GKIDS announced on Monday that it will release 21 Studio Ghibli films for digital download-to-own in the U.S. and Canada on December 17 on digital transaction platforms including Apple TV, Amazon VOD, Vudu, Google Play, Sony, Microsoft, and FandangoNOW. The films will be available in English and in Japanese with English subtitles. This marks the first time that the films will be available for digital transaction. The films include:
- Castle in the Sky
- The Cat Returns
- 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 (launching in the third quarter of 2020)
There will also be a six-film bundle that includes Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away.
HBO Max will begin streaming the same 21 Studio Ghibli films in spring 2020. This deal marks the first time that Studio Ghibli films will stream on any platform. Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Ponyo, Castle in the Sky, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, and other films will be available at launch. The Wind Rises will be available in fall 2020.
GKIDS has released the films on home video in North America. The distributor also regularly screens the films theatrically in North America, and Fathom Events began holding an annual “Studio Ghibli Fest” series of screenings in 2017.