Deutsche Grammphon has announced the release of The Boy & the Heron: Symphonic Suite for Piano and Orchestra, a concert adaptation of the score for Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award-winning 2023 animated feature The Boy and the Heron composed by Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle). The fourteen-piece suite offers Hisaishi’s personal interpretation of the film, following Mahito’s emotional journey through grief, memory, and imagination, balancing intimate piano writing with rich orchestral textures. The music was recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The album will be released digitally and physically on November 6. Visit Amazon to pre-order the CD version and click here to order the vinyl edition. A first track (Ask Me Why (II)) is already available to stream/download now and can also be checked out after the jump. Studio Ghibli has previously released the original 2023 soundtrack album.
Tag: Joe Hisaishi
Weekly Film Music Roundup (September 19, 2025)
Opening in theaters nationwide this weekend is the horror thriller Him directed by Justin Tipping and starring Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox, Jim Jefferies and Tim Heidecker. The film’s original music is composed by Bobby Krlic (aka The Haxan Cloak) (Midsommar, Beau Is Afraid, Blue Beetle, Beef, Eddington, Eenie Meanie, Snowpiercer, Invasion, The Alienist: Angel of Darkness). Loma Vista Recordings has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score, as well as songs by Denzel Curry, Gucci Mane, Guapdad 4000, Mobb Deep and Tierra Whack today. Check out our previous article for the full album details and to learn more about the movie, which is being released by Universal Pictures.
Also opening wide is the romantic fantasy drama A Big Bold Beautiful Journey directed by Kogonada and starring Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Hamish Linklater, Jodie Turner-Smith, Lily Rabe, Billy Magnussen, Yuvi Hecht, Sarah Gadon and Kevin Kline. Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, The Boy and the Heron, My Neighbor Totoro, Departures) has composed the film’s original score. Milan Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music, as well as four songs by Laufey (including an original track) and a song by Mitski today. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and for more information about the Sony Pictures release.
‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ Soundtrack Album Details
Milan Records will release the official soundtrack album for the romantic fantasy drama A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. The album features the film’s original score composed by Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, The Boy and the Heron, Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, Departures) who has made his American feature scoring debut on the project. Also included is the original song The Risk by Laufey, three covers by the singer/songwriter, as well as a track by Mitski. The soundtrack will be released digitally this Friday, September 19. Visit Amazon or any other major digital music services to stream/download the album and also listen to the score title track and all the songs below. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is directed by Kogonada and stars Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell, Kevin Kline and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The movie follows two single strangers who meet at the wedding of a mutual friend and soon find themselves on fantastical adventure together where they get to re-live important moments from their respective pasts.
Soundtrack Album for Netflix’s ‘Leviathan’ to Be Released
Netflix Music will release a soundtrack album for the streamer’s original anime series Leviathan. The album feature selections of the show’s original score composed by Nobuko Toda & Kazuma Jinnouchi (Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, Ultraman, Metal Gear Solid 4, Star Wars: Visions – The Ninth Jedi). Also included are the series’ original songs written by Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, The Boy and the Heron, Princess Mononoke). The soundtrack will be released digitally tomorrow, July 10 and will be available to stream/download on Amazon and any other major digital music services. Also listen to Hisaishi’s first song and Toda & Jinnouchi’s main theme below. Leviathan is based on Scott Westerfeld’s novels of the same title and directed by Christophe Ferreira. The Qubic Pictures & Studio Orange production is set in an alternate steampunk past and follows an Austrian fugitive prince and a Scottish airman in disguise as they embark on an unexpected quest to prevent a world war.
Weekly TV Music Roundup (July 6, 2025)
Premiering on Thursday, July 10, is the Disney Channel original movie Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires directed by Paul Hoen and starring Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Freya Skye, Kylee Russell, Malachi Barton, Chandler Kinney, Swayam Bhatia, Julian Lerner, Mekonnen Knife, Lisa Chappell and Jonno Roberts. The film’s original score is composed by Tom Howe (Ted Lasso, Dog Man, Knuckles, Daisy Jones & the Six, Shrinking, Early Man). Walt Disney Records will release a soundtrack album featuring the songs from the sequel and a score suite on Thursday. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and to learn more about the movie, which will air on the Disney Channel and will also be available to stream on Disney+ the following day.
