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Studio Ghibli's The Boy and the Heron finally lands a streaming home

The Academy Award winning film is headed to a streaming service in the United States.

By Natalie Zamora

The Boy and the Heron
The Boy and the Heron /
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Coming off its incredible win at the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 10, the critically acclaimed Hayao Miyazaki film The Boy and the Heron has now found a streaming home in the United States. According to a press release from Max, the animated feature will be added to HBO's platform, with a date not yet announced.

Along with the exciting news that The Boy and the Heron will be coming to Max, it was announced today that GKIDS has extended its U.S. licensing deal with Max for its Studio Ghibli catalog. This is fantastic news for Ghibli fans who have been watching Miyazaki's beloved movies on Max, which include masterpieces such as Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, and others.

HERON_img_1
The Boy and the Heron /

VP of Content and Acquisitions at Warner Bros. Discover, Elizabeth Bannan Atcheson, said of the extended deal:

"Our subscribers are always looking for unique stories, and we are happy to continue to offer these award-winning, critically acclaimed films and to add ‘The Boy and the Heron’ to our deep and rich Max content offering."

- Elizabeth Bannan Atcheson

As Miyazaki's first full-length feature film in a decade, the anticipation and hype around The Boy and the Heron was so real. And fortunately, the animated movie delivered on all fronts. Diehard Ghibli fans and new fans alike applauded the film for its breathtaking animation and thought-provoking storyline. The English dub cast features talented actors such as Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson, Mark Hamill, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, and Karen Fukuhara. At the box office, the movie grossed $167.7 million worldwide.

The Boy and the Heron also saw major success during this past award season, beating out fan-favorite Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, as well as taking home the BAFTA Award and the Golden Globe earlier this year. Its win at the Academy Awards was particularly special, making history as the first PG-13 film to ever win in the category, as well as the first hand-drawn film to win in 21 years, and the second time ever. The first time came in 2003 when Miyazaki won the award for Spirited Away.

Miyazaki did not attend the Oscars so he was unable to accept the award during the ceremony, with Entertainment Weekly reporting that many speculated the 83-year-old filmmaker boycotted the event for political reasons — he did not attend the Oscars in 2003 when Spirited Away won Best Animated Feature because of the United States' invasion of Iraq. EW reports that the real reason he did not attend this year's however, is because of his age.

You can see the full list of Studio Ghibli films extending their stay on Max below:

  • Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
  • Castle in the Sky (1986)
  • My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
  • Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
  • Only Yesterday (1991)
  • Porco Rosso (1992)
  • Ocean Waves (1993)
  • Pom Poko (1994)
  • Whisper of the Heart (1995)
  • Princess Mononoke (1997)
  • My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
  • Spirited Away (2001)
  • The Cat Returns (2002)
  • Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
  • Tales from Earthsea (2006)
  • Ponyo (2008)
  • The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)
  • From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
  • The Wind Rises (2013)
  • The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)
  • When Marnie Was There (2014)
  • Earwig and the Witch (2020)
  • TO COME: The Boy and the Heron (2023)

Plans for Max start at $9.99 a month, and you can sign up right here.

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