How to Watch The Boy and the Heron – Where to Stream Online in 2024

The Boy and the Heron, the latest (and perhaps not the last) feature film from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki and the animation gurus at Studio Ghibli, received expectedly great reviews for its debut in North America. IGN’s The Boy and the Heron review awarded it a 9 out of 10, calling it “Studio Ghibli’s most visually complex film to date” and the “most emotionally raw Miyazaki has ever gotten.”

If you’re wondering how and where to watch The Boy and the Heron in 2024, take a look at the info below.

The Boy and the Heron Streaming Release Date

The Boy and the Heron is not currently available to stream but will be available to purchase on all major digital platforms starting on June 25, including the likes of Apple TV+, Prime Video, and Vudu. Amazon already has an option to pre-order a digital copy, so it will be in your streaming library when it’s finally released. Despite this, it’s worth noting that all but one of Studio Ghibli’s previous films (Grave of the Fireflies) are streaming on Max. We’ll update this with new information as it becomes available.

The Boy and the Heron Is Coming to 4K UHD and Blu-ray in July

For more information on this new development, read our article about the 4K UHD Blu-ray release coming soon. In the meantime, you can also pre-order those physical copies of The Boy and the Heron on Amazon now. Check out the link below.

The Boy and the Heron [4K UHD]

2

Standard Blu-ray and 4K UHD options available for purchase

What Is The Boy and the Heron About?

The Boy and the Heron is acclaimed filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years. Here’s the official plot “introduction” from Studio Ghibli:

A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation,
in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.

How to Watch Previous Studio Ghibli Movies

Every Studio Ghibli movie, excluding Grave of the Fireflies, is available to stream on Max. Grave of the Fireflies, unfortunately, cannot currently be found to rent or buy on any digital platform:

Studio Ghibli Channel

Grave of the Fireflies

The Boy and the Heron Voice Cast

The Boy and the Heron was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It stars the following actors:

English Voice Cast

• Christian Bale as Shoichi Maki
• Dave Bautista as The Parakeet King
• Gemma Chan as Natsuko
• Willem Dafoe as Noble Pelican
• Karen Fukuhara as Lady Himi
• Mark Hamill as Granduncle
• Robert Pattinson as Gray Heron
• Florence Pugh as Kiriko

Japanese Voice Cast

• Takuya Kimura as Shoichi Maki
• Jun Kunimura as The Parakeet King
• Yoshino Kimura as Natsuko
• Kaoru Kobayashi as Noble Pelican
• AIMYON as Lady Himi
• Shohei Hino as Granduncle
• Masaki Suda as Gray Heron
• Ko Shibasaki as Kiriko

The Boy and the Heron Rating and Runtime

The Boy and the Heron is Rated PG-13 for some violent content/bloody images and smoking. The film runs for a total of 2 hours and 4 minutes including credits.

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.