The Boy and the Heron: When will it be released in the Philippines?

Here's hoping that Miyazaki's next (and likely last) film will come to PH cinemas soon.

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The Boy and the Heron is confirmed to release in North American cinemas later this year, but what about in the Philippines? Well, here’s what we think.

Before that though, for those unfamiliar, The Boy and the Heron (or How Do You Live? in Japan) is the latest film by legendary anime director Hayao Miyazaki. While Miyazaki “retired” after his 2013 film The Wind Rises, he came back some years after to work on this new film which is likely going to be his actual final film.

This movie is based on the 1937 novel of the same name, and it was released in Japanese cinemas on July 14, 2023. What’s interesting about the film’s release is that, aside from a poster, there were no trailers or other promotional materials. Despite the lack of promotion, the film was a huge hit in Japan, though that’s not surprising given how beloved Miyazaki is.

Soon after, it was revealed that the film will be released in North American cinemas later this year by GKIDS. While there’s no date yet, the confirmation of its NA release is great news for fans in the region.

But what about the Philippines? Well, Pinoy Ghibli fans will have to wait for an official announcement as no info has been mentioned yet about release plans in the country.

The Boy and the Heron: Will it release in the Philippines this year?

Over the past years, many anime films have been released in Philippine cinemas. For instance, all of Makoto Shinkai’s movies following Your Name have gotten theatrical releases, including Suzume which is his latest. Meanwhile, big shonen films like One Piece Film: Red, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, and The First Slam Dunk have also been released in the Philippines even before their US theatrical runs.

On the flip side, no Hayao Miyazaki movie has gotten a cinema release in the Philippines before. Though this is unsurprising given that his last film was in 2013. For reference, anime theatrical releases in the country have only become more common in the past couple of years.

Given this, it’s likely that The Boy and the Heron will get a PH release sometime in the future. Though if it does get releases, chances are that it will be screened in late 2023 at the earliest, or maybe even in early 2024.

This is likely the case as the film will first need to screen at its international film festival premieres, including at Toronto International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, and the San Sebastian Film Festival.

Currently, there’s no word yet on a potential distributor for the film, though here’s hoping an official announcement is made ASAP as this might be the last chance for Ghibli fans to see a Hayao Miyazaki film on the big screen.