For animation fans, the retirement of Hayao Miyazaki — no, he means it this time…we think? — is a major event, so much so that tickets for the international premiere of his final film have sold out. But if you still want to get to that screening of The Boy and the Heron, there is some hope so long as you’re willing to shell out hundreds of dollars.
As reported by ComicBook.com, tickets to the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of Hayao Miyzaki’s The Boy and the Heron are going for $300 and up. A quick search on Ticketmaster – who is handling sales, so expect to get ripped off anyway – shows only a handful of resale tickets left, with prices easily exceeding that $300 (Canadian) marker after taxes and fees. That’s quite impressive considering Studio Ghibli has mostly shunned doing any promotion for the film, an apparent point of concern for the director that should go away when he sees what tickets are going for.
TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said in a statement, “Already acclaimed as a masterpiece in Japan, Hayao Miyazaki’s new film begins as a simple story of loss and love and rises to a staggering work of imagination…I look forward to our audience discovering its mysteries for themselves, but I can promise a singular, transformative experience.”
Miyazaki’s film will be opening TIFF on September 7th, marking the first time an animated film has done so. The Boy and the Heron has already debuted in its native Japan, where it has received nothing but positive reviews so far.
But The Boy and the Heron isn’t the only film affected by such disgraceful tactics, as Variety has reported that scalpers have also targeted Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins and the documentary Sly.
As per the official TIFF writeup, “Visually, the film shows Miyazaki at the height of his powers, filling the frame with gorgeous compositions, vibrant colour, and arresting movement. As it draws you deeper into its mysteries, The Boy and the Heron becomes richer, stranger, and more profoundly beautiful. This is a singular, transformative experience in film, and not to be missed.”
Would you ever pay hundreds of dollars to attend the premiere of a film? Are you looking forward to Hayao Miyzaki’s The Boy and the Heron?