The Boy and the Heron takes flight with $2M+ in previews while eyeing an impressive $10M+ debut

Following the arrival of Godzilla Minus One in theaters, Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli‘s latest masterstroke, The Boy and the Heron, is already flying high at the December box office! Analysts say The Boy and the Heron could soar to the number one spot this weekend after earning $2.39M in Thursday previews, with a chance to collect $10M+ over the next few days.

This trend is an excellent look for films stomping out of Japan and into domestic theaters. Godzilla Minus One roared last weekend with $2.1M in previews before going nuclear with $4.7M on Friday and a 3-day total of $11.4M across 2,308 theaters. Meanwhile, The Boy and the Heron opened on 1,774 screens across the United States and Canada, expanding to 2,205 markets this weekend.

Here’s a plot synopsis for The Boy and the Heron. If you want to go into the film blind, do not read it!

After his mother dies during WW2, a young Japanese boy, Mahito Maki, is sent to live with his Aunt, Natsuko, with whom his munitions factory owner father is trying to start a new family. Traumatized by the death of his mother and struggling to accept his circumstances, Mahito finds himself lured into a fantasy world out of time and space by an antagonistic Grey Heron. As Mahito struggles to make sense of the new macrocosm, he ends a vicious cycle of generational trauma, ultimately making peace with his new surroundings by accepting the winds of change.

The domestic release for The Boy and the Heron includes a star-studded English dub featuring an impressive list of voice actors.

The English language dubbed version of the film features 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 an English script adaptation by Stephanie Sheh. The English language dub was produced under the SAG-AFTRA Foreign Dubbing Agreement.

I had the pleasure of reviewing The Boy and the Heron for our site, and I stand firmly by my saying it’s one of Miyazaki’s best films. The Boy and the Heron is a beautiful, frequently trippy tribute to the act of honoring the memory of a loved one and forging a new path that begins with healing. Few movies captivate me, as The Boy and the Heron did on my first watch. I anticipate revisiting this masterpiece in years to come and finding new comfort in its bold sense of mystery and adventure with each viewing.

Check your local listings and treat yourself to an incredible film that pushes the limits of imagination!