Missed it the first time? Studio Ghibli's The Boy and the Heron to head back to theaters

Ever since The Boy and the Heron received its much-deserved Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the 2023 film has been gaining more and more popularity!

This is a huge win for anime fans because the more attention animated films like The Boy and the Heron receive, the more likely we are to receive even more anime TV shows and films of such a high caliber.

Needless to say, we'll have to wait a little longer to know what the future of anime looks like now that Hayao Miyazaki has finally secured yet another Academy Award for his work. In the meantime, we bring good news as it's been reported that Miyazaki's masterpiece is headed back to the theaters!

The Boy and the Heron returns to North American theaters!

As per Gizmodo, the acclaimed 2023 film is making its way back to the theaters not only because of overwhelming popular demand but also as a way to celebrate how far the creators and hard workers behind the title have come.

We don't have an official date for the North American re-release of The Boy and the Heron. However, we have an inkling that leads us to believe that fans can expect the film to return much sooner than later and it's all because of Toshio Suzuki, the co-founder of Studio Ghibli.

As you will see on GKIDSFilms' official Twitter, Suzuki recently expressed his gratitude towards The Boy and the Heron's recent accomplishment.

In his statement, Suzuki recalled the long process of making the film, as it initially began once Hayao Miyazaki decided not to retire in the end and didn't end production until a whopping seven years later. He then shed light on how many uncertainties and external horrors made the team question whether they would be able to commit to the completion of the 2023 film. Additionally, no one knew if this film would even be something people wanted to see, let alone want to see nominated, leading Suzuki to be even more concerned about how the film would be received.

Fortunately for everyone, though, the unexpected happened, leading to the global success of The Boy and the Heron which led the team to release the film in theaters not once but twice! This is a feat Toshio Suzuki is glad to have seen at this stage in his lifetime.

"Both Hayao Miyazaki and I have aged a considerable amount," Suzuki wrote. "I am grateful to receive such an honor at my age, and taking this as a message to continue our work, I will devote myself to work harder in the future."

Once the film returns to theaters, it wouldn't surprise us if the film Suzuki and Miyazaki go back to the drawing board to create their next masterpiece. After all, it was after Miyazaki refused to retire that we got a film that would probably go down in history as one of the greatest comeback films of all time. Perhaps we'll get to see it again!

As we wait to learn what the future holds for Studio Ghibli, be sure to stay tuned with Anime Away to learn when The Boy and the Heron will return to a theater near you!

Want to join the discussion about anime and Studio Ghibli? Submit a proposal to become a Paid Contributor with Anime Away here: