Is The Boy and the Heron streaming? The mysterious Studio Ghibli movie has refrained from doing any marketing other than a single poster, intriguing fans of the animation house and inviting curiosity.
Of all of 2023’s new movies, this one seems to have caught attention for the most unique reason: there is barely any information or promotional material about it distributed by Studio Ghibli — the studio responsible for some of the best animated movies. The Boy and the Heron first reviews have been stellar, though.
The Boy and the Heron came out on July 14, 2023, in Japan but its Western release dates have been a little harder to parse out. Here’s what we know about how to watch The Boy and the Heron so far, including if it’s on any of the best streaming services.
Where can I watch the Boy and The Heron?
The Boy and the Heron is playing theatrically in Japan, and it’s been announced that the film will have its Western premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7.
It’ll then arrive in Europe on September 22, where it’ll be opening the San Sebastian Film Festival, before heading to the New York Film Festival, which takes place between September 29 and October 15.
GKIDS Films have picked up the North American rights to distribute the film. As for the UK, there’s no word on that front, but following on from these film festival showings, we’d expect it to have a limited release across the US and UK in the autumn/winter of 2023.
Is The Boy and the Heron streaming?
The Boy and the Heron is not streaming anywhere, and won’t until it ends its theatrical run. Studio Ghibli has a deal with Netflix in every country except the US and Japan, while Max has the rights in the US. We expect it to land there in the future.
Streaming rights tend to vary on location, and Ghibli’s catalog is no different. Unless something changes, though, we do expect this movie to follow the same pattern.
Is The Boy and the Heron on Netflix?
The Boy and the Heron is not currently on Netflix, but we think it will eventually come to the service in every country except the US and Japan.
Netflix hosts Studio Ghibli movies for many subscribers in different countries, but you’re out of luck if you’re a subscriber in the US.
Is The Boy and the Heron on Disney Plus?
The Boy and the Heron isn’t on Disney Plus and likely won’t ever be, due to other services holding streaming deals with Studio Ghibli.
We have lists of the best Disney Plus movies to keep you entertained, though. You can also sign up for Disney Plus by using the link above.
Is The Boy and the Heron on Prime Video?
The Boy and the Heron is not streaming on Prime Video because it does not yet have a digital release date. However, we expect it to become available for rental or purchase in 2024.
If you’d like to know what else is on Amazon Prime Video for no extra cost, sign up here.
Is The Boy and the Heron on Blu-ray?
The Boy and the Heron has no confirmed Blu-Ray release date yet, but Ghibli movies have a track record of coming to physical media, so we are assuming it will come to disc eventually.
Studio Ghibli movies even got a lovely steelbook collection in recent years, so there will probably be a couple of options for physical collectors.
As we said, Ghibli is keeping things under wraps, perhaps to allow audience members to come in with an open mind and experience their art with no pretense. We’ll keep you updated as more information comes out.
In the meantime, we have lists of the best kids movies, the best movies of all time, and the Studio Ghibli movies ranked. Furthermore, dive into our guides to everything new on Disney Plus, new on Netflix, new on Amazon Prime Video, new on Paramount Plus, and new on Max to keep you busy. And if you need a virtual private network, here’s the best VPN for streaming.