Its been only about 3 days since Polygon revealed a statement from Studio Ghibli distributor "Gkids" who explained that that Ghibli films would not be available on streaming platforms.
Earlier here on RA:N the news from Polygon was reported, and the news has also gotten around the net since the original article, appearing on a list of blogs and news websites.
Gkids stated:
"Studio Ghibli does not make their films available digitally, whether for download or streaming, anywhere in the world… They continue to believe that presentation is vital and particularly appreciate opportunities for audiences to experience the films together in a theatrical setting."
This news from Gkids greatly reflected the views and practices of the studio's founder, Hayao Miyazaki, who is widely known for his passion in maintaining older values and protecting his intellectual properties in the ways a protective grandfather would feel toward grandkids who persist in making the jump toward modern methods.
Some articles around the net discussing Ghibi's choice to not delve into the wide world of streaming also have given some insight into Ghibli's stance on protecting the 'cinematic experience'.
There's been mixed feelings across the interwebs through the week since the initial story appeared a few days ago. Some commenters around the net feel its time Ghibli join the modern day and make their work more accessible to modern viewers.
Ghibli has a history of its films being less accessible even in the physical format, but recent promotions and blu-ray releases have alleviated this somewhat. Others have felt thankful that Ghibli is holding onto a more traditional mindset, forcing those who view its artistic and critically acclaimed experiences into sitting down in front of a screen that isn't on a phone or tablet, and putting in a disc or picking a chair at a theater as a part of the process of viewing Ghibli films.
But despite all of this hubub over Gkids' statement and conversations about whether Ghibli should or shouldn't allow their films to be streamed, news was released just today by HBO confirming that a deal was scored between Ghibli and HBO to begin streaming Ghibli films on the coming HBO MAX service which begins in 2020.
Polygon has since posted about the news here.
This is quite the turn of events as in less than a week we've gone from assuming we'd never be able to stream Totoro to looking forward to streaming all of these films below, which is the full list of films that have been annonced to be available next year on HBO MAX:
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
The Wind Rises
That's just it though. HBO MAX. A service that isn't out yet and only has had few details revealed. No pricing information has been revealed yet either. This means that Studio Ghibli has still chosen to avoid other streaming platforms, but maybe streaming on HBO MAX is a start?
What do you think about Ghibli films continuing to skip other streaming services and appearing on a new subscription service, one that no one even has yet?
Let us know!
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