Lovers of Studio Ghibli won't have to wait much longer for Hayao Miyazaki's latest masterpiece, The Boy and the Heron. The film will be the famous director's first in a decade, following the bittersweet excellence of The Wind Rises in 2013. Its themes are loosely inspired by the 1937 novel How Do You Live?, although its story is completely different. Instead, it follows a young boy called Mahito, who is guided to an abandoned tower in his new town by a talking grey heron. Upon entering the tower, he is transported to a fantastical alternate world, where he sets out on a mission to save his stepmom, Natsuko.
Studio Ghibli films always have great English dubs, and The Boy and the Heron is no exception. The studio's North American distributor, GKDS, recently announced its English cast, and it's absolutely stacked with some of the best talent in the business. It comes as no surprise that Miyazaki's latest film is so star-studded, given his prestigious reputation and rumors that it would be his last film. To make it even better, it will also have fantastic voice direction, with ADR director Michael Sinterniklaas working on the project. Sinterniklaas has worked on various English dubs, one of his most notable being Your Name. Here is every actor in the English voice cast, as well as what character they will be playing.
Mamoudou Athie, Tony Revolori and Dan Stevens - The Parakeets
Mamoudou Athie, Tony Revolori and Dan Stevens play three menacing, man-eating Parakeets in The Boy and the Heron. They serve as minor antagonists in the film, and are first seen guarding a castle. It's revealed that the trio are henchmen for the Parakeet King, who wants to steal the power from the tower at the center of the film's plot. Mamoudou Athie has most recently taken on the role of Wade in Pixar's Elemental, where he clearly proved his capabilities for providing emotionally charged voice acting. While the Parakeets don't play a huge role in the story, it's undeniable that he will be able to make his presence known.
Tony Revolori, who is best known for his role as Flash Thompson in the MCU, has previously done voice work for several animated TV shows. Given his portrayal of Flash, where he's proven he can be aggravating yet entertaining, it makes sense why he would be a perfect pick for one of the Parakeets. The same applies to Dan Stevens, who has plentiful experience in antagonistic roles. However, he's the only member of the trio who has worked on a Studio Ghibli film before, playing Thomas in Earwig and the Witch. Additionally, he's also had more experience playing animated villains as well as live-action compared to his co-Parakeets, most notably Scarlemagne in Netflix's Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts.
Karen Fukuhara - Lady Himi
Most viewers will know Karen Fukuhara as Kimiko in The Boys and Katana in Suicide Squad. In The Boy and the Heron, she will voice Lady Himi, who is described as a magical young woman. She is set to aid Mahito and Kariko on their journey through the alternate world that Mahito finds himself in, as they search for the mysterious tower.
This is far from Fukuhara's first venture into voice acting, as she has previously starred in the titular role in Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, as well as Glimmer in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Through each of her roles, Fukuhara has consistently demonstrated incredible range. There's no doubt that she won't blend seamlessly into the role of Lady Himi and make it stand out on its own.
Christian Bale - Shoichi Maki
Fans of Studio Ghibli will know that Christian Bale previously provided the English dub for Howl in Miyazaki's adaptation of Howl's Moving Castle. However, in The Boy and the Heron, Bale will be taking on a much smaller role. His character, Shoichi Maki, is the father of the main protagonist, Mahito. Both characters are grieving the loss of Mahito's mother, except a year later, Shoichi has moved on with her younger sister, Natsuko.
It might appear strange that a big name like Bale, who is most famous for his portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, would take on such a minor role. However, it makes sense when you realize that Shoichi's original voice actor, Takuya Kimura, was also the original voice actor for Howl. Regardless, Bale's popularity as the enigmatic Howl is more than enough to bring in a huge audience for The Boy and the Heron.
Mark Hamill - Granduncle
Mark Hamill has also previously appeared in Miyazaki films, this time in Ghibli's Castle in the Sky as the villainous Muska, and as the Mayor of Pejite in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. His role as granduncle in The Boy and the Heron is quite the opposite, however. The tower, which is the focal point for most of the story, was built by Mahito's granduncle, who later disappeared. His character is described as a powerful wizard, who appears within the film almost as a mentor, providing Mahito with wisdom and guidance.
