'The Boy and The Heron' Blu-Ray Release Marks a Historic First for Studio Ghibli
— GKIDS
Some creators see their art as a job, and some see it as a way of life. Perhaps no one exemplifies the latter like the 83-year-old Hayao Miyazaki, who keeps announcing his retirement and then keeps making more movies anyway. Last year, Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli made The Boy and the Heron, a semibiographical coming-of-age epic, and it was touted as the legendary director’s final film once again, only for that proclamation to soon be walked back.
Regardless, The Boy and the Heron is still an Oscar-winning masterpiece, and now we know when it will be available to watch at home, whether on demand, on Blu-Ray, on in 4K UHD.
On July 9, GKIDS and Studio Ghibli will release three different physical products. One will contain a Blu-Ray and DVD, one a Blu-Ray and a 4K UHD disc, and the third will be a limited edition steel book with a Blu-Ray and 4K UHD copy. Notably, this is the first time any Ghibli film has been released in 4K, and every release will also include a variety of special features, including interviews and storyboards.
If you’re not a physical media collector, or if you’re just eager to watch The Boy and the Heron again, the movie will be available to own or rent on digital on-demand platforms two weeks before the physical release, on June 25. Regardless of format, all of these new releases will contain the film in its original Japanese with English subtitles, as well as the star-studded English dub that includes the voices of Christian Bale, Mark Hamill, and Robert Pattinson.
The Boy and the Heron may not be the final chapter in Miyazaki’s career, but it’s certainly one of his most personal works, filtering his own childhood through Studio Ghibli’s signature style. However you watch or rewatch it, it’s a beautifully crafted epic that deserves to be seen in the highest quality possible. Even though it’s animated, resolution still matters, and hopefully The Boy and the Heron’s physical release sets a precedent for Ghibli movies that ensures their future releases will also be available in 4K.