After years of waiting, the revered Studio Ghibli catalogue of animated films is coming to streaming services.
21 films from the legendary Japanese animation house will be coming to Netflix in waves over the coming months in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the Americas, while the films will be landing on HBO Max in the US and Canada as that service launches in the Spring, as previously reported.
It's a new move for Ghibli, which until recently chose not to distribute its movies beyond physical releases and traditional TV deals. However, alongside WarnerMedia's acquisition of the streaming rights for HBO Max, Ghibli began selling digital downloadable copies of its movies. And now Netflix joins the party, too.
From February 2020, 21 films from the legendary animation house Studio Ghibli are coming exclusively to Netflix. We’re proud to bring beloved, influential stories like Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and My Neighbour Totoro to first-time viewers and high-flying fans alike. pic.twitter.com/955uiYAzA1January 20, 2020
The Ghibli timetable
So, when can you expect to start watching Ghibli films on Netflix? Beating HBO Max to the punch, from February 1, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Only Yesterday, Porco Rosso, Ocean Waves, and Tales from Earthsea hit Netflix.
A second wave arrives on March 1, which will bring Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbors the Yamadas, Spirited Away, The Cat Returns, Arrietty, and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya to the service.
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A third and final wave lands on April 1 (no joke), when you'll be treated to Pom Poko, Whisper of the Heart, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, From Up on Poppy Hill, The Wind Rises, and When Marnie Was There.
The most notable omission here is the classic Grave of the Fireflies, Ghibli's heart-wrenching wartime drama. The studio sadly doesn't hold the publishing rights.
However, Netflix will be subtitling the films for 28 languages, and providing 20 new language dubs where they've not necessarily existed before. That's a great commitment from the company – and well deserved of the films that should be enjoyed by as wide an audience as possible.
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