Beginning on December 17th, GKIDS will make the full library Studio Ghibli titles – including classics like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke – available on digital download-to-own in the United States and Canada.
All titles will be available in both English and Japanese languages.
GKIDS TO RELEASE FULL STUDIO GHIBLI FILM LIBRARY ON DIGITAL TRANSACTIONAL PLATFORMS
COVETED ANIMATION COLLECTION AVAILABLE FOR DIGITAL DOWNLOAD-TO-OWN IN THE U.S. AND CANADA ON DECEMBER 17, 2019 ON ALL MAJOR PLATFORMS INCLUDING: APPLE TV, AMAZON VOD, VUDU, GOOGLE PLAY, SONY, MICROSOFT AND FANDANGO NOW
***AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER AT SELECT OUTLETS BEGINNING TOMORROW***
NEW YORK (December 2, 2019) – GKIDS, the acclaimed producer and distributor of animation for adult and family audiences, announced today that it will release the catalogue of Japan’s legendary, Oscar®-winning animation house, Studio Ghibli, for digital download-to-own in the United States and Canada on December 17, 2019. Films will be available to purchase in both English and Japanese languages on all major digital transactional platforms. This marks the first time the Studio Ghibli films will be available for digital transactional anywhere in the world. GKIDS previously announced an exclusive US streaming deal with HBO Max for the Studio Ghibli library starting in May 2020.
Studio Ghibli is one of the most acclaimed and influential animation studios in the world, inspiring filmmakers and audiences alike over the last 30 years with beloved stories and breathtaking visuals. Under the brilliance of visionary animation directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and producer Toshio Suzuki, the studio’s films have won countless international awards, including an Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature for Spirited Away, as well as four additional Academy Award® nominations for Howl’s Moving Castle, The Wind Rises, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, and When Marnie Was There. Director and studio co-founder Hayao Miyazaki was separately given an Honorary Award at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Awards in 2014, and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will pay tribute to his artwork with a special exhibit when the Museum opens in 2020.
The Studio Ghibli acclaimed catalogue of films released for digital download-to-own includes: 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 (Available Q3 2020)
Starting December 17, the Studio Ghibli catalogue will be available to own digitally in HD for the suggested retail price of $19.99 per film. A six-film bundle of some of the studio’s most popular titles, featuring Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away, will be offered by platforms for a suggested retail price of $99.99.
About Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by animation directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata and is one of the most successful and well-respected animation studios in the world. Cultivating a creative force of talented directors, animators, and storytellers under the revered brilliance of Miyazaki and Takahata, Studio Ghibli’s films have been praised for their originality, dazzling animation, and epic storytelling. The films have become a beloved part of Japanese popular culture and have garnered worldwide acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away won the Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature of 2002 and in 2005 Miyazaki was named one of “the most influential people” by TIME Magazine.