Everything you need to know about ‘The Boy and the Heron,’ which earned Studio Ghibli its first Golden Globe and aims to repeat the feat at the 2024 Critics Choice

The legendary Japanese animator Hayao MiyazakiOscar winner (Ghostly away), has just achieved a new international achievement. This Sunday, January 7, Miyazaki won one golden globe for his movie The boy and the heron. This is the first award of its kind for him and Studio Ghibli. The film, which is partially is based on Miyazaki’s childhoodis also the first in a language other than English to win the prize Golden Globe for best animated film.

Although Miyazaki, 83, was unable to attend the ceremony in Los Angeles to accept the award, Toshio Suzuki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, which produced the film, claimed the recognition came at an important time for Japan..

“Since the beginning of this year, Japan has been hit by a series of tragic earthquakes and accidents. When I hear reports of people still waiting for rescue in disaster areas, I feel a sense of despair,” Suzuki wrote in a post on X. “In such a situation, I hope that the good news of winning a prize can make everyone smile, even a little.”.

‘The Boy and the Heron’ by Hayao Miyazaki will be shown at the San Sebastián Festival, as will ‘They Shot the Pianist’ by Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal

‘The Boy and the Heron’ was written by Hayao Miyazaki, inspired by his life

The critically acclaimed new fantasy adventure is the director’s most symbolic, metaphorical and personal film. Miyazaki came out of retirement as director of Ghibli animation projects a decade ago to make this film, the last of his historic career.

The film is based on the concept of the book How do you live? (1937), by Japanese author Genzaburo Yoshino, but it is not completely related to the novel, but rather presents an original story. It is said that when Miyazaki proposed the idea to producer Suzuki, he warned him that he would do it on the condition that he tell a story that could be about himself.

The boy and the heron tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who moves to the countryside after losing his mother in a hospital fire during World War II. Meanwhile, the boy ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead, where he encounters a magical gray heron. These themes of pain and hope, in a world marked by conflict and loss, are largely reflected in Miyazaki’s childhood.

For this reason, the characters in the film, according to the producer’s own words, seem to represent people relevant to the life of the director and Studio Ghibli itself. Toshio Suzuki revealed that Miyazaki worked on the film so that his grandson would remember him once he died.

It took seven years to make ‘The Boy and the Heron’

The animation work of the film The boy and the heron It took seven years to complete.. Two and a half years were spent on pre-production activities and approximately five years on the production phase About 60 animators were neededas the classic animation technique (drawing the objects by hand) was used.

The film was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and for Miyazaki’s meticulous animation pacing. According to the producer It is the most expensive film ever produced in Japan.

‘The Boy and the Heron’ is Ghibli’s highest-grossing release

The film premiered in Japan in June, where it became the highest-grossing Japanese release in Studio Ghibli history.. The title became a worldwide success, grossing over $137 million worldwide. The revenue is led by the North American box office, which took in just under 13 million dollars in the first weekend.

An English-language version featured the voices of A-list Hollywood actors including Christian Bale, Robert Pattinson and Mark Hamill.

Among the numerous recognitions of ‘The Boy and the Heron’ there’s the Golden Globe

The boy and the heron was screened at the opening of the San Sebastián Film Festival (in September 2023), where Miyazaki was honored with the Donostia Prize in recognition of his professional career. The Oscar-winning director thanked the festival extensively via a video.

At the recent Golden Globes awards ceremony, The boy and the heron won best animated film wish, Elementary, Spider-Man: About the Spider-Verse, The Super Mario Bros. Movie And Suzume. The Golden Globes win could see Miyazaki win an Academy Award, for which he last won in 2001 Ghostly away. The film also received an honorary Oscar in 2014. For the time being, the film will compete for the same title during the Critics Choice Awards ceremony, which will take place this Sunday, January 14.

When is ‘The Boy and the Heron’ premiering in Ecuador

In the last week of December 2023, the Supercines chain confirmed this The boy and the heron premieres in cinemas in Ecuador on Thursday, January 25, 2024. The film is distributed by VISTA Entertainment.