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The Boy and the Heron U.K. IMAX Screenings Details

In addition, there will be preview screenings of the film in IMAX cinemas on Wednesday December 20 at the following venues:

BFI IMAX, Cineworld Leicester Square, Odeon Swiss College, Odeon Wimbledon, Cineworld Basildon, Odeon Greenwich, Odeon Kingston, Cineworld Watford, Odeon Milton Keynes, The Light Cambridge, Cineworld Glasgow Silverburn, Odeon Liverpool One, Cineworld Sheffield, Vue Manchester Printworks, Cineworld Edinburgh, Odeon Cardiff, Vue Leeds Kirkstall, Odeon Metrocentre, Cineworld Dublin

Before that, numerous non-IMAX cinemas in the Picturehouse chain will screen subtitled previews of The Boy and the Heron (Kimi-tachi wa Dō Ikiru ka) on Friday December 15:

Ashford (7 p.m.), Little Theatre Cinema, Bath (8 p.m.), Duke's at Komedia, Brighton (8 p.m), Cambridge Arts Cinema (5.50 p.m.), Chester Cinema (7 p.m.), Edinburgh Cameo (8 p.m.), Exeter (5.35 p.m.), Regal Cinema, Henley on Thames (7.50 p.m.), FACT Liverpool (6 p.m.), London Bromley (8 p.m.), London Clapham (8 p.m.), London Crouch End (8 p.m.), London Ealing (7.30 p.m.), London East Dulwich (6 p.m.), London Finsbury Park (8 p.m.), London Fulham Road (8.15 p.m.), London Greenwich (8 p.m.), London Hackney (8.30 p.m.), London Picturehouse Central (6.30 p.m.), London Ritzy (6 p.m.), London Stratford (7 p.m.), London The Gate (8.30 p.m.), London West Norwood (7.30 p.m.), Norwich Cinema City (8.15 p.m.), Oxford Phoenix (5.45 p.m.), Southampton Harbour Lights (8.30 p.m.), York City Screen (7.30 p.m.)

These screenings come before The Boy and Heron's general release in UK cinemas on December 26 2023. The film was jointly acquired for the UK by Elysian Film Group, Anonymous Content and Bleecker Street. Elysian Film Group distributed one previous Studio Ghibli film, Earwig and the Witch, in the UK.

The film's story takes place during World War II. After Mahito loses his mother during the firebombings of Tokyo, he and his father move to the countryside. There, Mahito's father gets remarried to his late mother's pregnant sister. As Mahito struggles with his situation, he encounters a talking heron and enters another world based on a promise that he can meet his mother again.

The film sold 1.003 million tickets and earned about US$13.2 million in its first three days in Japan. It opened simultaneously on IMAX with its general release in Japan on July 14. The film earned more than Miyazaki's celebrated Academy Award-winning 2001 film Spirited Away in its first four days, and earned 50% more than his 2013 film The Wind Rises. The film exceeded US$1.7 million from 44 IMAX screens, which is a new three-day opening record, according to entertainment news website Deadline.

The film is the first Studio Ghibli film to get a simultaneous IMAX release. The film is also screening in Dolby Atmos, Dolby Cinema, and DTS:X.

Soma Santoki, who is 18 years old, voices the main character Mahito Maki. Takuya Kimura makes a special appearance. The cast also includes Masaki Suda, Kou Shibasaki, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura, Keiko Takeshita, Jun Fubuki, Sawako Agawa, Karen Takizawa, Shinobu Ōtake, Jun Kunimura, Kaoru Kobayashi, and Shohei Hino.

Miyazaki is credited with the original work, in addition to directing the film and writing the script. Takeshi Honda (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, Rebuild of Evangelion films) is the animation director. Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro) composed the music. Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki is the producer. Kenshi Yonezu (Chainsaw Man, My Hero Academia, March comes in like a lion) performs the theme song "Chikyūgi" (Globe).