Netflix has landed the global streaming rights to 21 films from Studio Ghibli, the Academy Award-winning Japanese art house, which will be made available on the service globally (excluding US, Canada, Japan) from Saturday, 1st February 2020.
For the first time ever, this expansive catalogue of Studio Ghibli films will be subtitled in 28 languages, and dubbed in up to 20 languages. This partnership will enable fans in Asia Pacific, Europe (including the UK), Middle East, Africa and Latin America to enjoy beloved classics, such as Academy Award-winner ‘Spirited Away’, ‘Princess Mononoke’, ‘Arrietty’, ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’, ‘My Neighbor Totoro’, and ‘The Tale of The Princess Kaguya’, among others, in their native languages.
“In this day and age, there are various great ways a film can reach audiences,” commented Studio Ghibli Producer Toshio Suzuki. “We’ve listened to our fans and have made the definitive decision to stream our film catalogue. We hope people around the world will discover the world of Studio Ghibli through this experience”.
For those of you that don’t know Studio Ghibli, it was founded in 1985 by Japanese animated film directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, and has produced twenty-two feature-length films garnering worldwide acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Cultivating a creative force of talented directors, animators, and storytellers under the revered brilliance of Takahata and Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli films have been praised for their originality, dazzling animation, and epic storytelling becoming a beloved part of Japanese popular culture. 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.
“This is a dream come true for Netflix and millions of our members,” adds Aram Yacoubian, Director of Original Animation at Netflix. “Studio Ghibli’s animated films are legendary and have enthralled fans around the world for over 35 years. We’re excited to make them available in more languages across Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia – so that more people can enjoy this whimsical and wonderful world of animation.”
The first batch of films released on 1st February 2020 includes Castle in the Sky (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), Only Yesterday (1991), Porco Rosso (1992), Ocean Waves (1993), and Tales from Earthsea (2006).
This will be followed on 1st March 2020 by Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), Princess Mononoke (1997), My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999), Spirited Away (2001), The Cat Returns (2002), Arrietty (2010), and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013).
The next batch arrives 1st April 2020 and includes Pom Poko (1994), Whisper of the Heart (1995), Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2008), From Up on Poppy Hill (2011), The Wind Rises (2013), and When Marnie Was There (2014).
If you are a fan of Studio Ghibli, check out Netflix (excluding US, Canada, Japan) from Saturday, 1st February 2020.
