At 83, filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki earns historic Oscar for ‘The Boy and the Heron’
Rio Yamat – The Associated Press
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About
After losing his mother during the war, young Mahito moves to his family’s estate in the countryside. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to a secluded and ancient tower, home to a mischievous gray heron. When Mahito’s new stepmother disappears, he follows the gray heron into the tower, and enters a fantastic world shared by the living and the dead. As he embarks on an epic journey with the heron as his guide, Mahito must uncover the secrets of this world, and the truth about himself. Featuring the voices of Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson and Florence Pugh.
The Boy and the Heron is the new critically-acclaimed fantasy adventure from the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and My Neighbor Totoro. Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years is a hand-drawn, original story written and directed by the Academy Award®️-winning director. Produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, the film features a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi. The theme song for the film “Spinning Globe” was penned and performed by global J-pop superstar Kenshi Yonezu.
A young boy named Mahito
yearning for his mother
ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead.
There, death comes to an end,
and life finds a new beginning.
A semi-autobiographical fantasy
about life, death, and creation,
in tribute to friendship,
from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.
Japanese Cast
| Mahito Maki | Soma Santoki |
| Gray Heron | Masaki Suda |
| Kiriko | Ko Shibasaki |
| Lady Himi | AIMYON |
| Natsuko | Yoshino Kimura |
| Shoichi Maki | Takuya Kimura |
| Izumi | Keiko Takeshita |
| Utako | Jun Fubuki |
| Eriko | Sawako Agawa |
| Warawara | Karen Takizawa |
| Aiko | Shinobu Otake |
| The Parakeet King | Jun Kunimura |
| Noble Pelican | Kaoru Kobayashi |
| Granduncle | Shohei Hino |
English Cast
| Shoichi Maki | Christian Bale |
| The Parakeet King | Dave Bautista |
| Natsuko | Gemma Chan |
| Noble Pelican | Willem Dafoe |
| Lady Himi | Karen Fukuhara |
| Granduncle | Mark Hamill |
| Gray Heron | Robert Pattinson |
| Kiriko | Florence Pugh |
| Mahito Maki | Luca Padovan |
| The Parakeets | Mamoudou Athie |
| Tony Revolori | |
| Dan Stevens |
Photo by Nicolas Guérin
Hayao Miyazaki Writer, Director
Born in 1941 in Tokyo, Japan. Miyazaki co-founded Studio Ghibli in 1985 with Isao Takahata. Among his eleven animated features, Spirited Away (2001) broke every box office record in Japan, and won the Golden Bear at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival and the 2002 Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature Film. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) received the Osella Award at the 2004 Venice International Film Festival. Miyazaki was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2005 Venice International Film Festival. The Wind Rises (2013) was nominated for the 2013 Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature. In 2014, the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented him with an Honorary Oscar® for Lifetime Achievement.
Photo by Katsuhide Morimoto
Joe Hisaishi Original Score
Born in Nagano, Japan, he started to show his interest in minimal music when he was a student at Kunitachi College of Music and started his career as a contemporary music composer. The presentation of his composition “MKWAJU” in 1981 and the release of his first album “Information” in the subsequent year marked the kickoff of his prolific career as a solo artist. Since then, he has released nearly 40 solo albums. In February of 2020, he global released a collection album entitled “Dream Songs: The Essential Joe Hisaishi” on Decca Gold in co-operation with UMG Japan.
Hisaishi has produced the music for 12 films by director Hayao Miyazaki, including My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away, and continues to tour the music worldwide through his production ‘Joe Hisaishi Symphonic Concert: Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki’.
He signed the contract with Deutcshe Grammophon 2022 and released an album “Symphonic Celebration," featuring a new recording of the music from Hayao Miyazaki films with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, which won the 1st prize in the classical category in US Billboard chart twice in 2023. Joe Hisaishi is actively touring, and will have concerts throughout the U.S. in 2024.
Photo by Kazuhei Kimura
Kenshi Yonezu Theme Song
After posting a series of Vocaloid tracks under the moniker Hachi, Kenshi Yonezu distinguished himself from the crowd with remarkable results. He later began releasing material under his real name Kenshi Yonezu, in 2012. He has since gained wide-known recognition as a multi-talented creative, not only for his music but also for his album cover illustrations and music productions. “KICK BACK,” the opening theme to the anime series Chainsaw Man, entered Spotify’s Global Top 50, a first-ever by a Japanese artist. In 2023, Yonezu wrote “LADY” for the TV commercial of “Georgia” coffee product line, followed by “Moongazing,” as the theme song of the action role-playing game FINAL FANTASY XVI. Written and performed by Kenshi Yonezu, "Spinning Globe" is the theme song for Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron.
Listen to the track below or at your preferred streaming service here.
© 2023 Studio Ghibli
