Hayao Miyazaki made a comeback to the entertainment industry with The Boy and the Heron following a ten-year absence. On December 8, 2023, Studio Ghibli’s film The Boy and the Heron was released worldwide, much to the delight and excitement of its fans. The Boy and the Heron is further evidence of Studio Ghibli’s dedication to telling classic stories that appeal to a broad spectrum of viewers.
With a sweeping musical score by veteran Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi, the film is produced in keeping with Hayao Miyazaki’s iconic storytelling and animation forte. The cast of The Boy and the Heron English dub cast had many prominent actors like Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe.
Both of these actors have also worked in a 2019 film called The Lighthouse. However, that is not the only similarity between both movies. Both movies also share a similar storyline that fans may have not yet noticed. The main characters in both movies are obsessed with killing a bird.
Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson in The Boy and the Heron
Miyazaki’s first animated film in ten years, The Boy and the Heron, has captivated audiences all over the world with its moving narrative. The voice of The Grey Heron is provided by Robert Pattinson. The reason Mahito lands in a world full of wonders beyond the real, physical world is because of the Grey Heron, who inspires him to explore the unknown.
On the other hand, Noble Pelican is voiced by Willem Dafoe. He gives the character a mesmerizing attractiveness with his unique voice and acting skills, which deepens the film’s supernatural world. Both of these actors performed brilliantly in the movie and captivated a lot of audiences for the English dub of the movie.
Both actors have also worked previously together in a movie called The Lighthouse. Also, except for the similar casting, both movies share another similarity despite them being of totally different genres and categories.
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Similarities Between The Boy and The Heron and The Lighthouse
Recently, The Boy and The Heron won the Golden Globe for best-animated film 2024. The movie has captivated fans and has managed to become one of the best-animated films in history. In an interesting revelation, The Boy and The Heron had a similarity with the 2019 horror film, The Lighthouse.
In both films, the characters are somewhat obsessed with killing or hating birds. In The Boy and The Heron, Mahito initially hated the Heron who wanted to take him on an adventure. But later on, Mahito befriends him and goes on an adventure of his life with the Heron.
In The Lighthouse, Pattinson, who plays the character of Ephraim, kills a one-eyed seagull by grabbing it by its neck and violently bashing it against a water cistern, which resulted in the beginning of bad things in the movie. He was initially warned by Dafoe’s character(Thomas) but he chose to ignore it. This similarity may have not been pointed out by the fans, but it’s an interesting point of resemblance with the cast of the movie.
