AT&T’s upcoming subscription service HBO Max said it made a deal with Studio Ghibli to stream its entire library of animated films.
The agreement marks the first time the 21 films--including Academy Award winner Spirited Away--have been licensed to a streaming platform.
Also available on HBO Max at launch will be such titles as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Ponyo, Castle in the Sky and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya.
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“Studio Ghibli films are visually breathtaking, completely immersive experiences,” said Kevin Reilly, chief content officer for HBO Max and president of TNT, TBS, and truTV. “Exciting, enchanting, and deeply humanistic, these wonderful films have captured people’s hearts around the world, and we are proud to showcase them in an accessible way for even more fans through HBO Max.”
Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by animation directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. Its films are distributed in North America by GKids.
“We are excited to be working with HBO Max to bring the complete collection of Studio Ghibli films to streaming audiences in the U.S. 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 to enjoy their favorites and delve deeper into the library, while whole new audiences will be able to discover our films for the first time.”
