After his mother perishes in the turmoil of war, young Mahito relocates to his family’s countryside estate. Amidst a string of enigmatic occurrences, he stumbles upon a secluded and age-old tower, harboring a cunning gray heron. When Mahito's stepmother vanishes without a trace, he embarks on a journey following the elusive bird into the tower, stepping into a wondrous realm where the boundaries between the living and the mystical blur.
"The Boy and the Heron" made history as the inaugural animated film to kick off the Toronto International Film Festival.
In December 2019, it was revealed that the film had reached 15% completion after three and a half years of development. Producer Toshio Suzuki disclosed that although Hayao Miyazaki had previously been able to direct seven to ten minutes of animation monthly, the project was progressing at a slower pace, with Miyazaki managing only about one minute of animation per month.
Hayao Miyazaki commenced work on the film in 2016 without obtaining an official green light.
The Boy and the Heron is the initial Studio Ghibli film to receive the IMAX treatment.
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