WarnerMedia has revealed that its upcoming streaming service HBO Max is expanding its already stacked library as it has acquired the rights to the entire library of Studio Ghibli works, including Kiki’s Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke.
RELATED: Equal: HBO Max Orders LGBTQ+ Docuseries from Jim Parsons, Greg Berlanti
“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.,” Studio Ghibli chairman Koji Hoshino said. “As a premium content brand, HBO Max is an ideal home for our films.”
The announcement comes a few days after Disney+ took to Twitter to announce its full library of content, and now the streaming wars are heating up as various services are clamoring to acquire the rights to many major properties, with the Warner Media service still looking to acquire the rights to stream The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men, which shouldn’t be too hard as the studio already holds a large portion of the rights to both series alongside original networks CBS.
The deal between HBO Max and Studio Ghibli marks the first time the acclaimed Japanese studio has reached a licensing agreement with a streaming platform, with WarnerMedia and GKIDS reaching the agreement after the latter company partnered with Studio Ghibli in 2017 following 20 years of collaboration with Disney.
RELATED: Grease: Rydell High Gets Series Order at HBO Max
In addition to featuring films from the Oscar-winning writer/director Hayao Miyazaki, the deal will also include other Studio Ghibli offerings not from the director including Oscar-nominated films The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There.
The films will debut on HBO Max upon its launch, which is set to occur sometime in spring 2020.
