The critically acclaimed hand-drawn fantasy adventure film is part of a renewed global catalog deal between Netflix and Japanese producer Studio Ghibli.
“The Boy and the Heron” of Miyazaki Hayaowhich recently won the Oscar for best animated film, is coming to the global streaming giant Netflix later this year, excluding the United States and Japan.
The critically acclaimed hand-drawn fantasy adventure film is part of a renewed global catalog deal between Netflix and the Japanese producer Studio Ghibli, sales agent Goodfellas and independent distributor GKids. No release date was revealed.
It was recently confirmed that “The Boy and the Heron” will be released theatrically in mainland China starting April 3 and will also be released theatrically in the United States and Japan.
The Netflix and Studio Ghibli agreement
Netflix, Studio Ghibli and Goodfellas predecessor Wild Bunch International reached a multi-year deal in February 2020. Netflix’s deal excludes the US, where Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max owns streaming rights of Studio Ghibli films, and the local Studio Ghibli market, Japan.
In international territories, Netflix will continue to stream 22 Studio Ghibli films, including such beloved classics as “Spirited Away”, “My Neighbor Totoro”, “Ponyo”, “Princess Mononoke”, “Arrietty” and “The Tale of Princess Kaguya”. The films are available with subtitles in 28 languages and dubbed into about 20 languages.
The Oscar for “The Boy and the Heron” is Miyazaki’s second, after he won the animated feature award in 2003 for “Spirited Away.” He also accepted an honorary Academy Award in 2014 for his “exceptional contributions to cinema.”
“The Boy and the Heron” was released in Japan in July last year. It was released in much of the rest of the world beginning in October and racked up a global total of $168 million, according to Box Office Mojo. Around $46 million came from North America, making it GKids’ highest-grossing film and the biggest Japanese original animation in the North American market.
Source: Ambito
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