With its scenic environments, exquisite hand-drawn animation, and whimsical characters, Japanese anime giant Studio Ghibli has amassed a global fanbase. Now, Ghibli fans in the UK and Ireland can rejoice as the studio has landed a new distributor in the region with GKids, a deal that comes with IMAX re-releases of both classic and contemporary Ghibli titles.
The release calendar kicks off with the 1989 slice-of-life adventure Kiki’s Delivery Service that re-releases in cinemas on August 21. Directed by Ghibli head honcho Hayao Miyazaki as his second feature, the film follows young witch Kiki who moves to a port town and sets up a flying courier service.
Kiki’s Delivery Service will be followed by IMAX releases of Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s 2010 fantasy The Secret World of Arrietty and Yoshifumi Kondō’s 1995 feline-themed coming-of-age drama Whisper of the Heart.
Additionally, GKids also plans to roll out titles of the new Studio Ghibli 4K Remasters in IMAX and on physical media from this fall onwards.
The acquisition provides GKids rights across theatrical, home video, TV and digital for the studio’s entire 23-film back catalogue.
This news comes a month after it was announced that previous distributor Elysian Film Group Distribution is being liquidated. The company, which was launched in 2020, handled the successful theatrical and home video release of Miyazaki’s latest Oscar-winner The Boy and the Heron, along with re-releases and 4K remasters.
While GKids’ deal includes rights for theatrical, home video, TV and digital distribution for cult favourites like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle, Goodfellas retains streaming rights for UK and Ireland where Ghibli films are licensed to Netflix.
So, this August, grab onto your broomstick and head out to watch Kiki’s Delivery Service on the biggest screen possible as GKids brings to you the feel-good world of Ghibli in a remastered avatar.