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Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by the already seasoned directors Hayao Miyazaki, who'd earned his bones at Toei, and Isao Takahata, who'd worked alongside him. With them was producer Toshio Suzuki, who, as Animage magazine editor, helped Miyazaki introduce "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind" to Japanese manga fans. While the manga wouldn't be completed until 1994, Suzuki encouraged and assisted Miyazaki in completing the film, which led to the founding of Ghibli.

Of the 24 films Studio Ghibli has produced to date — including "Nausicaa," which may have been a Topcraft and Toei production but wouldn't exist without Ghibli's founders — few are a total failure. Even the controversial Goro Miyazaki films have gleams to them that might shine brighter if he didn't have his father's massive shadow over him. But nor can a list say that they're almost all number ones, because that's not fun to debate. These rankings are subjective but...

Many Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli fans won’t know this, but the anime films created and produced by Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki were internationally distributed on Home Entertainment mediums by Disney in many countries. This deal was made in August 1996 when the Walt Disney Company and Tokuma Shoten, the parent company of Studio Ghibli, formed a partnership.

Hayao Miyazaki | Credit: Oscars YouTube channel

According to the deal, Walt Disney Studios would be the sole international distributor for the animated films created by Studio Ghibli. These films were dubbed depending on the region and then released accordingly. Both Disney and Ghibli are the industry giants, and their collaboration was in fact one of the biggest deals in history.

However, the intriguing aspect of this collaboration is that popular actor and filmmaker Kevin Costner was a crucial part of it. In fact, he was the one who introduced Michael Ovitz, the then president of Disney,...

Max has shared a curated list of films available to stream on the service in Summer 2024. Max is home to Warner Bros. Pictures films, classics and new favorites from A24, the Studio Ghibli library, and award-winning films spanning multiple genres.

The platform is showcasing its vast film library with curated summer watch lists of blockbusters, horror, family-friendly films, and more.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Warner Bros. Pictures’ Dune: Part Two, the groundbreaking sequel to Dune, is now available to stream on the platform along with recent hits like Wonka and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which also has an American Sign Language (Asl) version of the film available to stream.

Viewers can also find summer favorites like Mamma Mia!, Meg 2: The Trench, A Night at the Roxbury, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Dune: Part Two

Horror fans can look to Max for their summer scares and favorite films from franchises,...

Hayao Miyazaki has a reputation for being one of the most renowned animators not only in Japan but throughout the world. The image set by Ghibli Studios is one worth commending and it leaves an impression of great character and world understanding, as well as the audience’s perception of the art. He has often been compared to some of the biggest animators and filmmakers.

Spirited Away | Credit: Studio Ghibli

Not only that, but his work has inspired many across the world. His ability to inspire isn’t limited to anime enthusiasts alone but even the biggest Hollywood film directors and producers. There have been many who have openly praised him and some of the biggest Hollywood starts have contributed their voice for the English dubbing of his works.

Hayao Miyazaki is Not the Walt Disney of Japan

During an interview (via Brian Dana Camp), Hayao Miyazaki talked about Walt...

Studio Ghibli, the acclaimed Japanese animation house known for Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro and Oscar-winner The Boy And The Heron, is to receive an honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes – the first time the festival has bestowed the award on a group.

The honour is usually awarded to individuals, which has included Tom Cruise, Michael Douglas and Harrison Ford in recent years and will also be given to Star Wars creator George Lucas at the 77th edition of the festival, which runs May 14-25.

Studio Ghibli is synonymous with veteran directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, who are among...

Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation studio co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki, will be feted with the Honorary Palme d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. This marks the first time Cannes has handed its Honorary Palme d’Or to a collective.

“I am truly honored and delighted that the studio is awarded the Honorary Palme d’Or,” said Toshio Suzuki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli.

“I would like to thank the Festival de Cannes from the bottom of my heart. Forty years ago, Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and I established Studio Ghibli with the desire to bring high-level, high-quality animation to children and adults of all ages. Today, our films are watched by people all over the world, and many visitors come to the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka, and Ghibli Park to experience the world of our films for themselves.”

Suzuki added: “We have truly come a long way for Studio Ghibli...

The Boy and the Heron will be available for streaming on Max, joining the Studio Ghibli film collection following the film's Oscar win. The film has received critical acclaim, including being awarded the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2023. The movie explores themes of grief through a poignant story about a boy who copes with his mother's death.

