Studio Ghibli is back in theaters and ready to enchant a new generation. It has been some time since the studio stepped out with a new feature by Hayao Miyazaki, but that all changed this year. If you did not know, the famed director released The Boy and the Heron (also known as How Do You Live) over a month ago in Japan. Now, the movie is ready to launch globally thanks to several film festivals, and one event has soaring ticket prices for The Boy and the Heron.
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The update comes straight from attendees of the Toronto International Film Festival. The event, which is known best as TIFF, will open with The Boy and the Heron to mark the movie’s North American premiere. General tickets for TIFF screenings are now available through Ticketmaster in all places, and prices are sky-high for seats.
As of this article’s posting, attendees have shared evidence of tickets selling for $300 USD and more. That is a high price for any film lover to drop, and the ticket becomes downright obscene when you realize Miyazaki himself will not be attending the premiere. The director has not participated in any marketing for The Boy and the Heron as the film’s Japanese release was kept hush-hush. So naturally, the director is keeping to himself as The Boy and the Heron goes international.
If you planned to attend TIFF just for The Boy and the Heron, well – we wish you the best of luck in getting a seat. The movie’s screening on September 7th sold out in record time, after all. Attendees can try to nab seats on the day of the screening; TIFF has rush lines available for its sold-out shows, so you can best The Boy and the Heron will be in demand come September.
Of course, fans who are not attending TIFF will be able to see Miyazaki’s new film eventually. The feature is out in Japan, and it will launch in the United States under GKIDS Films. The licensor secured film rights for The Boy and the Heron earlier this year, but no word has been given on its stateside run.
If you want to know more about The Boy and the Heron, no worries! You can read up on the film’s synopsis below for all the spoiler-free details:
“During the Second World War, young Mahito Maki (Soma Santoki) suffers a heartbreaking family tragedy and must move immediately to the countryside, where his father (Takuya Kimura) works for a family making planes for Japan’s military, as Miyazaki’s own father did. Isolated, Mahito begins exploring the mysterious landscapes and encounters a grey heron, persistent in its presence. The boy also happens upon an abandoned tower. Curious, he enters. From there, The Boy and the Heron expands into a wondrous, often-startling phantasmagoria.”
What do you think about this Studio Ghibli debacle? Do you plan on seeing The Boy and the Heron in theaters? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!
