Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki’s acclaimed film animation studio, is working on two new movies in 2020.
Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki’s acclaimed film animation studio, is working on two new movies in 2020.
i-D reports that one of the films, titled Kimi-tachi wa Dō Ikiru Ka? (How Do You Live?), will be Miyaaki’s first theatrical project since he announced his return from retirement in 2017. The coming-of-age fantasy adventure was set for a pre-Tokyo Olympics release date, but Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki has posited that the movie will likely come out between 2021 and 2022 instead.
While there aren’t any concrete details surrounding How Do You Live? or the second, as-yet untitled film, Ghibli has plans to release a plethora of its fan-favorite movies on HBO Max. This comes as a surprise, because Ghibli’s American distributor, GKids, issued anti-streaming statements in the past.
“Studio Ghibli does not make their films available digitally, whether for download or streaming, anywhere in the world,” a GKids spokesperson told Polygon last year. “They continue to believe that presentation is vital and particularly appreciate opportunities for audiences to experience the films together in a theatrical setting.”
When HBO Max is available for download in May, viewers will have access to 21 Ghibli films, including Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle and the Oscar-winning Spirited Away.