With the film’s US release just two months away, GKIDS announced the main English dub voice actors for Miyazaki’s new film. The dub is going to be a treat for long-time Ghibli fans as The Boy and the Heron features Christian Bale, the voice actor of Howl Pendragon from Howl’s Moving Castle.
Aside from Bale, this highly anticipated anime film also features a wide array of big-name Hollywood stars. This is similar to Ghibli’s previous English dub releases.
Christian Bale Is Back to Voice a Character in Miyazaki’s Next Film
Howl Jenkins Pendragon from Howl’s Moving Castle is a favorite among many Ghibli fans. This is thanks in large part to his charming looks, not to mention his swoon-worthy voice courtesy of Christian Bale.
Bale is a popular actor who has played Batman in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. His role as Howl may not be as well-known as his other projects, but it’s one that most anime fans are familiar with.
For this new Miyazaki movie, Bale voices Shoichi Maki, the father of the film’s protagonist, Mahito Maki. This role may not be as attractive as Howl, but it still promises to delight fans.
GKIDS casting Bale is a bit of a surprise given that Ghibli English dubs don’t tend to recast previous actors. But Bale being cast makes sense when compared to the Japanese dub.
After all, the original version cast Japanese superstar Takuya Kimura (Blade of the Immortal) as Shoichi Maki. Kimura is also the original voice of Howl Pendragon.
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GKIDS Taps Hollywood Stars for The Boy and the Heron Dub
Christian Bale isn’t the only popular actor in the English dub of The Boy and the Heron. GKIDS also tapped numerous Hollywood stars to play roles.
These include Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson, and Florence Pugh, among others.
Playing the lead role of Mahito Maki is Luca Padovan, a 20-year-old actor who is best known for playing Paco in Season 1 of the TV series You.
The reveal of the stacked English dub is unexpected as many thought the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike would affect the dub’s release.
Based on GKIDS’ announcement though, they were able to strike a deal with SAG-AFTRA for this movie.
The Boy and the Heron will be released in the US this December, likely with English and Japanese language screenings.
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