Netflix Scores ‘The Boy And The Heron’ Streaming Rights Outside The U.S. And Japan After Extending Studio Ghibli Catalog Deal

Max may be the home of Hayao Miyazaki’s work in the U.S., but the director’s latest Oscar-winning film, The Boy and the Heron, is heading to Netflix in the rest of the world, outside of Japan.

Netflix has not yet announced a release date for The Boy and the Heron, but did say the film will land on the platform sometime this year.

Global distribution power player Goodfellas (formerly Wild Bunch International) has worked out a deal with GKIDS and Netflix to extend a 2020 agreement which made Netflix the international home of the full Studio Ghibli catalog.

Under the extended deal, Netflix will provide international subscribers with access to 22 Studio Ghibli films, including The Boy and the Heron and Miyazaki’s previous Oscar-winner Spirited Away, as well as modern classics such as My Neighbor Tororo, Princess Mononoke, and Kiki’s Delivery Service.

The films are available with subtitles in 28 languages and are dubbed in up to 20 languages.

Despite releasing in Japanese theaters more than eight months ago, The Boy and the Heron’s box office story is far from finished. After securing the animated feature Oscar earlier this month, GKIDS announced a second celebratory theatrical run in North America starting on March 22 (with unspecified bonus content). In Japan, Toho said it will screen the English-language dub of the film with Japanese subtitles. And earlier this week, Alibaba Pictures announced that the film would get a theatrical run in mainland China starting on April 3.