With the ongoing streaming wars that are currently taking place, it’s easy for some of our favorite shows to get caught up in the drama. For instance, we recently found out that HBO’s upcoming streaming service, HBO Max, now has the rights to stream the beloved Studio Ghibli library in North America.
This is interesting, as this marks the first time that any of the classic Miyazaki films will be available via digital. None of the Studio Ghibli films have been available to stream or download. If you wanted to watch them, you had to purchase the DVD/BluRay and watch it that way. Rip the video yourself or find a movie theater that was playing them.
“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,” said 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.”
This also follows a report by Polygon, in which GKids stated they had no plans to distribute the library on any streaming services. The company owns the rights to distribute the Studio Ghibli library in North America, after taking over from Disney in 2017.
Here’s the entire list of available films that will be available when HBO Max launches the Spring of 2020.
- 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, Porco Rosso
- Princess Mononoke
- The Secret World of Arrietty
- Spirited Away
- The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
- Tales From Earthsea
- When Marnie Was There
- Whisper of the Heart
- The Wind Rises (releases Fall 2020 on HBO Max)
You’ll be able to watch any of these classics features at any time you want. Assuming you end up subscribing to subscribe to HBO Max, that is.
