The Boy and the Heron is Studio Ghibli’s First 4K Blu-ray Release

The Boy and the Heron was one of this year’s big winners on the awards circuit–it beat Nimona and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse for best animated feature–and it’s headed to Blu-ray soon. In case you missed its theatrical run, the film is now available to preorder and will be released on July 9. Three editions are available to order: 4K UHD + Blu-ray version, Blu-ray + DVD, and a special 4K steelbook edition. The Boy and the Heron is the first Studio Ghibli film with a 4K Blu-ray verion.

• Preorder 4K Blu-ray Limited Edition Steelbook at Amazon — $35 (List Price: $45)
• Preorder4K Blu-ray at Amazon — $40
• Preorder Blu-ray at Amazon — $35

Potentially the final film by legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki–for real this time!–The Boy and the Heron is an intimate tale of death and legacy. It truly is the kind of movie that you won’t to go into knowing as little of as possible with regards to its plot, but if you need something to grab your interest, here’s the official synopsis:

“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 from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.”

For special features, the movie comes with a ton of bonus material that goes behind the scenes on film’s production and includes several interviews with the production crew:

The Boy and the Heron Special Features

• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Interview with Composer Joe Hisaishi
• Interview with Producer Toshio Suzuki
• Interview with Supervising Animator Takeshi Honda
• Drawing with Takeshi Honda
• “Spinning Globe” Music Video
• Teasers and Trailers

And if that’s not enough Studio Ghibli for you, you can also check out the many Studio Ghibli Blu-rays on sale at Amazon (as of May 10, 2024). All the greatest hits are here and discounted, including Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Princess Mononoke.

Studio Ghibli Blu-ray Deals

• Spirited Away: Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray) — $16 ($27)
• Only Yesterday: Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray) — $16 ($27)
• Porco Rosso: Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray) — $16 ($27)
• My Neighbor Totoro: Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray) — $19 ($27)
• The Tale of The Princess Kaguya: Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray) — $16 ($27)
• Princess Mononoke: Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray) — $18 ($27)
• Howl’s Moving Castle: Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray) — $20 ($27)
• Ponyo: Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray) — $20 ($27)
• From Up On Poppy Hill: Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray) — $19 ($27)
• Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: Limited Edition Steelbook — $19 ($27)
• When Marnie Was There: Limited Edition Steelbook — $19 ($27)
• My Neighbor Totoro: 30th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray) — $35 ($50)
• Spirited Away: Live on Stage (Blu-ray) — $21 ($30)
• Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Blu-ray) — $15 ($30)
• Howl’s Moving Castle (Blu-ray) — $14 ($30)
• Kiki’s Delivery Service (Blu-ray) — $14 ($30)
• Spirited Away (Blu-ray) — $16 ($30)
• My Neighbor Totoro (Blu-ray) — $13 ($30)
• When Marnie Was There Steelbook (Blu-ray) — $19 ($27)
• Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Steelbook (Blu-ray) — $19 ($27)
• Princess Mononoke (Blu-ray) — $15 ($30)
• The Secret World of Arrietty (Blu-ray) — $18 ($30)
• Tales From Earthsea (Blu-ray) — $18 ($30)
• From Up on Poppy Hill (Blu-ray) — $18 ($30)