Hayao Miyazaki's award-winning film, The Boy and the Heron, has just received an official streaming home. The incredible movie will soon be available to stream on Max. The Boy and the Heron will be the newest in the long list of Studio Ghibli films currently streaming on the Max platform.

The movie was released in theaters on December 8, 2023, in the USA, going on to gross over $167 million worldwide. The amazing film has received countless awards and nominations, and recently took home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. This 2023 Oscar is Miyazaki's...

Max will continue to be the studio’s exclusive streaming home in the United States with tiles including “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Spirited Away,” and more.

Thanks in no small part to the prevalence of streaming media, anime has become an increasingly important part of the American entertainment landscape in recent years. When Warner Bros. Discovery launched the HBO Max streaming service in 2020, the iconic films of Studio Ghibili were included in the catalog. On Tuesday, Wbd announced that it had extended its deal with the Japanese studio and that the recent Oscar-winning film “The Boy and the Heron” will stream on HBO Max’s successive streaming service Max.

HBO Max became the first streaming service to carry Studio Ghibli titles when it launched in 2020. This new multi-year extension will keep the iconic Japanese studio’s films on Max in the United States. Recent Oscar winner “The Boy and the Heron...

Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron,” which just won the Oscar for animated feature film, is streaming to Max in the U.S.

Warner Bros. Discovery announced a multiyear agreement with independent distributor GKids to extend Max’s exclusive U.S. streaming rights for films from Studio Ghibli, Japan’s legendary animation house. The streamer has been the U.S. home to Studio Ghibli’s catalog since 2020, when the service originally launched as HBO Max.

Under the deal renewal, Max will be the future home of “The Boy and the Heron”; the streaming premiere date on Max will be announced later this year. The hand-drawn, semi-autobiographical film — Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years — was produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki and features a musical score from Miyazaki’s longtime collaborator Joe Hisaishi.

The extension with GKids also will keep nearly two dozen Studio Ghibli films — including “My Neighbor Totoro,...

Netflix and Studio Ponoc announced today a new deal that will see the studio's current and upcoming films exclusively distributed on the service. The Imaginary — Studio Ponoc's latest movie released in Japan on December 15 last year — will stream on the platform later this year, with no specific date announced at the time of reporting. A new teaser key art was also released. Studio Ponoc founder and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura released the following statement regarding the new agreement in a press release: "Studio Ponoc is thrilled to bring our storytelling and innovative hand-drawn, hand-painted animated films to all audiences, and in particular to children and their families to enjoy together, around the world on Netflix. Netflix’s genuine commitment to supporting animation as a vital and valuable storytelling medium, and to growing high-quality and trailblazing animation, makes Netflix a truly excellent partner." The Imaginary is based on A.F. Harrold's children's novel of the same name,...

Goro Miyazaki's Tales From Earthsea and Earwig And The Witch are considered the worst Studio Ghibli films due to their lack of depth, contrived storytelling, and unlikable characters. Ocean Waves and The Secret World of Arrietty suffer from weak plotlines and underdeveloped characters, despite their visually interesting animation. Whisper of the Heart and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya are standout films not directed by Hayao Miyazaki, showcasing emotional storytelling, stunning animation, and strong character development.

While Hayao Miyazaki might be the biggest name associated with Studio Ghibli, he’s not the only director they’ve ever had. Ever since its founding, Studio Ghibli has produced films featuring a wide variety of directors, and even when Miyazaki isn’t involved, they usually end up staying true to the spirit of what makes Studio Ghibli so great.

Since its founding, Studio Ghibli has produced a total of 14 films not directed by Hayao Miyazaki,...

When Studio Ghibli first announced its plans to build a theme park in 2017, it was clear right away that the approach would be unconventional. If an amusement park is a theme park without the theming, Ghibli Park has now positioned itself as the opposite: a theme park without the cotton-candy amusement of thrill rides. While not without fun for fans of the studio's classic animated movie catalog, this is an eat-your-veggies type of theme park with a website that openly states, "There are no big attractions or rides in Ghibli Park."

Another thing that makes the place unique by theme park standards is that no trees were harmed in the making of Ghibli Park. Forget the state's bellicose governor; to this day, some Florida conservationists still hold a grudge against Walt Disney for turning flyover swamp land into a tourist trap where you can take fake jungle cruises.

It's hard...

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)

The Movie: "Pom Poko"

Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max

The Pitch: A tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog) tribe wages war on human interlopers in Tokyo's suburbs in this Studio Ghibli animated film from the late Isao Takahata.

