Hayao Miyazaki's Unprecedented Farewell: How His Last Film Shattered Box Office Records with Zero Marketing

Legendary Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki's highly anticipated new film, The Boy and The Heron (Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka), hit Japanese theaters on July 14th, 2023. Surpassing all expectations, the film has already shattered Studio Ghibli's previous opening records set by Howl's Moving Castle, earning an astounding $13.2 million (1.83 billion yen) within just two days.

An extraordinary feat of success, The Boy and The Heron achieved this without relying on any traditional marketing strategies. Neither trailers nor key visuals were released, and no digital or printed ads were used to promote the film. The sole marketing effort was a captivating poster showcasing a close-up illustration of a majestic white heron.

The decision to take an unconventional approach was made by Toshio Suzuki, co-founder and producer of Studio Ghibli. In a live interview with Bungeishunjū magazine, Suzuki explained that this decision was driven by the excessive marketing efforts required in today's movie industry, which can become tiresome for industry veterans like himself and director Hayao Miyazaki.

"We wanted to break the monotony," Suzuki stated, "and try something new." Turns out, Suzuki's decision was a wise one. The Boy and The Heron is now on the path to becoming one of Ghibli's most successful movies ever, receiving immense love from fans and receiving praise from critics.

Dubbed as the final masterpiece of Hayao Miyazaki, The Boy and The Heron marks the celebrated director's decision to retire and embrace his golden years. Miyazaki initially expressed his retirement plans in 2013, after the release of his film The Wind Rises. However, his path took an unexpected turn when he discovered Genzaburo Yoshino's 1937 novel, Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka, which ignited Miyazaki's creative spark and compelled him to craft a remarkable feature film under the same title.

The movie and the novel share very little in common, except for the title. The original novel focuses on family dynamics and reflects the complex socio-economic situation of its time. In contrast, Miyazaki's The Boy and The Heron is a captivating coming-of-age tale that transports a young boy named Mahito Maki into a world of wonder and fantasy when he accidentally stumbles upon an abandoned building. Accompanied by a talking gray heron, Mahito embarks on a journey of self-discovery.

Currently, the movie is only accessible in Japan. However, fans of Studio Ghibli in the U.S. can look forward to GKids acquiring the rights for North American distribution of The Boy and The Heron. Although an official release date has not been announced, the company aims to release the film before the end of 2023.

Studio Ghibli’s movies are available to stream on HBOMax in the U.S. and on Netflix for the rest of the world.

Source: Crunchyroll News