GKIDS has announced the English dub cast for Studio Ghibli’s The Boy and the Heron, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, which will feature an impressive cast of famous Hollywood actors.
GKIDS revealed the voice cast more than three months after the film opened in theaters in Japan. According to the announcement, the voice cast for the English release will include Christian Bale as Shoichi Maki, the father of the film’s main character Mahito Maki, played by Luca Padovan. Padovan’s previous acting credits include recurring roles in the TV series Are You Afraid of the Dark and The Rocketeer. Creator’s Gemma Chan will voice Natsoko, Mahito’s aunt and “human” guardian from the beginning of the film.
Granduncle will be voiced by Mark Hamill, who has also been cast as a voice actor in two previous Studio Ghibli films; he is the voice of Colonel Muska in the English version of Castle in the Sky and of Mayor Pejite in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Both films were directed by Miyazaki and released under Disney. The Boys’ Karen Fukuhara is cast as Lady Himi, Oppenheimer’s Florence Pugh as Kiriko and The Batman’s Robert Pattinson as The Gray Heron. Completing the lineup are Mamoudou Athie, Tony Revolri and Dan Stevens as Parakeets, and Dune: Part Two’s Dave Bautista as The Parakeet King.
Miyazaki’s semi-autobiography
The Boy and the Heron is a semi-autobiographical story written by Hayao Miyazaki, who released this latest film a decade after his previous project, The Wind Rises. The Boy and Heron tells the story of the accidental and magical journey of the main character, 12-year-old Mahito, who is sent by his father to stay with an aunt in a country house after a traumatic event. Mahito’s adventure begins when he follows a heron through a tunnel and into a world shared by both the living and the dead. The film is created in Hayao Miyazaki’s definitive storytelling and animation style, accompanied by a sweeping score by longtime Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi.
The appeal of Studio Ghibli’s English-dubbed films is always highlighted by top Hollywood talents. While some are easily recognizable, such as Liam Neeson’s voice as Fujimoto in Ponyo, others sound familiar but need confirmation during the end credits. Michael Keaton in Porco Rosso and Tom Holland in The Secret World of Arrietty are just a few other notable actors who have played English dubs for Studio Ghibli films.
The Boy and the Heron will have a special preview screening on November 22, followed by the theatrical release of both the Japanese and English versions on December 8.
Source: GKIDS