Studio Ghibli unveils Hayao Miyazaki’s long-awaited animated epic, “The Boy and the Heron,” marking his return since “The Wind Rises” in 2013. The film, set to release in the U.S. on Dec. 8, 2023, is the first Japanese animated feature to open the Toronto International Film Festival and will also screen at the New York Film Festival. The secretive project explores themes of life, death, and creation in a semi-autobiographical fantasy, emphasizing Miyazaki’s tribute to friendship. This film is rumored to be his last before retirement.
