Although Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron debuted in Japan in July, the first promotional video for Studio Ghibli’s new film has finally hit the internet.
A preview video released by GKIDS, the North American distributor of The Boy and the Heron, features an emotional soundtrack, scrolling text revealing what the film is available to viewers. It describes the project as “a semi-autobiographical work of fantasy about life, death and creation, in memory of friendship.” The video also announced that the full trailer will air on September 6 – a day before The Boy and the Heron’s North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
While the prequel and trailer are a fair standard in the modern movie environment, GKIDS’ decision to make a trailer for The Boy and the Heron is quite interesting and controversial considering the decision made by GKIDS. Studio Ghibli is not promoting Miyazaki’s latest film in Japan. Toshio Suzuki, one of the producers of the title, confirmed that the legendary director agreed with the decision. “Really, it’s a matter of oversupply. From the viewer’s perspective, it seems like they’re taking away all the really interesting parts,” he explains.
Studio Ghibli’s unique marketing strategy for The Boy and the Heron does not appear to have had a negative impact on the film’s domestic box office performance as Japanese audiences continue to flock to theaters to see it. Recent sales figures confirm that The Boy and the Heron has sold more than 4.95 million tickets to date, grossing more than 7.41 billion yen (about $50.6 million).
However, the film seems to have a long way to go before it actually turns a profit. During a recent appearance on the Hiroyuki no Ikisakimitei YouTube chat show, Suzuki stated that The Boy and the Heron might be the most expensive Japanese film ever made. Notably, the production of the project began in 2016 and the hand-drawn film required a huge investment of time and effort. “We have 60 animators, but we can only make one minute of animation in a month,” Suzuki said in another interview.
The Boy and the Heron is set in the conflict in the Pacific during World War II. The film is about a boy named Mahito Maki, who is swept up in a fantasy adventure after finding an abandoned tower in his new hometown.
Many Studio Ghibli classics are available on the MAX.
Source: YouTube
