10 years after announcing his retirement, Hayao Miyazaki, the filmmaker behind such classic films as “Spirited Away” and “Princess Mononoke”, returns to the big screen with The Boy and the Heron. The co-founder of Japan’s Studio Ghibli brought, for the first time in history, an original anime production to first place in the American box office, with receipts of 12.8 million dollars in the opening weekend.
The most anticipated anime of the year is, in fact, the only foreign film that managed to climb to the 1st place in the US sales chart this year. Earlier this week, the Golden Globes nominations were announced, with The Boy and the Heron among the favorites for Best Animation and Best Original Score.
Starting today, December 13, The Boy and the Heron can also be seen in cinemas in Romania, distributed in a collaboration between the independent distributors Bad Unicorn and Independenta Film. The film will run in 74 cinemas in 42 cities in Romania. December 13 is also Anime Day at Cinema City, an event dedicated to anime and manga lovers. The 28 cinemas in the Cinema City Romania network will broadcast The Boy and the Heron in advance from 19:00.
The Boy and the Heron has autobiographical elements and tells the astonishing story of Mahito, a 12-year-old boy who discovers a mysterious world deep in an enchanted forest. Together with his new friend, a heron with magical powers, he embarks on an adventurous journey to save their world and learn valuable lessons about friendship and courage.