Also premiering on Thursday is the Netflix original anime series Leviathan based on Scott Westerfeld’s novels and starring Ayumu Murase, Natsumi Fujiwara, Shunsuke Sakuya, Mie Sonozaki, Yasuhiro Mamiya, Ivan Shibata and Fairouz Ai. Nobuko Toda and Kazuma Jinnouchi (Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, Metal Gear Solid 4) have composed the show’s original score. Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, The Boy and the Heron) has written the project’s original songs. A soundtrack album will be announced soon. Check back on this page for the full album details and for more information about the Qubic Pictures & Studio Orange production, which will be available to stream exclusively on Netflix.
Joe Hisaishi Scoring Kogonada’s ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’
Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, The Boy and the Heron, Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, Departures) is making his American feature scoring debut on the upcoming romantic fantasy drama A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. The film is directed by Kogonada (After Yang, Columbus) and stars Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell, Kevin Kline and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The movie follows two single strangers who meet at a mutual friend’s wedding and soon find themselves on fantastical adventure together where they get to re-live important moments from their respective pasts.
‘Silent Love’ Soundtrack Album Details
Universal Music will release a soundtrack album for the Japanese romantic drama Silent Love. The album features the film’s original music composed by Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, The Boy and the Heron, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle, Departures). The soundtrack will be released digitally tomorrow, January 24. Visit Amazon or any other major digital music services to stream/download the album. A CD version is also being released in Japan. Listen to the composer’s title track below. Silent Love is written and directed by Eiji Uchida and stars Ryosuke Yamada, Minami Hamabe, Kaito Yoshimura and Shuhei Nomura. The movie follows a young man who has stopped speaking and develops a close relationship with a music student who lost her sight in an accident.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (December 8, 2023)
Opening in theaters nationwide is the animated feature The Boy and the Heron written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and starring (in its English language version) Christian Bale, Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Mark Hamill, Florence Pugh, Karen Fukuhara and Luca Padovan. The film’s original music is composed by Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle). Studio Ghibli has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score (click here for the full album details). Available separately from Milan Records is the original song Spinning Globe by Kenshi Yonezu (click here to listen to the track and to learn more about the movie).
Opening in select theaters today before expanding nationwide in the coming weeks is the fantasy comedy Poor Things directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott and Jerrod Carmichae. Jerskin Fendrix has composed the film’s original music and made his scoring debut on the project. Milan Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score today. Check out our previous news article for the full album details and for more information about the movie, which is being released by Searchlight Pictures.
‘The Boy and the Heron’ Soundtrack Album Released
Studio Ghibli has released a digital version of the soundtrack album for the animated feature The Boy and the Heron. The album features the film’s original score composed by Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, Departures). The soundtrack is now available to stream/download on Amazon and most other major digital music services. A CD/vinyl edition has previously been released in Japan this past summer. Available separately as a digital single is Kenshi Yonezu’s theme song Spinning Globe. The Boy and the Heron is written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and tells the story of a young boy yearning for his mother who ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead.
Joe Hisaishi’s ‘A Symphonic Celebration’ Album Announced
Deutsche Grammophon has announced the album A Symphonic Celebration, a series of new symphonic arrangements of original soundtracks from Studio Ghibli classics directed by Hayao Miyazaki (including Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service & Castle in the Sky) written by composer Joe Hisaishi. The music was recorded in London by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Hisaishi. The album will be released digitally, on CD, Standard LP, Clear LP, Sky Blue LP & Picture disc on June 30, 2023. Visit Amazon to order the CD version (deluxe edition with extra tracks) and click here to order the vinyl edition. A first track (a new version of Merry-Go-Round of Life from Howl’s Moving Castle) is already available to stream/download now and can be checked out below.