GKIDS, the acclaimed producer and distributor of animation for adult and family audiences, announced today that it will release the catalogue of Japan’s legendary, Oscar-winning animation house, Studio Ghibli, for digital download-to-rent in the United States and Canada on August 30, 2022. 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. This follows GKIDS’ release of the full Studio Ghibli catalogue for digital download-to-own for the first time in 2019. Additionally, GKIDS launched an exclusive US 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 Academy Award 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 Hayao 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 Studio Ghibli acclaimed catalogue of 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 catalogue will be available to rent digitally in HD for the suggested retail price of $4.99 per film.