Studio Ghibli may have just been announced to not be a part of the streaming service of Disney +, but before you hardly had the chance to blink an eye, it looks like the timeless classics will be made exclusive on the upcoming streaming platform that is HBO Max. With the upcoming service from HBO dropping in spring of 2020, the announcement has just dropped that the movies of Studio Ghibli will be making landfall alongside its debut, giving fans the opportunity to stream these animated classics whenever they choose!
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From the press release, HBO Max has confirmed that the “21 feature length films” of Studio Ghibli will arrive with the debut of the streaming service, with the company going into more detail here:
“Available at launch of the service will be the Academy Award®-winning 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 and more.”
For those unfamiliar with the upcoming streaming service of HBO Max, WarnerMedia is creating this platform to create all new feature length films and series, as well as current offerings from “Warner Bros., New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more.”
This is far from the only news that Studio Ghibli has cooking, with an upcoming theme park opening in Japan in 2021 which will feature life sized attractions and sections of the park that will be taken directly from their films’ environments and settings! Though a new title hasn’t been confirmed in terms of a feature length film, it’s already been reported that legendary creator Hayao Miyazaki has a few ideas that are being developed.
What do you think of the news that HBO Max will be the exclusive platform for Studio Ghibli films? Will you be subscribing to the streaming service when it drops next year? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, Studio Ghibli, and HBO Max!
For an official description of Studio Ghibli, the press release broke it down for you:
“Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by animation directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata and is one of the most successful and well-respected animation studios in the world. Cultivating a creative force of talented directors, animators, and storytellers under the revered brilliance of Miyazaki and Takahata, Studio Ghibli’s films have been praised for their originality, dazzling animation, and epic storytelling. The films have become a beloved part of Japanese popular culture and have garnered worldwide acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away won the Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature of 2002 and in 2005 Miyazaki was named one of “the most influential people” by TIME Magazine.”
