki is the greatest animator alive»(Rolling Stone)
• «His latest work looks very personal» (New York. Vulture)
• «The most extensive and impressive film ... a stunning experience» (BBC)
• «Images will pour over you» (The Hollywood Reporter)
• «Based on events from childhood, Miyazaki created a world in which everything seems possible, including the chance to change yourself» (Screen Daily)
• «If this is indeed his final film — this time for real — what a way for Miyazaki to launch into retirement, with a swan song so personal, artful and ultimately timeless.» (The Wrap)

The film will be released in Russia on December 7th.