The highly acclaimed animated feature film 'The Boy and the Heron' by renowned Japanese director Miyazaki Hayao is set to make its debut in mainland China. The movie, which won an Oscar, is scheduled for release in Chinese cinemas on April 3, 2024, as confirmed by Alibaba Pictures. Tickets for the film are already available for purchase on popular booking platforms like Maoyan and Alibaba's Taopiaopiao.
'The Boy and the Heron' premiered in Japan in July last year and subsequently had a global release starting from October. In a departure from the usual Friday release pattern in China, the film will hit theaters on a Wednesday, strategically timed to attract family audiences during the Qingming holiday period from April 4-6.
Alibaba Pictures, a subsidiary of Alibaba Group, recently announced a strategic partnership with Studio Ghibli, the renowned Japanese animation studio behind Miyazaki's masterpiece. This collaboration aims to develop animation content tailored for the Chinese market, along with offline initiatives and ticketing services through another subsidiary, Damai. One of the upcoming ventures includes a Studio Ghibli immersive exhibition slated to take place in Shanghai later this year.
Following its global box office success of $168 million, with a significant portion from North America, 'The Boy and the Heron' is set for a re-release in both North America and Japan post its Oscar triumph. The dubbed North American version will feature a star-studded voice cast including Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson, and Florence Pugh, starting from March 22. Additionally, the film will be available on the Max streaming service.
Alibaba's commitment to the entertainment industry extends to Hong Kong, with Alibaba Pictures and streaming service Youku pledging a substantial investment of $640 million over five years to support the local film sector. This announcement was made during the FilMart convention in Hong Kong, although details were not disclosed to the press. Alibaba Pictures executives have since discussed the Hong Kong initiative with mainland Chinese media outlets.
