HBO Max Secures Streaming Rights to Studio Ghibli Films
The streaming service HBO Max has struck a deal with GKIDS. The North American distributor of the Studio Ghibli films is going to have the library available for streaming for the first time ever. Prior to this deal, the extensive library was only ever available to purchase on DVD, Blu-Ray, or to be viewed in theaters.
#StudioGhibli is coming to #HBOMax. We are honored to present the entire feature film library of this award-winning and renowned animation house.
— HBO Max (@hbomax) October 17, 2019
Studio Ghibli was founded by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, along with producer Toshio Suzuki in 1985.
The list of Ghibli movies coming to the streaming service includes 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, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and more.
This is a huge deal for HBO Max, and WarnerMedia has also secured streaming rights to Friends, The West Wing, The Big Bang Theory, and Sesame Street. There is not a lot of information currently about HBO Max, but it is set to launch in the spring of 2020.