HBO Max has acquired the U.S. streaming rights to all films from Japan’s Oscar-winning animation house Studio Ghibli, the streaming platform announced Thursday.
HBO Max will debut the catalog in the spring of 2020. The deal marks the first time the films will be licensed to a streaming platform.
Available films will include the Academy Award-winning “Spirited Away,” “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Princess Mononoke,” “Howl’s Moving Castle,” “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” “Ponyo,” “Castle in the Sky,” “The Tale of The Princess Kaguya” and many more.
“Studio Ghibli films are visually breathtaking, completely immersive experiences” Kevin Reilly, Chief Content Officer, HBO Max and President, TNT, TBS, and truTV, said in a statement. “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.”
Koji Hoshino, Chairman of Studio Ghibli, added: “We are excited to be working with HBO Max to bring the complete collection of Studio Ghibli films to streaming audiences in the US. As a premium content brand, HBO Max is an ideal home for our films. 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.”
Studio Ghibli is one of the most acclaimed animation studios in the world, having brought content to the forefront for the last 30 years. “Spirited Away” won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, while “Howl’s Moving Castle,” “The Wind Rises,” “The Tale of The Princess Kaguya,” and “When Marnie Was There” were all nominated for an Oscar. Director and co-founder Hayao Miyazaki was given an Honorary Award at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Awards in 2014, and he will also receive a tribute with a special exhibit of his artwork when the Academy Museum opens in 2020.