Entertainment
21 Studio Ghibli Films Will Arrive On Netflix UK Next Month
Studio Ghibli has become a staple of anime feature films, entrancing viewers with magical forests, creatures, and stories since its inception in 1985. Despite being around for over three decades, the ability to stream all 22 films in one place has been a major difficulty. That is until now, as Netflix has obtained the streaming rights for Studio Ghibli films outside Japan and the U.S., as Empire reports, which means British fans of the Japanese animation studio can finally watch these timeless classics in one place.
Whether your a fan of the studio or have never seen one of these films, come Feb. 1 you’ll be able to experience the immense wonder and beauty of the worlds that Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki have created over the past 35 years. All but one of the studios 22 films will be available to stream next month, including classics like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Howl’s Moving Castle. Studio Ghibli’s second feature film, Grave of the Fireflies, will not be available to stream due to it being owned by Japanese publisher Shincosha.
The films will be staggered across three release dates, the first starting at the beginning of February as written above, with the other two batches will follow at the beginning of March and April.
Read the full release schedule below.
Feb. 1:
- Castle in the Sky
- My Neighbor Totoro
- Kiki’s Delivery Service
- Only Yesterday
- Porco Rosso
- Ocean Waves
- Tales from Earthsea
March 1:
- Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
- Princess Mononoke
- My Neighbors the Yamadas
- Spirited Away
- The Cat Returns
- Arrietty
- The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
April 1:
- Pom Poko
- Whisper of the Heart
- Howl’s Moving Castle
- Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea
- From Up On Poppy Hill
- The Wind Rises
- When Marnie Was There
This is the first time that Studio Ghibli films will be available to stream outside the U.S. and Japan. As gaming site Kotaku explains, Japan “has its own rights deals, and in North America HBO Max has access to the catalogue.” As part of obtaining the rights, “Netflix will subtitle the Ghibli titles into 28 languages, and dub them in up to 20 languages,” The Hollywood Reporter writes.
Studio Ghibli’s English dubs have gained a lot of traction due to their iconic star-line up, including Dakota and Elle Fanning in My Neighbor Totoro, Gillian Anderson and Claire Daines in Princess Mononoke, and SNL’s Phil Hartman in Kiki’s Delivery Service.