Hayao Miyazaki’s latest feature film, “How Do You Live?” (or “The Boy and the Heron”), has achieved remarkable success in Japan. With over 3.05 million tickets sold and 4.69 billion Yen (around US$32.99 million) earned as of Monday, the film gained immense attention.
During its initial three days of release, it sold 1.003 million tickets and earned about US$13.2 million. Over the long weekend, which included the Marine Day holiday on July 17, it sold 1.353 million tickets and earned 2.149 billion yen (about US$15.53 million).
“How Do You Live?” also made history by being the first Studio Ghibli film to receive a simultaneous IMAX release. It outperformed Miyazaki’s Academy Award-winning film “Spirited Away” in its first four days and surpassed his 2013 film “The Wind Rises” by 50%. In its IMAX opening, it earned over US$1.7 million from 44 screens, setting a new three-day opening record.
GKIDS acquired the licensing rights for North America and plans to release the film in theaters later this year. The film is also set to have its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) as the opening film on September 7 at Roy Thomson Hall.
This marks a historic occasion for both TIFF, as it opens with an animated film for the first time, and Japanese cinema. “How Do You Live?” is also being screened in various formats, including Dolby Atmos, Dolby Cinema, and DTS:X.
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All About ‘How Do You Live?’
The cast includes Masaki Suda, Kou Shibasaki, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura, Keiko Takeshita, Jun Fubuki, Sawako Agawa, Karen Takizawa, Shinobu Ōtake, Jun Kunimura, Kaoru Kobayashi, and Shohei Hino. The main character Mahito Maki is voiced by Soma Santoki.
Hayao Miyazaki, the visionary filmmaker, is the creative force behind the original concept, direction, and script of the film. Working alongside him, Takeshi Honda acts as the animation director. Joe Hisaishi, known for his outstanding scores in “Spirited Away,” “Princess Mononoke,” and “My Neighbor Totoro,” composes the music.
Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki takes up the role of producer. The theme song, Chikyūgi (Globe), is performed by Kenshi Yonezu.
The Plot
‘How Do You Live?’ is set in World War II. The story follows Mahito, who tragically loses his mother in the devastating firebombings in Tokyo. To find peace, he and his father relocate to the countryside, where a new chapter unfolds.
His father’s remarriage to his late mother’s pregnant sister poses emotional challenges for Mahito. One day, he encounters a talking heron. Drawn by the promise of reuniting with his beloved mother, Mahito ventures into an otherworldly realm, where a deeply transformative journey awaits him.
Why The Film Did Not Have Trailers
Studio Ghibli producer and co-founder Toshio Suzuki shared that the film will not receive any marketing; no trailers, TV spots, newspaper ads, or revealed information regarding the plot, voice cast, or most of the film’s staff.
Why did Hayao and Toshio decide to throw away traditional marketing? In short, Hayao Miyazaki wants his audience to experience the raw excitement of watching a film without any preconceived opinions or expectations, giving them a chance to fully understand and enjoy the story.
Toshio Suzuki’s marketing policies have always been on prioritizing quality and trusting those who truly understand the film’s worth to handle its promotion. But, this time he took a different decision and let the audience decide for themselves, whether or not they believed the film was worth a watch.
Although this “no marketing” decision was taken to help people enjoy the movie to its fullest, people have been speculating what the movie could be about, because when you know a professional like Miyazaki has been working on a movie for seven years, then it’s almost impossible not to be curious about it.
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