The Boy and the Heron will be the first Studio Ghibli film available in 4K ultra HD

GKIDS teases the DVD and blu-ray release of the latest Hayao Miyazaki for this summer, as well as its streaming (outside France?).

The Boy and the Heron enjoyed great success in theaters at the end of last year, and this should logically be repeated on VOD, DVD and blu-ray. GKIDS, its American distributor, reveals that it will be the “first animated film from Studios Ghibli to be offered in 4K UHD”, starting July 9. A limited edition Steelbook will notably be put on sale for the US public on this date.

This English broadcast coincides with that of Japan: there, the DVD and blu-ray editions will be available from July 3, 2024, relays studioghibli.fr. The 4KUHD box set will cost around 70 euros, the DVD box set will be half as expensive and the Blu-ray box set will cost around 44 euros.

The bonuses have not yet all been revealed, but fans can already expect storyboards and making-ofs retracing its creation. Composer Joe Hisaishi notably recorded an interview alongside producer Toshio Suzuki and animation supervisor Takeshi Honda. The exceptional release of Boy and the heron in Japan, almost without promotion, will it also be at the heart of supplements? Or its US dubbingwhich had attracted renowned actors (Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, Florence Pugh, Christian Bale…)?

A few days earlier, on June 25, The Boy and the Heron “will be offered on the main streaming platforms”, notably Netflix which announced it a few weeks ago. “These broadcasts will be in 4K, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos as soon as possible,” the press release specifies.

On the other hand, this posting should not concern France, where the media chronology imposes a delay of 15 to 17 months for a film after its broadcast in cinemas. For the moment, Wild Bunch has not communicated about its release on VOD, DVD and blu-ray here, but it should not be long: The Boy and the Heron represents Hayao Miyazaki's biggest success in France, with 1.6 million admissions. This is 200,000 more than Ponyo on the Cliff, Spirited Away And The Howl's Moving Castle.

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Here is its synopsis: After the disappearance of his mother in a fire, Mahito, a young boy of 11, must leave Tokyo to live in the countryside in the village where she grew up. He settles with his father in an old manor located on a huge estate where he meets a gray heron who little by little becomes his guide and helps him through his discoveries and questions to understand the world around him and break through. the mysteries of life.

And its trailer:

The Boy and the Heron: Miyazaki's Winning Return (review)