"Pom Poko" is as much a war movie — with casualties on both sides — as "War for the Planet of the Apes" is, except it passes the Six Laugh Test as a comedy and centers on shapeshifting raccoon dogs with occasional parachute scrotums. If that sounds like a recipe for something special, it is.

The thing I love about "Pom Poko," what keeps it tied with "Spirited Away" as my current favorite Ghibli film, is that it starts out like a quaint oral history,...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Before we highlight this week’s picks, I want to give a special shout-out to our newly-launched Twitter account for Michael Snydel’s podcast Intermission. He’s sharing daily, well-curated streaming recommendations, so be sure to give it a follow!

Burial (Ben Parker)

From Tarantino to Mann to Marvel, mining Word War II for fictional storytelling purposes is nothing new in cinema. The latest to take the leap is Ben Parker’s Burial, a staid action thriller following Russian soldiers who are transporting the corpse of Hitler back to their homeland, per Stalin’s request. While Parker suggests some interesting ideas about conflicted nationalism at the end of a war, and he gets the table-setting right when it comes to mood, Burial...

Studio Ghibli is the most important animation production company in movie history, and I say this with absolutely no hyperbole. The home of living animation legend Hayao Miyazaki and the studio responsible for some of the most brilliant works of animated cinema ever put to screen, Studio Ghibli has consistently broken new ground and completely redefined what stories are possible to tell in animation since its inception in the 1980s. Founded by Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli films have become internationally beloved classics, and have even inspired an upcoming theme park set to open in Japan later this year.

Back in 2020, HBO Max snagged the streaming rights to Studio Ghibli's entire filmography, but Gkids recently announced that the entire Studio Ghibli catalog is now available for digital download-to-rent in the United States and Canada. The films will be available to rent in both English and Japanese languages and this...

Though the title of writer-director Hayao Miyazaki's "Princess Mononoke" makes it sound like a proper name, it's really a nickname and translation preserving the loaded word mononoke from the movie's Japanese title, "Mononoke-hime" (with hime meaning "princess"). Mononoke is an umbrella term that covers a whole plethora of wrathful spirits in Japanese folklore, which makes the title of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's 1997 animated classic more akin to something like "Princess of the Angry Gods."

That's one key thing that might help the viewer "see with eyes unclouded" — like the cursed prince, Ashitaka — and thereby understand the ending of "Princess Mononoke" a little better. In his original project proposal for "Princess Mononoke," Miyazaki hinted at the nature of that ending (which we'll be analyzing here with spoilers), saying, "There cannot be a happy ending to the fight between the raging gods and humans. However, even in the middle of hatred and killings,...

Deal covers 21 films including Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning Spirited Away.

Wild Bunch has acquired all French rights to the entire catalogue of celebrated Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli, including its new animated feature Earwig and the Witch.

Disney has traditionally released Studio Ghibli titles in France, but the licensing deal has recently come to the end of its term. The Wild Bunch deal came into effect on September 2.

The accord includes Gorô Miyazaki’s Earwig And The Witch. The film is the studio’s first feature animation in six years and made it into Cannes’s special 2020 Official Selection in June.

Netflix will be adding 21 feature films from famed Japanese art house Studio Ghibli beginning February 1. Among the titles that will be available outside the U.S., Canada and Japan are My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Arrietty, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea and When Marnie Was There. The deal was made with Studio Ghibli’s distribution partner Wild Bunch International, as part of Netflix’s efforts to grow its animated library.

For the first time ever, this catalogue of Studio Ghibli films will be subtitled in 28 languages, and dubbed in up to 20.

Founded in 1985 by Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli has produced 22 feature-length films. Many of them are legendary including Miyazaki’s Oscar winner Spirited Away. The director was named one of Time Magazine’s most influential people in 2005.

Producer Toshio Suzuki at Studio Ghibli said, “In this day and age, there...

Japanese art house Studio Ghibli has found a home on Netflix.

Starting Feb. 1, 21 films from the Academy Award-winning Studio Ghibli will be available on Netflix through distribution partner Wild Bunch International, the streaming platform announced Sunday.

The deal excludes the U.S., Canada and Japan. HBO Max acquired the U.S. rights to the animated library last year, with the films debuting on the platform in the spring of this year.

Studio Ghibli’s catalogue, which will include Academy Award-winner “Spirited Away,” “Princess Mononoke,” “Arrietty,” “My Neighbor Totoro” and “The Tale of Princess Kaguya,” will be subtitled in 28 languages and dubbed in up to 20 languages.

