Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
HBO Max continues to pad its streaming fare with an exclusive deal for the entire catalog of Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli. It’s the first time the lauded toon producer’s films have been licensed to a streamer.
The deal with Studio Ghibli distributor Gkids includes 2001’s Spirited Away, which won the Best Animated Feature Oscar, and four other pics that were nominated in that category: Howl’s Moving Castle, The Wind Rises, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There.
“Studio Ghibli films are visually breathtaking, completely immersive experiences” said Kevin Reilly, Chief Content Officer at HBO Max and President of TNT, TBS, and truTV. “Exciting, enchanting and deeply humanistic, these wonderful films have captured people’s hearts around the world, and we are proud to showcase them in an accessible way for even more fans through HBO Max.”
Founded in 1985 by animation directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli is among the world’s most respected and successful toon houses. All of its films will be available when HBO Max launches in the spring.
“As a premium content brand, HBO Max is an ideal home for our films,” said Koji Hoshino, Chairman of Studio Ghibli. “Upon launch of the service this spring, existing Ghibli fans will be able enjoy their favorites and delve deeper into the library, while whole new audiences will be able to discover our films for the first time.”
Here are the films included in the streaming deal: Castle in the Sky, The Cat Returns, From Up on Poppy Hill, Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, My Neighbors the Yamadas, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Ocean Waves, Only Yesterday. Pom Poko, Ponyo, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, The Secret World of Arrietty, Spirited Away, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, Tales From Earthsea, When Marnie Was There, Whisper of the Heart and The Wind Rises (launching in fall 2020).
