The Boy and the Heron
君たちはどう生きるか
“Where death comes to an end, life finds a new beginning.”
Synopsis
While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official Trailer 2Official
Type: Trailer • Published 2024-03-14
Top Cast
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Soma Santoki
Mahito Maki (voice)
Masaki Suda
Gray Heron (voice)
Ko Shibasaki
Kiriko (voice)
Aimyon
Lady Himi (voice)
Yoshino Kimura
Natsuko (voice)
Takuya Kimura
Shoichi Maki (voice)
Keiko Takeshita
Izumi (voice)
Jun Fubuki
Utako (voice)
Sawako Agawa
Eriko (voice)
Karen Takizawa
Warawara (voice)
Shinobu Otake
Aiko (voice)
Jun Kunimura
The Parakeet King (voice)
Kaoru Kobayashi
Noble Pelican (voice)
Shōhei Hino
Granduncle (voice)
Release History & Theatrical Window
Streaming Window: 200 DaysViennale
Festival / Special Debut
December 8, 2023
Wide Cinema Exhibition
June 25, 2024
VOD & Digital Platforms
July 9, 2024
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$50M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$295.6M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
5.91x
+$245.6M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Screenplay & Story
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Original Score
- Joe Hisaishi
- Original Title
- 君たちはどう生きるか
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 2h 4m
- Production Budget
- $50M
- Worldwide Gross
- $295.6M
- Production Studios
- Studio Ghibli
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki
Joe Hisaishi
Atsushi Okui
Takeshi Seyama, Akane Shiraishi, Rie Matsubara
Kiyofumi Nakajima, Goro Miyazaki, Koji Hoshino, Toshio Suzuki
Department Leadership Roster
Takeshi Seyama
Editor
Akane Shiraishi
Editor
Rie Matsubara
Editor
Atsushi Okui
Director of Photography
Hayao Miyazaki
Director
Toshio Suzuki
Producer
Joe Hisaishi
Original Music Composer
Hayao Miyazaki
Screenplay
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
International Certification Matrix
Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
12 Accompanied — Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult.
Parental Guidance for children below the age of 12.
Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Boy and the Heron.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Boy and the Heron.
Awarded Animation Films
Auto-generated by festival-lists — do not edit by hand.
Asian Cinema
Auto-generated by festival-lists — do not edit by hand.
Movie Collection
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
Letterboxd's Top 250 Animated Films
Letterboxd's official Top 250 Animated Feature Films, ranked by average member rating. Letterboxd 官方 Top 250 最佳动画长片榜单： 根据平台用户的平均评分进行排序。入选影片必须为动画长片，且排除了无法独立观看的剧集衍生剧场版。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:36:20 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Boy and the Heron
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Boy and the Heron about?
While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."
Who directed The Boy and the Heron?
The Boy and the Heron was directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
Who stars in The Boy and the Heron?
The principal cast of The Boy and the Heron includes Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Ko Shibasaki, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura.
When was The Boy and the Heron released and how long is it?
The Boy and the Heron was released in 2023 with a total runtime of 2h 4m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Boy and the Heron?
The Boy and the Heron had a reported production budget of $50M and grossed $295.6M at the worldwide box office (5.91 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for The Boy and the Heron?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Boy and the Heron was composed by Joe Hisaishi.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Boy and the Heron?
The Boy and the Heron holds official age classifications: AU: PG (Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.); DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); FR: TP; GB: 12A (12 Accompanied — Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult.); IN: UA (Parental Guidance for children below the age of 12.); US: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.).