Today, Max announced a multiyear agreement with GKIDS to extend the exclusive U.S. film streaming rights for Studio Ghibli, Japan’s legendary, Oscar-winning animation house. The streaming service has been the U.S. home to the Studio Ghibli catalog since 2020, marking the first time the films were available to stream.
As part of the deal, Max will be the future home of the Oscar-winning and Golden Globe-winning film The Boy and the Heron, with an announcement of the Max streaming premiere date to be made later this year.
The hand-drawn, original story is Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years. The Academy Award-winning director wrote and directed it. Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki produced it. The film features a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator, Joe Hisaishi.
“Our subscribers are always looking for unique stories, and we are happy to continue to offer these award-winning, critically acclaimed films and to add ‘The Boy and the Heron’ to our deep and rich Max content offering,” said Elizabeth Bannan Atcheson, VP, Content Acquisitions, Warner Bros. Discovery.
Studio Ghibli is one of the most acclaimed and influential animation studios in the world. Over the last 30 years, it has inspired filmmakers and audiences alike 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 are known as timeless classics.
Studio Ghibli titles such as My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Ponyo have won countless international awards, including an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for Spirited Away, as well as additional Oscar nominations for Howl’s Moving Castle, The Wind Rises, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, and When Marnie Was There.
Below is a full list of films that will be available to stream on Max in the U.S. as part of this new deal:
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Castle in the Sky (1986)
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Porco Rosso (1992)
Ocean Waves (1993)
Pom Poko (1994)
Whisper of the Heart (1995)
Princess Mononoke (1997)
My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
Spirited Away (2001)
The Cat Returns (2002)
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Tales from Earthsea (2006)
Ponyo (2008)
The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)
From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
The Wind Rises (2013)
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)
When Marnie Was There (2014)
Earwig and the Witch (2020)
The Boy and the Heron (2023) – streaming date to be announced at a later date.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.