Studio Ghibli's The Boy and the Heron Reveals English Voice Cast

Studio Ghibli is ready to welcome actors new and old to its collection. Later this year, director Hayao Miyazaki will finally see his new film The Boy and the Heron debut in the United States. Ahead of its launch, Studio Ghibli has announced its English voice cast for The Boy and the Heron, and it features a number of A-list stars.

According to a new release from GKIDS, Christian Bale will help lead The Boy and the Heron as Shoichi Maki. Dave Bautista will play The Parakeet King while Gemma Chan voices Natsuko. Other stars like Robert Pattison, Willem Dafoe, Mark Hamill, Florence Pugh, and Karen Fukuhara are also slated to star.

As for the movie's main protagonist, Luca Padovan will voice Mahito Maki. He will be joined by others such as Dan Stevens, Tony Revolri, and Mamoudou Athie when The Boy and the Heron launches. And for those who are curious, yes – this casting was all done in accordance with SAG-AFTRA. The guild's Foreign Dubbing Agreement is intact, so Studio Ghibli was able to record its English dub despite SAG-AFTRA's ongoing strike against Hollywood's top studios.

For those eager to see The Boy and the Heron, the film is slated to debut in the United States on December 8th. Select previews of Miyazaki's film will also be held on November 22, and of course, a number of film festivals have added the movie to its list. From the Toronto International Film Festival to the New York Film Festival, Miyazaki has been overtaking headlines with his latest film. So if you want to know more about The Boy and the Heron, you can read its official synopsis below:

"Mahito, a young 12-year-old boy, struggles to settle in a new town after his mother's death. However, when a talking heron informs Mahito that his mother is still alive, he enters an abandoned tower in search of her, which takes him to another world."

What do you make of this English cast for The Boy and the Heron? Will you be watching this Studio Ghibli movie when it launches? 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!