Also Read: HBO Max Acquires Us Streaming Rights to Japan's Studio Ghibli Films

“In this day and age, there are various great ways a film can reach audiences,” producer Toshio Suzuki at Studio Ghibli said in a statement. “We’ve listened to our fans and...

It took 34 years, but Studio Ghibli is finally embracing the internet era: The celebrated Japanese animation studio’s entire film catalogue, including classics such as “Spirited Away” and “My Neighbor Totoro,” will be available for digital purchase in North America starting December 17.

Indie distributor GKids announced Tuesday that Studio Ghibli’s films would be available in both English and Japanese languages. The suggested retail price is $19.99 per film, and the films will be available on Apple TV, Amazon, and Google Play, among other services.

“The Wind Rises” is the studio’s only film that will not be available for digital purchase this year; that film will be available for digital purchase in the third quarter of 2020.

The studio’s projects are enormously popular: The 18-year-old “Spirited Away” outpaced “Toy Story 4” at the China box office in June when the former opened for the first time in Chinese theaters. “Spirited Away...

GKids will release the entire Studio Ghibli catalog of animated films for digital purchase for the first time in North America on Dec. 17.

The Tokyo-based Studio Ghibli catalog includes best animated film Academy Award winner “Spirited Away” and five other Oscar-nominated titles: “Howl’s Moving Castle,” “The Wind Rises,” “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” “When Marnie Was There” and “The Red Turtle,” which was co-produced with Wild Bunch.

Films will be available to purchase in both English and Japanese languages on all major digital transactional platforms. It’s the first time the Studio Ghibli films will be available for digital purchase anywhere in the world. GKids previously announced an exclusive U.S. streaming deal with HBO Max for the Studio Ghibli library starting in May.

Director and studio co-founder Hayao Miyazaki was given an honorary award at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Awards in 2014, and the...

Studio Ghibli’s entire library of films, including classics such as “Spirited Away,” “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Princess Mononoke,” will be made available for digital download in the U.S. and Canada beginning on Dec. 17, the distributor Gkids announced Monday.

This marks the first time any of the films from the Japanese anime giant will be available on any digital platform. And the news also comes months before the Studio Ghibli films are meant to stream exclusively in the U.S. on HBO Max beginning in May 2020.

The films, 21 in all dating back 30 years to 1984, will only be available as digital download-to-own, with each film retailing for $19.99. The films will not be available for rental at this time, but Gkids says the movies will be available for purchase on all major digital platforms, including Apple TV, Amazon VOD, Vudu, Google Play, Sony, Microsoft and Fandango Now. Further, both the original...

Titles include Oscar winner Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya.

In an unprecedented move, Gkids has said it will make the entire catalogue of Studio Ghibli Japanese animation, including Oscar winner Spirited Away, The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There, available for digital download-to-own in North America.

From December 17, consumers will be able to purchase the inventory on all major digital transactional platforms, marking the first time the films have been made available via digital transaction anywhere in the world.

Titles, which will be available in both English and Japanese, include Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away,...

Titles include Oscar winner Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya.

In an unprecedented move, Gkids has said it will make the entire catalogue of Studio Ghibli Japanese animation, including Oscar winner Spirited Away, The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There, available for digital download-to-own in North America.

From December 17, consumers will be able to purchase the inventory on all major digital transactional platforms, marking the first time the films have been made available via digital transaction anywhere in the world.

Titles, which will be available in both English and Japanese, include Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away,...

A lot of Studio Ghibli fans have been wondering when and where the wonderful anime films from the studio would end up streaming. Well, it’s been officially announced that those movies will be available to stream on WarnerMedia’s HBO Max when it launches in the spring of 2020.

HBO Max will be the Us streaming home to the entire Studio Ghibli film library, one of the world’s most coveted and revered animation catalogues. The landmark deal with North American distributor Gkids for the twenty-one Studio Ghibli feature films marks the first time these beloved films have been licensed to a streaming platform.

The films that will be available at the launch of the service will include Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Ponyo, Castle in the Sky, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya and more.

Kevin Reilly, Chief Content...

Iconic Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli has signed a landmark deal to bring 21 movies exclusively to HBO Max. The upcoming streaming platform from WarnerMedia is launching in April 2020. The deal marks the first time Studio Ghibli movies have ever been licensed to a streaming platform.

At the time of HBO Max’s launch, such Studio Ghibli titles as Oscar winner “Spirited Away,” “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Princess Mononoke,” “Howl’s Moving Castle,” “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” and “The Tale of The Princess Kaguya” will be available to stream, among others. Additional films such as Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Wind Rises” will debut on HBO Max in fall 2020.

