Miyazaki stans, we have some great news for you this Friday. Studio Ghibli are bringing their out-of-this-world animations to streaming services for the first time.
The iconic Japanese animation house has inked a deal with HBO’s new on-demand platform HBO Max, which is launching in the US in April 2020. When the streaming service goes live, 21 Studio Ghibli films will be available, including Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle and the Oscar-winning Spirited Away. So get ready to be dazzled by lush landscapes, fantastical characters, and to fall in love with No-Face, Jiji and Catbus all over again.
It’s a surprising turn for the legendary animation studio — previously, Studio Ghibli’s US distributor GKids has aired anti-streaming views. “Studio Ghibli does not make their films available digitally, whether for download or streaming, anywhere in the world,” a spokesperson said to Polygon earlier this year. “They continue to believe that presentation is vital and particularly appreciate opportunities for audiences to experience the films together in a theatrical setting.”
But the new move signals Studio Ghibli are catching up with the reality of how people enjoy their films. HBO Max has only been announced for a 2020 launch in the US at this time. In the UK, HBO has big deals with Sky Atlantic and Now TV to sync their shows, so it’s possible that you’ll see Ghibli films on one of those platforms in the not-too-distant future.
In the meantime while you wait for the glorious arrival of dreamy anime on demand, please enjoy this supercut of the mouth-watering food in Ghibli films. It’s literally self-care.