Some of the most acclaimed animated films ever made can now be rented digitally, thanks to distributor GKIDS.
The animation specialist distributor has released the entire catalogue of acclaimed Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli to be made available to rent on all major digital platforms, including Apple TV, Amazon VOD, Vudu, Google Play and Microsoft.
Ghibli, of course, is home to the celebrated works of its co-founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, with four of the films still among the ten highest-grossing Japanese-produced films of all time.
The selection of titles is as below and includes Miyazaki’s pre-Ghibli film “Nausicaä” which was made before the studio was founded but was acquired by the company later:
“Castle in the Sky,” “The Cat Returns,” “Earwig and the Witch,” “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,” and “The Wind Rises”.
All films are in high-definition and will be available to rent (for $4.99 per film), with most offering both English and Japanese language tracks. This marks the first time the films have been available for digital rental in North America.
It comes after the Studio Ghibli catalogue was made available for digital purchase in 2019 and to watch on SVOD via HBO Max since 2020.
Source: GKIDS
