Oscar-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki returns for a new Studio Ghibli animated feature, The Boy and the Heron. Like other popular Studio Ghibli releases, this feature will be available to North American audiences in both its original Japanese and an English dub. 

GKIDS, the feature’s US distributor, finally revealed the movie’s English voice cast just a few weeks ago. The Boy and the Heron features the voice talents of Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson, and Florence Pugh. Today, GKIDS revealed the official English dub trailer, so you can hear some of these voices in action. Check it out below.

In The Boy and the Heron, 12-year-old Mahito struggles to settle in a new town after his mother’s death. However, when a talking heron informs Mahito that his mother is still alive, he enters an abandoned tower in search of her, which takes him to another world.

The hand-drawn animated feature is director Miyazaki’s first film in a decade. It features a musical score composed by Joe Hisaishi, a long-time collaborator of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, as well as a theme song, “Spinning Globe,” written and performed by J-pop superstar Kenshi Yonezu.

The Boy and the Heron marks the latest film to come from acclaimed animation studio Studio Ghibli. Studio Ghibli previously produced a number of animated features beloved by audiences and acclaimed by critics, including Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, and more.

The Boy and the Heron debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival back in September to positive reviews. It will soon premiere in the US with special advance screenings in New York and Los Angeles November 22. Then, the film will receive a wide release across the states and Canada on December 8.

Until then, check back to THS for more updates.

So, what do you think of the English dub trailer? Let us know in the comments below.

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