“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 in a statement. “As a premium content brand, HBO Max is an ideal home for our films.

HBO Max has taken the U.S. streaming rights to Japan’s Oscar-winning animation house, Studio Ghibli, which reps the first time the latter’s content has been licensed to a streamer.

The deal with North American distributor Gkids includes 21 Studio Ghibli movies: Castle in the Sky, The Cat Returns, 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 (which is launching in the fall of 2020. Most of these titles will be available when HBO Max launches.

“Studio Ghibli films are visually breathtaking, completely immersive experiences” said Kevin Reilly, Chief Content Officer, HBO Max and President,...

The anime film community has lost one of its most prominent members with the passing of Isao Takahata, the Oscar-nominated anime pioneer who co-founded Studio Ghibli with Hayao Miyazaki in June of 1985. As a writer, director, and producer of several timeless animated films, Takahata is known mostly for his work on such films as Grave Of The Fireflies, Pom Poko, Only Yesterday, and The Tale Of... Read More...

Takahata’s credits included Grave Of The Fireflies.

Japanese filmmaker Isao Takahata, who co-founded Studio Ghibli with Hayao Miyazaki in 1985, has died aged 82.

Takahata directed animated classics such as Grave Of The Fireflies, Only Yesterday and Pom Poko. His most recent film as director was The Tale Of Princess Kaguya, which was nominated for best animated feature at the Academy Awards in 2015.

Born in 1935 in Mie Prefecture, Takahata started his career in 1959 and worked on both animated features and TV series as a screenwriter, director and producer.

While Miyazaki is best known for pure fantasies, Takahata focused on realistic dramas,...

Isao Takahata, a highly influential Japanese animator and filmmaker, and a co-founder of Studio Ghibli alongside longtime collaborator Hayao Miyazaki, died Thursday after a brief hospitalization. He was 82.

Takahata died following a battle with lung cancer, according to a statement Studio Ghibli provided to TheWrap.

Takahata directed the animated wartime drama “Grave of the Fireflies,” “Pom Poko,” “My Neighbors the Yamadas” and was nominated for an Oscar for his film “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.”...

Isao Takahata, renowned Japanese director, screenwriter, animator, producer and co-founder of Studio Ghibli, died on Thursday, due to lung cancer, according to Yahoo! Japan. He was 82.

After directing and doing the storyboards for a number of episodes in TV anime series like “Future Boy Conan” and “Anne of Green Gables”, he accepted Hayao Miyazaki’s invitation to join Studio Ghibli. The first movie directed by Takahata for Ghibli was “Grave of the Fireflies” in 1988, while in 1989, Takahata went on to do the music direction for to “Kiki’s Delivery Service”. His next projects for Ghibli include “Only yesterday” (1991), “Pom Poko” (1994), “My Neighbors the Yamadas” (1999), and “Winter Days” (2003). His last directorial work was “The Tale of Princess Kaguya in 2013, while he also served as artistic producer in Michael Dudok de Wit’s “The Red Turtle“.

On November 4, 2007, Takahata was awarded the Special Award at the Kobe Animation Awards, while he received...

Isao Takahata, the Oscar-nominated anime visionary who co-founded Studio Ghibli with Hayao Miyazaki and wrote, directed and/or produced many acclaimed films, died today in Japan. He was 82. Local media reports cite sources saying he died in a Tokyo hospital after a long illness.

Takahata began his animation career in 1959 at the Toei Animation Company, where he met eventual Oscar-winner Miyazaki. Described by many as both friends and rivals, they founded production company Studio Ghibli in 1985. Among its early classics was Grave of the Fireflies (1988, right), which Takahata also wrote and directed. He would go on to produce such acclaimed anime films as Only Yesterday (1991) and Pom Poko (1994), and his final film as writer-director — 2013’s The Tale of Princess Kaguya — earned him an Oscar nom for Best Animated Feature. It also screened in the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.

Takahata also produced the popular anime TV series Heidi,...

Isao Takahata, co-founder of Japan’s Studio Ghibli, and acclaimed animation director, died on Thursday in a Tokyo hospital. He was 82.

According to local media, Takahata had been in declining health since last summer. A Studio Ghibli statement said he died of lung cancer.

