Don’t Expect Disney+ or Netflix to Ever Stream Studio Ghibli Movies

UPDATE: GKIDS has commented publicly saying no comment was given to any source about Studio Ghibli’s streaming future. Today, on October 17, it was announced HBO Max will be the sole service streaming the anime studio’s films.

Studio Ghibli remains one of the biggest names in animation despite its recent hiatus. Following the retirement of Hayao Miyazaki, fans resigned themselves to rewinding VHS tapes and scouring DVD collections to watch their favorite Studio Ghibli movies. If you thought that tradition would change thanks to the coming Streaming Wars, well – it seems you would be very wrong.

After all, it turns out Studio Ghibli isn’t about to change its stance on streaming anytime soon. In a recent chat with Polygon, a representative for GKIDS said it has no plans whatsoever to put Miyazaki’s film on any streaming site.

According to the U.S. licensor, Studio Ghibli has made their distaste for streaming films rather clear.

“Studio Ghibli does not make their films available digitally, whether for download or streaming, anywhere in the world,” the studio’s representative shared. “They continue to believe that presentation is vital and particularly appreciate opportunities for audiences to experience the films together in a theatrical setting.”

If you are hoping to watch Studio Ghibli at home, it seems you will have to go about it the old way. There are always DVDs and Blu-rays out there to add to your collection. Also, GKIDS holds its annual Studio Ghibli Fest in theaters, so you can catch your favorite flick on the big screen like Miyazaki intended. However, if you were hoping to collect the film digitally, it seems you are out of luck. Not even Disney+ will be able to get its hands on Spirited Away, and that doesn’t sound like it will be changing anytime soon.

While Disney+ may have little luck persuading Studio Ghibli to change its mind, there will be lots and lots of other content to consume. Not only with the streaming platform create original series for Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it has a whole slew of series to stream for fans. It is said more than 7,000 TV episodes will be on the service as well as 500 films, so it sounds like Disney+ will be just fine as it prepares to launch next month.

So, what do you think about Studio Ghibli‘s decision to forgo streaming? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!