Studio Ghibli’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’ makes box office history

Making history: Released on Dec. 8, “The Boy and the Heron” made history as the first original anime film to top the domestic box office. It also became Hayao Miyazaki’s biggest opening in North America, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Studio Ghibli film is joined by another Japanese film, “Godzilla Minus One,” and “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” in the box office top three. Worldwide, the movie has grossed over $97 million.

 

Positive reception: “The Boy and the Heron” opened to critical acclaim, scoring 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Meanwhile, it has a 7.7-star rating on IMDb.

About the movie: Set in World War II, “The Boy and the Heron” follows a young boy named Mahito, who loses his mother in a fire in Tokyo. He moves to live with his stepmother in the countryside, where he meets a talking heron that eventually takes him to a magical realm.