The Boy and the Heron (Japanese: 君たちはどう生きるか, Hepburn: Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka, lit. "How Do You Live?") is a 2023 Japanese animated dark fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The Japanese title references the 1937 novel of the same name by Genzaburō Yoshino, which appears in the film, but the film has an original story that is not connected to the novel. The voice cast includes Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Ko Shibasaki, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura, Takuya Kimura, Karou Kobayashi, and Shinobu Otake. Described as a "big fantastical film", it follows a boy named Mahito Maki (Santoki), who discovers an abandoned tower in his new town and enters a fantastical world with a talking grey heron.
The Boy and the Heron was theatrically released in Japan on July 14, 2023, by Toho, and was screened in both traditional theaters and other premium formats such as IMAX. The release of the film, which is stated to be Hayao Miyazaki's last feature film, was noted for its intentional absence of any promotion, with Ghibli choosing not to release any trailers, images, synopsis, or casting details of the film in advance of its Japanese premiere with the exception of a single poster. It grossed over $52 million in Japan.
Following the film's release in Japan, the North American rights were acquired by distributor GKIDS with the film being internationally titled The Boy and the Heron. The film will have its international premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival as its opening film on September 7, becoming the first animated film in history to open the festival. The film will also be screened at both the 71st San Sebastián International Film Festival and the 2023 New York Film Festival, before being released in North American theaters later this year on December 8. Watch the official teaser trailer below.