Ever since 2020, Max (formerly HBO Max) has been the home of Studio Ghibli. At least, it is in terms of streaming. It seems that thanks to an ongoing deal with GKIDS, Max has an exclusive deal to stream anime films from that famed studio, including such classics as Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. Presumably, this deal has been a very profitable one for all of the aforementioned parties. Why else do you think Max and GKIDS would want to extend this deal for quite a few more years to come?
Max x GKIDS Studio Ghibli Deal: Details
Warner Bros. is proud to announce that Max is entering a multiyear agreement with GKIDS to extend their right to exclusively stream all of the Studio Ghibli anime films. This is significant for two reasons. This is not only the first time anyone is streaming these classic anime films, but this means Max will retain their exclusive dominance over this market. These are Studio Ghibli anime films like Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, and Princess Mononoke; mind you. That’s a huge market, no matter how you look at it.
That’s not all though. As part of this multiyear streaming deal, Max has even acquired the rights to stream the latest anime film from Studio Ghibli: The Boy and the Heron. This is the first anime film Hayao Miyazaki himself has directed in a decade. Thus, you can be sure this is a hot film. Alas though, neither Max nor GKIDS has a premiere date for this anime film’s streaming yet. All they have is a confirmation that said premiere date is sometime “later this year” in 2024. We’ll just have to wait for them to give us that info at a later date.
Tune back into THS to find out more about the Studio Ghibli anime films, along with The Boy and the Heron, when we do.
Bonus: Anime Film List
That’s not all, folks! Max also has a full list of which Studio Ghibli anime films they are streaming as part of this deal. You can check them all out below:
- 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)**
** The Max streaming date for the film in the U.S. will be announced at a later date.