Takahata joined Toei Animation after college and made his feature directing debut with the 1968 “Horus: Prince of the Sun.” In 1971 Takahata, together with Hayao Miyazaki and Yoichi Kotabe, left Toei for Shin-Ei Animation studio. His best-remembered TV work was “Heidi, Girl of the Alps,” that he directed for Nippon Animation.

In 1985, together with Miyazaki and producer Toshio Suzuki, Takahata launched Studio Ghibli. His “Grave of the Fireflies,” was released together with Miyazaki’s “My Neighbor Totoro” in 1988. The two films did modest business, but later grew in esteem as classics of the animated form.

Takahata enjoyed greater success with “Pom Poko,” a 1994 fantasy-adventure that was chosen...

Isao Takahata, who co-founded Studio Ghibli with Hayao Miyazaki in 1985, has died at 82, according to Yahoo! Japan. Takahata was a revered director in his own right, helming such animated classics as “Grave of the Fireflies,” “Only Yesterday,” and “Pom Poko”; he most recently directed “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” which received near-universal praise an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.

Takahata’s career dates back to the early 1960s, when he worked in both the film and television industries in his native Japan. In addition to directing, he also worked as an animator, screenwriter, and producer, with his final credit coming on Michaël Dudok de Wit’s acclaimed “The Red Turtle.” Among his many other accolades, Takahata received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Locarno Film Festival in 2009.

“Grave of the Fireflies” remains his best-known and most respected work, often appearing high on the list of the greatest...

An animated drama about loss and resilience in the shadow of the bomb, In This Corner Of The World is a quietly devastating must-see...

"First, toast and brown some rice. Add triple the amount of water and gently simmer... add miso and violets to yesterday's sardine stew. Reheat rice on the stove." So goes Suzu's recipe for a special kind of wartime rice, designed to make the most of a dwindling supply of ingredients. It's just one of many loving references to food and cooking in director Sunao Katabuchi's animated period drama, In This Corner Of The World. It may be a simple meal, but if you're watching the film on an empty stomach, it's the kind of thing that'll leave you profoundly hungry - at least, until the story takes a gut-wrenching turn.

This is far from the first animated film to take place either during or in...

It might be Studio Ghibli’s last film so with the release of When Marnie Was There, here’s the ultimate test. How many of their classics can you recognise?

Spirited Away

Princess Mononoke

The Cat Returns

Ponyo

My Neighbour Totoro

Only Yesterday

The Wind Rises

Pom Poko

Porco Rosso

Grave of the Fireflies

Tales from Earthsea

The Secret World of Arriety

My Neighbours the Yamadas

The Wind Rises

Kiki's Delivery Service

Princess Mononoke

Howl's Moving Castle

Castle in the Sky

Spirited Away

Only Yesterday

From Up on Poppy Hill

The Cat Returns

Ponyo

The Secret World of Arriety

My Neighbours the Yamadas

Pom Poko

Porco Rosso

Tales From Earthsea

My Neighbour Totoro

From Up On Poppy Hill

The Wind Rises

Whisper of the Heart

Castle in the Sky

Whisper of the Heart

Ponyo

Princess Mononoke

Pom Poko

Grave of the Fireflies

Only Yesterday

Kiki's Delivery Service

7 and above.

Lovely Ghibli!

Since any New York cinephile has a nearly suffocating wealth of theatrical options, we figured it’d be best to compile some of the more worthwhile repertory showings into one handy list. Displayed below are a few of the city’s most reliable theaters and links to screenings of their weekend offerings — films you’re not likely to see in a theater again anytime soon, and many of which are, also, on 35mm. If you have a chance to attend any of these, we’re of the mind that it’s time extremely well-spent.

Anthology Film Archive

Make it a Jean Cocteau weekend: The Blood of a Poet and Orpheus screen on Friday, the former also showing on Saturday and the latter on Sunday. Beauty and the Beast also shows on those days.

A Jia Zhangke retrospective comes to an end. If you’ve not yet seen Mountains May Depart,...

“They used their balls as weapons in a brave kamikaze attack.”

Pom Poko screens Wednesday, April 6th at Schlafly Bottleworks Restaurant and Bar (7260 Southwest Ave.- at Manchester – Maplewood, Mo 63143) as part of Webster University’s Award-Winning Strange Brew Film Series.

Strange Brew just keeps getting stranger!

As the human city development encroaches on the raccoon population’s forest and meadow habitat, the raccoons find themselves faced with the very real possibility of extinction. In response, the raccoons engage in a desperate struggle to stop the construction and preserve their home. That’s the plot of the 1994 Studio Ghibli feature Pom Poko, a cartoon with a very strong message about conservation…with testicles. The protagonists of Pom Poko are actually not raccoons, but a type of raccoon dog known as tanuki, a unique species of canine native to east Asia. This is but one of the details about the film...

