“THE BOY AND THE HERON”
Christian Bale Dave Bautista Gemma Chan Willem Dafoe Karen Fukuhara Mark Hamill Robert Pattinson Florence Pugh
NEW YORK (October 17, 2023) – GKIDS, the acclaimed producer and distributor of award-winning animation from around the globe, has announced the English voice cast for acclaimed Oscar-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s new feature, THE BOY AND THE HERON. The English language dubbed version of the film will feature the voices of Christian Bale (Ford v Ferrari, Amsterdam, The Pale Blue Eye), Dave Bautista (Dune, Guardians of the Galaxy), Gemma Chan (The Creator, Eternals, Crazy Rich Asians), Willem Dafoe (At Eternity’s Gate, The Florida Project), Karen Fukuhara (The Boys, Suicide Squad), Mark Hamill (The Machine, House of Usher), Robert Pattinson (The Batman, Tenet, upcoming Mickey 17), and Florence Pugh (Oppenheimer, Black Widow, Little Women). Luca Padovan joins the cast as Mahito Maki, and Mamoudou Athie, Tony Revolori, and Dan Stevens are featured as the Parakeets. GKIDS handled casting and produced the English version in close consultation with Studio Ghibli, with ADR direction by Michael Sinterniklaas at NYAV Post, and English script adaptation by Stephanie Sheh. The English language dub was produced in accordance with the SAG-AFTRA Foreign Dubbing Agreement.
GKIDS will bring THE BOY AND THE HERON to cinemas nationwide on December 8, 2023 in both the original Japanese and English language versions. The latest feature from Japan’s celebrated animation house, Studio Ghibli, begins special preview engagements on November 22 before expanding to cinemas nationwide and in Canada on December 8, 2023. The hand-drawn, animated feature – director Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years – is an original story written and directed by Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, produced by Academy Award-nominee and co-founder Toshio Suzuki, and featuring a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi. Its theme song, “Spinning Globe,” was written and performed by global J-pop superstar Kenshi Yonezu.
THE BOY AND THE HERON made its international premiere as Opening Night Gala of the 48th Toronto International Film Festival on September 7. Tickets to all five TIFF screenings sold out in record time, and the film received glowing reviews and placed top three for the TIFF People’s Choice Awards. The film made its U.S. premiere at the New York Film Festival, its European Premiere as the Opening Night of San Sebastian International Film Festival, and made its UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival. The film will be presented in IMAX at LA’s Chinese Theater on October 18 as Opening Night of the Animation is Film Festival.
GKIDS has a long-standing partnership with Studio Ghibli and handles North American distribution for the studio’s famed library of films across all theatrical, home video, digital, and streaming platforms. The company has released Studio Ghibli’s most recent films in theaters nationwide, including the Academy Award-nominated The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, the Academy Award-nominated When Marnie Was There, From Up on Poppy Hill and more. Since 2017, GKIDS has produced the annual Ghibli Fest, a monthly nationwide theatrical program of Studio Ghibli film screenings in over 800 theaters across the country. The series continues this year with a focus on the films of Hayao Miyazaki.
Bale is represented by WME, Viewpoint and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher. Bautista is repped by CAA, Meisner Entertainment Group’s Jonathan Meisner, Kovert Creative and Jackoway Austen Tyerman’s Karl Austen. Chan is represented by Independent, WME and M88. Dafoe is represented by Circle of Confusion, WME and Narrative. Fukuhara is represented by UTA and Stride Management. Hamill is represented by Gersh, R&CPMK and Robert M. Lange. Pattinson is represented by WME, Curtis Brown, 3 Arts Entertainment, Narrative and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Pugh is represented by CAA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, Shelter PR and Gregory Slewett from JSSK.
Cast List Shoichi Maki Christian Bale The Parakeet King Dave Bautista Natsuko Gemma Chan Noble Pelican Willem Dafoe Lady Himi Karen Fukuhara Granduncle Mark Hamill The Gray Heron Robert Pattinson Kirk Florence Pugh
About Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli is one of the most acclaimed and influential animation studios in the world, inspiring filmmakers and audiences alike over the last 30 years with beloved stories and breathtaking visuals. Under the brilliance of visionary animation directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and producer Toshio Suzuki, the studio’s films are known for timeless classics such as My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Ponyo; and have won countless international awards including an Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature for Spirited Away, as well as five additional Oscar® nominations for Howl’s Moving Castle, The Wind Rises, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, When Marnie Was There, and The Red Turtle. Director and studio co-founder Hayao Miyazaki was separately given an Honorary Award at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Awards in 2014, and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures paid tribute to his artwork with a special exhibit when the Museum opened in September 2021.
About GKIDS
Celebrating its 15th anniversary, GKIDS is the producer and distributor of artist-driven and award-winning animation from around the world. The company has scored an astounding 12 Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations with The Secret of Kells in 2010, A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita in 2012, Ernest & Celestine in 2014, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya and Song of the Sea in 2015, Boy and the World and When Marnie Was There in 2016, My Life as a Zucchini in 2017, The Breadwinner in 2018, Mirai in 2019, and Wolfwalkers in 2021. GKIDS handles North American distribution for the famed Studio Ghibli library of films, one of the world’s most coveted animation collections with the titles Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and others; as well as the critically acclaimed television series, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION. Also, GKIDS is the founder and host of ANIMATION IS FILM, the annual LA-based film festival which embraces animation as a cinematic art form, and is a vocal advocate for filmmakers who push the boundaries of the medium to its fullest range of artistic expressions. www.gkids.com.
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