HBO Max To Stream The Studio Ghibli Library
by Erik Amaya
In the last few days, some were wondering if the films of Studio Ghibli would ever land on a streaming service. At the time, it seemed as though no service would meet the price or conditions to make it happen. But then, just like that, HBO Max found a way.
The service announced this morning that it has struck a deal with the famed animation studio’s North American distributor, GKIDS, to stream its films on the upcoming digital platform — the first time films like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Spirited Away, and Porco Rosso will be available on any streamer. “Studio Ghibli films are visually breathtaking, completely immersive experiences,” said Kevin Reilly, Chief Content Officer, HBO Max and President, TNT, TBS, and truTV, in a statement. “Exciting, enchanting, and deeply humanistic, 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.”
“We are excited to be working with HBO Max to bring the complete collection of Studio Ghibli films to streaming audiences in the US. As a premium content brand, HBO Max is an ideal home for our films,” added Koji Hoshino, Chairman of Studio Ghibli. “Upon launch of the service this spring, existing Ghibli fans will be able enjoy their favorites and delve deeper into the library, while whole new audiences will be able to discover our films for the first time.”
Starting in spring of 2020, alongside the launch of HBO Max, films like 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 will be available with The Wind Rises joining the lineup in the Fall of 2020.
Will it be enough to convince you to pay for another streaming service? HBO Max is betting on it. We remain skeptical even if the service will simulcast the second season of Doom Patrol alongside the DC Universe service. A lot of streaming platforms will go online in the next year and they may find a chillier reception than, say, Disney+. The Ghibli acquisition may move the needle a bit on HBO Max, but its fate remains to be seen.
