Original ‘The Boy and the Heron’ premiering in the Philippines alongside English dub

MANILA, Philippines — The comeback movie of legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki "The Boy and the Heron" for Studio Ghibli will have both its original Japanese version and English dub screening in the Philippines.

"The Boy and the Heron" was initially set to screen last November 29 but was pushed to January 8 after the conclusion of the 49th Metro Manila Film Festival.

Miyazaki's newest movie, his first in a decade, follows young Maki in the middle of World War II who discovers an abandoned tower in his new town after the death of his mother and enters a fantastical world with a talking grey heron.

The film is loosely based on the 1937 Genzaburo Yoshino "How Do You Live," the movie's original title in Japan, and inspired by Miyazaki's experiences after the war and losing his own mother.

The original voice cast has Soma Santoki as Maki and Masaki Suda as the titular heron. They are accompanied by Ko Shibasaki, Aimyon, Kaoru Kobayashi, and Jun Kunimura.

Related: Hayao Miyazaki's comeback film 'The Boy and the Heron' pushed to January 2024

In the English dub, young actor Luca Padovan voices Maki while British actor Robert Pattinson voices the heron.

Rounding up the English cast are Karen Fukuhara, Gemma Chan, Christian Bale, Mark Hamill, Florence Pugh, Willem Dafoe, Filipino-American wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista, and the trio of Mamoudou Athie, Tony Revolori and Dan Stevens as the Parakeets.

Studio Ghibli fans can have a chance to see "The Boy and the Heron" early by attending an advanced screening two days before the wide release at SM Megamall's Cinema 2 at 7:00 p.m. for P1,200 — inclusive of a desk calendar, collectible ticket, and a mini-poster.

Several critics organizations have awarded "The Boy and the Heron" as their Best Animated Film and is up for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Score at the Golden Globe Awards.

RELATED: WATCH: Robert Pattinson, Christian Bale in 'The Boy and the Heron' English dub