Studio Ghibli’s The Boy and the Heron hits Netflix Canada in October

The Boy and the Heron will begin streaming on Netflix in Canada and most other worldwide markets on October 7th.

In March, the company confirmed it had secured the streaming rights to the acclaimed Studio Ghibli film, but it’s only now that we’re learning an exact premiere date. Notably, this is an extension of Netflix’s global deal with Ghibli’s North American distributor, GKIDS, which has already resulted in more than 20 of the beloved Japanese animation studio’s films hitting Netflix in Canada and elsewhere.

The Boy and the Heron is a strong get for Netflix, as the film took home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in a competitive race against Sony’s acclaimed Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Written and directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away), The Boy and the Heron follows a boy who moves to the countryside after his mother’s death and discovers a fantastical world with a talking grey heron.

The Boy and the Heron is Miyazaki’s first feature film since 2013’s The Wind Rises. In fact, it was widely believed to be the now 83-year-old filmmaker’s final work, although Ghibli has indicated he is still working. Hopefully, he can release at least one more masterpiece in his lifetime.

It’s also worth noting that Grave of the Fireflies, an early Ghibli film from the late Isao Takahata, will hit Netflix Canada on September 16th. The drama, which follows two child siblings trying to survive during World War II, is generally considered to be one of Ghibli’s best works and one of the greatest war films of all time.

Image credit: Studio Ghibli

Source: Netflix