‘The Boy and the Heron’: Miyazaki’s latest film finally reveals images other than the poster

toshio suzukias a leading producer of Studio Ghiblidesigned for The Boy and the Heron (in its original Japanese title, How do you live?) a groundbreaking advertising strategy: do not advertise at all. Ghibli published a poster showing a peculiar blue heron, and weeks before its official premiere in Japan (set for the July 14) it was reported that there was going to be a total information blackout regarding the feature film: beyond the criticism that might be coming, there would be no trailer or publication of official images.

What was this secrecy about? Perhaps, to give even more epic to The Boy and the Heron of which the film already has in itself. The Boy and the Heron (we will see if the title is translated in Spain as The boy and the heron) turns out to be the last film directed by Hayao Miyazakilegendary Japanese filmmaker who had retired after the wind rises and had led the animation studio to a very difficult situation, between the abandonment of talents and the attempt to succeed at the hands of his son goro. Whose last movie, earwig and the witchliked enough little so that any hope of relief disappeared.

The point is that The Boy and the Heron It constitutes, therefore, one of the great premieres of the year. GKIDS US distribution has already been secured by the end of 2023, confirming that the film will open the next toronto festival, in early September. It is still unknown what his fate will be in Spain, although it is conceivable that as he moves in the US, the information blackout will gradually fade. Meanwhile, leaked images of the film have finally surfaced on the internet.

These are images that, luckily, go beyond the poster with the heron. Although they are not exactly frames: the account of katsuka seems to have gotten screenshots, with some additional promotional material. In these images we see an old man, a woman crying and we catch a glimpse of a sick child, who does know what the novel on which it is based is about The Boy and the Heron we can try to identify It is surely about Mahitothe child protagonist of the story.

Miyazaki’s film is based on a novel that Yoshino Genzadonkey published in 1937, but seems to have adapted it quite freely. According to what has come down to us, The Boy and the Heron narrates how Mahito loses his mother in the bombings of Tokyo during the Second World War, having to move in with his aunt. At her new home she is assailed by a blue heron who can talk, who assures her that she can take him back to her mother. That’s all we know for now.

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