Netflix UK secures Studio Ghibli catalogue

The Studio Ghibli catalogue is coming to digital streaming for the first time in the UK, starting from next month!

There was some confusion last year over the possibility that the lauded Japanese animation studio would decide to make its acclaimed films available on Disney+, but this notion was swiftly nixed when HBO Max confirmed that it would bring the Ghibli movies to streaming in the US, and it’s now been revealed that Netflix has acquired the streaming rights to a 21-strong Studio Ghibli collection for its subscribers in Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America – hey, that second one is us! Kinda! Let’s not get into that right now.

Ghibli fans have long wondered if the studio’s movies would stray from cinemas and physical media onto digital platforms, but they need wonder no longer.

“In this day and age, there are various great ways a film can reach audiences,” Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki said in a statement. “We’ve listened to our fans and have made the definitive decision to stream our film catalogue. We hope people around the world will discover the world of Studio Ghibli through this experience.”

Netflix UK has also set out a release schedule for the films, which notably does NOT include Grave Of The Fireflies. Sorry. Maybe your tear ducts will thank Netflix later:

February 1, 2020

Castle in the Sky (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), Only Yesterday (1991), Porco Rosso (1992), Ocean Waves (1993), Tales from Earthsea (2006)

March 1, 2020

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), Princess Mononoke (1997), My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999), Spirited Away (2001), The Cat Returns (2002), Arrietty (2010), The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)

April 1, 2020

Pom Poko (1994), Whisper of the Heart (1995), Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2008), From Up on Poppy Hill (2011), The Wind Rises (2013), When Marnie Was There (2014)

Enjoy!