GKIDS announced today that it will release the catalog of Japan’s legendary, Oscar-winning animation house Studio Ghibli, for digital download-to-rent in the United States and Canada today (August 30). Films will be available to rent in both English and Japanese languages on most major digital transactional platforms.
This marks the first time the Studio Ghibli films will be available for digital rental in North America, and follows GKIDS’ release of the full Studio Ghibli catalog for digital download-to-own for the first time in 2019. GKIDS also set an exclusive U.S. 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 five additional nominations for Howl’s Moving Castle, The Wind Rises, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, When Marnie Was There and The Red Turtle.
Director and studio co-founder 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 paid tribute to his artwork with a special inaugural exhibition.
The catalog of acclaimed Studio Ghibli films released for digital download-to-rent includes:
- Castle in the Sky
- The Cat Returns
- Earwig and the Witch
- 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
- The Wind Rises
Starting August 16, the Studio Ghibli catalog will be available to rent digitally in HD for the suggested retail price of $4.99 per film.
