Studio Ghibli's newest film “The Boy and the Heron” smashed studio records in its first four days, putting it on track to become one of anime icon Hayao Miyazaki’s top-grossing films.
The film — which is widely believed to be Miyazaki’s last — was released last week without a publicity campaign and almost no pre-release promotion. Still, it drew early morning sold-out audiences and tons of social media chatter focusing on what exactly the highly anticipated film was truly about.
According to the film’s distributor, Toho, “The Boy and the Heron” grossed over ¥2.14 billion in the first four days following its release. That's more than 2001's “Spirited Away” took in over its first four days on its way to becoming Ghibli’s highest grossing film.