“When Marnie Was There,” the second animated feature from director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (“The Secret World of Arrietty”) feels very much of a piece with other films from Studio Ghibli, from its lush portrayal of the natural world (“My Neighbor Totoro,” “Pom Poko”) to its complex female protagonist (“Spirited Away,” “Princess Mononoke”). It also, unfortunately, ranks among Ghibli’s lesser screenplays, comparable most notably to Hayao Miyazaki‘s “Howl’s Moving Castle,” a gorgeous film that nonetheless falls apart narratively. Both “Marnie” and “Howl’s” are based on British novels — although, to be fair, so was “Arrietty” — which might suggest that the filmmakers.

Through his films Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and more, Hayao Miyazaki has constantly placed humanity at odds with nature, sometimes making us an outright antagonist and other times placing us at its mercy. It’s a theme common to his work, and none exemplify the message quite as literally as Pom Poko, which he created the story for but didn’t direct or write. Instead, the directorial and screenwriting duties went to Isao Takahata who took Miyazaki’s theme and ran with it to tell the story of a clan of tanukis (also known as Japanese raccoon dogs – not actual raccoons despite what the English dub would have you believe) who wage a fantastical war against the humans seeking to turn their beloved Tama Hills forest into a housing development. Though Pom Poko bursts with humor and the fantastical elements that Miyazaki loves, the pacing of its story stops and starts,...

February might be a slow month at the movies, but there is still some great stuff headed into homes, thanks to Blu-rays and DVDs. Among these is the long-anticipated Game of Thrones Season 4 release, which will be available to fans later this month ahead of HBO's Season 5 premiere in April. If you want to know when your favorite movies are headed onto Blu-ray and DVD, as well as streaming services, this list is one to peruse. Unless otherwise indicated in the "early release" section, Digital releases are the same day as the Blu-ray and DVD release. Check back each week for new reviews! February 3 February 3 Blu-ray And DVD Releases John Wick Dracula Untold Ouija Porco Rosso Blu-ray Pom Poko Blu-ray Tales From Earthsea Blu-ray The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby Dear White People Blu-ray Exists DVD Hector and the Search for Happiness DVD February 3 Early Digital Releases Big Hero 6 Dumber...

Studio Ghibli has released a new full U.S. trailer for their upcoming animated feature The Tale of Princess Kaguya. The movie is based on the Japanese folk tale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, which is a fantastic story in which an older couple find a tiny child inside a special bamboo stalk. She grows up to become extremely beautiful, and attracts all kinds of suitors. The animation is absolutely stunning, and it's a style that only Studio Ghibli could get away with doing these days.

The film was directed by Isao Takahata, and it stars the voices of Chloe Grace Moretz, Mary Steenburgen, James Caan, Darren Criss, Lucy Liu, Beau Bridges, Daniel Dae Kim, James Marsden, Oliver Platt, John Cho, George Segal, and Dean Cain. Here's the synopsis:

Legendary Studio Ghibli cofounder Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies, Pom Poko) revisits Japan’s most famous folktale in this gorgeous,...

I'm not really the biggest fan of dubbed films, even animated films dubbed into English never feel right. So, to watch Studio Ghibli's The Tale of the Princess Kaguya in English seems as if something will be lost in the translation, not necessarily the meaning and certainly not the story, but the mood and tone can get disrupted. Yes, in the case of Kaguya a cast that includes the voices of Chloe Grace Moretz, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Lucy Liu, Beau Bridges, Daniel Dae Kim, James Marsden, Oliver Platt, John Cho, George Segal, Dean Cain and Darren Criss has been assembled so it isn't as if director Isao Takahata's (Grave of the Fireflies) film is getting a second-rate treatment, but it nevertheless seems "wrong" to me. That said, here is the official domestic trailer for the upcoming release of the film that just won the Fantastic Fest Audience Award.

Studio Ghibli has released an English language trailer for The Tale of Princess Kaguya.

Chloë Grace Moretz voices the title character in Isao Takahata's adaptation of the Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.

James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Darren Criss, Lucy Liu, Beau Bridges, Daniel Dae Kim, James Marsden, Oliver Platt, John Cho, George Segal and Dean Cain also lend their voices to the animation.

It tells the story of a girl found inside a stalk of bamboo, who is taken in by an old bamboo cutter and his wife.

