Streamer and GKDS ink multiyear deal extending U.S. streaming rights of award-winning Studio Ghibli’s catalog, including Oscar-winning and -nominated films ‘Spirited Away,’ ‘Howl's Moving Castle,’ ‘The Wind Rises,’ ‘The Tale of The Princess Kaguya,’ and ‘When Marnie Was There.’
Fresh on the heels of famed Studio Ghibli’s Oscar win this past Sunday for what may be legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s last film, The Boy and the Heron, today, Max announced a multiyear agreement with GKIDS to extend its exclusive U.S. film streaming rights to the Japanese studio’s catalog. Max has been the U.S. home for the studio’s film library since 2020; the original deal marked the first time these titles were available to stream.
As part of the extension, Max will become home to the Oscar-winning and Golden Globe-winning The Boy and the Heron, with a streaming debut date announcement coming later this year. The hand-drawn, original story is written and directed by the Academy Award-winning Miyazaki, his first feature film in 10 years. Produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, the film features a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi.
Elizabeth Bannan Atcheson, VP Content Acquisitions, Warner Bros. Discovery, said, “Our subscribers are always looking for unique stories, and we are happy to continue to offer these award-winning, critically acclaimed films and to add ‘The Boy and the Heron’ to our deep and rich Max content offering.”
The acclaimed animation studio, helmed by visionary animation directors Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and producer Suzuki, has been producing films for 30 years and are known for classics such as My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Ponyo. Studio’s accolades include the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for Spirited Away and additional Oscar nominations for Howl's Moving Castle, The Wind Rises, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, and When Marnie Was There.
Under the terms of the deal, the following films will be available to stream on Max in the U.S:
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
- Castle in the Sky (1986)
- My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
- Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
- Only Yesterday (1991)
- Porco Rosso (1992)
- Ocean Waves (1993)
- Pom Poko (1994)
- Whisper of the Heart (1995)
- Princess Mononoke (1997)
- My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
- Spirited Away (2001)
- The Cat Returns (2002)
- Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
- Tales from Earthsea (2006)
- Ponyo (2008)
- The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)
- From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
- The Wind Rises (2013)
- The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)
- When Marnie Was There (2014)
- Earwig and the Witch (2020)
- The Boy and the Heron (2023)
Source: Max
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
