Are you a fan of Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation company behind hits likeMy Neighbor Totoro,Princess Mononoke,Howl’s Moving Castle, andSpirited Away? If so, you’ll want to giveHBO Maxa look. Warner Bros. has just secured the American streaming rights to Studio Ghibli’s complete feature film library for HBO Max, its upcoming streaming service, according to an announcement that first appeared onDeadline.
Studio Ghibli’s eclectic collection of animated films, the bulk of which were directed by Ghibli co-founder and animation icon Hayao Miyazaki, is a major get for HBO Max, which faces serious competition from Netflix, the upcoming Disney+,Hulu, NBC’sPeacock,Apple TV+, and others. While Ghibli’s output is phenomenally popular with kids and adults alike — 2003’sSpirited Awayeven won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film — none of its films have ever been available on traditional streaming services.
In fact, just two days before the HBO Max deal was announced, the company that distributes Studio Ghibli’s output in North America toldPolygonthat Ghibli would never make its films available to stream, saying that Ghibli prefers “for audiences to experience the films together in a theatrical setting.”
Clearly, that wasn’t the case, as both Kevin Reilly, HBO Max’s chief content officer, and Studio Ghibli chairman Koji Hoshino seem extremely positive about the deal. “These wonderful films have captured people’s hearts around the world, and we are proud to showcase them in an accessible way for even more fans through HBO Max,” Reilly said.
“As a premium content brand, HBO Max is an ideal home for our films,” Hoshino added.
All 21 of Studio Ghibli’s feature films will eventually make their way to HBO Max, includingThe Wind Rises, which debuts on the service in fall 2020. Most of them should be available on HBO Max at launch. HBO Max arrives in spring 2020, with rumors suggesting it’ll cost between $16 and $17 a month.
In addition to the Ghibli films, HBO Max will be the only place where fans can view the classic ’90s sitcomFriends,Doctor Who, and theBig Bang Theory, as well as original programming from creators like J.J. Abrams and Reese Witherspoon. Content fromHBOand WarnerMedia cable networks like TNT, TBS, and The CW are also expected to be available on the service.