As she grows, Kaguya-hime is forced to decide between five suitors and to learn the truth about her origins.

Takahata previously directed Pom Poko and Grave of the Fireflies. This is his first solo directing project since 1999.

The Tale Of Princess Kaguya will arrive in Us cinemas on October 17. A UK release date is yet to be announced.

This upcoming first half of September, the Toronto International Film Festival 2014 will happen again. And one of the many treats there will be The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, the Studio Ghibli film by founder Takahata Isao. As Cameron Bailey describes in his write-up on the Tiff webpage: Isao Takahata is a co-founder of Japan's legendary Studio Ghibli, maker of timeless animation classics. Although he is not as widely known in the West as Hayao Miyazaki, Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday, and Pom Poko represent the best of what animated features can do: invite us into a world where anything is possible. His new film, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, revisits a familiar Studio Ghibli theme, telling the story of a...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

The first English trailer for Studio Ghibli's latest feature, The Tale Of Princess Kaguya has arrived. Feast your eyes within...

The future of Japan's premier animation house Studio Ghibli seems to be uncertain of late, at least if recent rumours are anything to go by. But there are still a couple of films for us to look out for in the west: last month saw the Japanese release of When Marnie Was There - Hiromasa Yonebayashi's supernatural drama - a feature which probably won't reach us until next year.

Before that, there's The Tale Of Princess Kaguya. Directed by Isao Takahata (Grave Of The Fireflies, Pom Poko), it's an adaptation of an ancient Japanese folk tale, rendered in a shimmering style akin to a living watercolour. Originally intended to be released as a double-bill with Hayao Miyazaki's swansong, The Wind Rises - just as Grave Of The Fireflies...

Studio Ghibli has released a Us teaser trailer for The Tale of Princess Kaguya.

The striking animated film is the latest project from Grave of the Fireflies and Pom Poko director Isao Takahata.

The English-language dub of the film features the voices of Chloë Grace Moretz, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Darren Criss, Lucy Liu, Beau Bridges and James Marsden.

It is based on the Japanese folk story The Tale Of The Bamboo Cutter.

It tells the story of a girl found inside a stalk of bamboo, who is taken in by an old bamboo cutter and his wife.

As she grows, Kaguya-hime is forced to decide between five suitors and to learn the truth about her origins.

The Tale Of Princess Kaguya will arrive in Us cinemas on October 17. A UK release date is yet to be announced.

Studio Ghibli has released the first U.S. trailer for their upcoming new animated feature The Tale of Princess Kaguya. This animation style looks very different and unique from anything that we've seen from the studio before, and it's absolutely stunning! Just watch the trailer and experience it for yourself.

Legendary Studio Ghibli cofounder Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies, Pom Poko) revisits Japan’s most famous folktale in this gorgeous, hand-drawn masterwork, decades in the making. Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter (James Caan) and his wife (Mary Steenburgen), a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady (Chloë Grace Moretz). The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her – but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime.

From the studio that brought you Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and The Wind Rises comes a powerful and sweeping...

We recently reported that Studio Ghibli may be very close to shutting its doors, but they may yet be closing on a brilliant high note. Coming to America October 17 is The Tale of Princess Kaguya, the latest film by Ghibli’s other resident master, Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies, Pom Poko). The film is the story of a tiny princess found in a bamboo stalk, and already the film looks remarkably distinctive in a scrappy, rough, hand-drawn animated style that looks unique even for Ghibli. While the film was already released in Japan last year, GKids will release the American version starring James Caan, Mary Steenburgen and Chloe Moretz. Watch the dialogue free American teaser trailer via Slashfilm below:

The post Watch the teaser for Studio Ghibli film ‘The Princess of Kaguya’ appeared first on Sound On Sight.

The domestic trailer for Studio Ghibli's newest film The Tale of the Princess Kaguya has been released as GKids will be handling U.S. distribution with an October 17 release date already set. Directed by Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies) the English-language version features the voice work of Chloe Moretz, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Darren Criss, Lucy Liu, Beau Bridges, James Marsden, Oliver Platt and Dean Cain. Just below is the trailer (via Slashfilm) along with the official synopsis. sb id="977183" height="360" width="640" Legendary Studio Ghibli cofounder Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies, Pom Poko) revisits Japan's most famous folktale in this gorgeous, hand-drawn masterwork, decades in the making. Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter (James Caan) and his wife (Mary Steenburgen), a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady (Chloe Grace Moretz). The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter...