posted on by Anita Tai
GKIDS released film on BD/DVD on July 9
© 2023 Studio Ghibli
Entertainment news website Variety reported on Wednesday that Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki‘s The Boy and the Heron anime film will begin streaming on HBO‘s streaming platform Max (formerly HBO Max) in the U.S. on September 6.
Deadline had previously reported in March that the film would stream “exclusively” on Max.
The rest of Studio Ghibli‘s catalogue is also available on Max in the U.S.
The film will stream on Netflix globally outside of the U.S. and Japan. The allocation of the license is part of a new deal between Netflix, Goodfellas, and GKIDS. An additional 22 Studio Ghibli titles will continue to stream globally on Netflix as part of the deal.
GKIDS released The Boy and the Heron in a 4K UHD/Blu-ray Disc combo pack, a Blu-ray Disc/DVD combo pack, and a limited-edition Steelbook (with 4K UHD and Blu-ray Disc) release on July 9. The film is also available for purchase on demand on all major digital platforms.
The film won Best Animated Feature Film in the 96th Academy Awards ceremony on March 10. This is Miyazaki’s second film to win after Spirited Away in 2003. The film has also won other major awards including Best Motion Picture – Animated at the 81st Golden Globes Awards and Animation of the Year in the 47th annual Japan Academy Film Prizes, among others.
The film opened in Japan in July 2023, and sold 1.003 million tickets and earned about US$13.2 million in its first three days in Japan.
The film ranked at #1 in its opening weekend in the U.S. box office, with an earning of US$12,836,313 in its first three days. Variety reported that the film is the “first original anime production” to top the U.S. box office.
Source: Variety (Todd Spangler)