Hamill's most famous voice work is as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, as well as the Hobgoblin in Spider-Man (1994). While he has predominantly portrayed antagonist characters, both in animation and live-action, he's proven on multiple occasions that he's an acting chameleon. He has the perfect range to pull off granduncle, adding warmth to the role while also maintaining a mysterious and authoritative tone.
Gemma Chan - Natsuko
In The Boy and the Heron, Gemma Chan provides the dub for Natsuko, Mahito's aunt and new stepmother. Unable to accept her as his new mother figure, Mahito and Natsuko have an incredibly strained relationship. However, when Mahito is put in a position where he has to save Natsuko's life, he embarks on a quest that results in him ending up in the film's alternate world.
Gemma Chan's most famous role to date is as Sersi in the MCU's Eternals, though it wasn't an accurate display of her immaculate acting chops. She also appeared as Namaari in Raya and the Last Dragon, and Dewdrop in Watership Down. Her voice is great for Natsuko as regardless of what role she plays, she always sounds incredibly soothing and collected, which is perfect for a more parental role. Combining that with her ability to express various emotions perfectly, she will be able to capture the complex relationship between Natsuko and Mahito with ease.
Dave Bautista - The Parakeet King
Director Rian Johnson has previously stated that whoever gives Dave Bautista his first serious role will be a genius, so The Boy and the Heron might just be the perfect film for him to demonstrate his talents. His character, the Parakeet King, serves as the primary antagonist in the film. It's stated that the Parakeet King sets out to disrupt the balance in the alternate world that Mahito finds himself in, with the latter getting in the way of his plans.
Bautista's professional career famously started in wrestling, before he started acting in 2006. His most recognized role is as Drax the Destroyer in the MCU, where he quickly became a fan favorite for his hilarious and impeccable line delivery. In M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin, he demonstrated that he's capable of being intimidating without humor to lighten the tone, although his character was more morally gray than outright evil. It'll be interesting to see his interpretation of the Parakeet King, and how serious the role will be.
Florence Pugh - Kiriko
Florence Pugh has quickly shot to stardom in Hollywood after she stunned audiences with her raw portrayal of Dani in Midsommar. Her character in The Boy and the Heron, Kiriko, is described as a seafaring woman who is a younger version of a maid that works on the family estate. She meets Mahito as he journeys through the alternate world, trying to find Natsuko.
It makes sense why Pugh would be the perfect actor for this role, given her performance as Goldilocks in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Pugh made sure that her character was a clear standout, providing plenty of laughs throughout. You can feel how adventurous and outgoing Goldilocks is simply through Pugh's voice acting, so it will be perfect if she can incorporate that into Kiriko as well.
Willem Dafoe - Noble Pelican
Another Studio Ghibli alumni, Willem Dafoe has previously starred as Cob in Tales from Earthsea. Not much is known about his role in The Boy and the Heron, which likely indicates that his character won't have a lot of screen time in the movie. Regardless, his name being in the already star-studded cast is more than enough to gain interest from viewers. This is because Dafoe has solidified himself as one of the most diverse actors ever, never afraid to fully transform into his characters, regardless if they're big or small, hero or villain. Aside from his work on Tales from Earthsea, Dafoe famously provided the voice for Ryuk in Netflix's Death Note and Gill in Finding Nemo, as well as its sequel, Finding Dory.
Robert Pattinson - The Grey Heron
Audiences might be shocked that Robert Pattinson will be taking on the role of the Grey Heron, but that's only because his talents are completely underrated. In The Boy and the Heron, the grey heron hounds Mahito on a regular basis as he settles into his new home. Like the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, the grey heron is who lures Mahito into the alternate world, beginning his adventure.
Best known for appearing in the Twilight franchise, Pattinson has done well to take on projects that separate him from his role as Edward Cullen. Surprisingly, he has never done an animated film before, meaning The Boy and the Heron will be his first go at voice acting. However, like many on this list, Pattinson is a true character actor. He has a phenomenal ear for different accents and voices, and has taken on erratic characters in the past, so the grey heron should come naturally to him.
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