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Studio Ghibli Films Get New UK Streaming and Theater Deal With GKids

Kiki's Delivery Service will kick off the new partnership with an IMAX theatrical release on August 21.

English vector logo of a Japanese animated fantasy film Spirited Away.
English vector logo of a Japanese animated fantas…      Studio Ghibli Spirited Away    Disney, Studio Ghibli / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
By Free News Press Editorial Team
Published July 6, 2026 at 1:17 PM PDT

Every film in Studio Ghibli's catalog now has a new home in the United Kingdom and Ireland. GKids has acquired the theatrical, home video, TV, and digital rights to the studio's 23-film library, covering the full range of titles from the Japanese animation studio founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, Isao Takahata, and Yasuyoshi Tokuma.

According to Collider, the deal gives UK and Irish audiences access to the complete Ghibli catalog both at home and in theaters. To mark the new arrangement, GKids is launching an IMAX theatrical release of Kiki's Delivery Service on August 21, to be followed by The Secret World of Arrietty and Whisper of the Heart.

GKids also confirmed a physical re-release of the entire Studio Ghibli library, including Spirited Away, The Boy and the Heron, Ponyo, Howl's Moving Castle, and My Neighbor Totoro. Starting in the fall of 2026, the company plans to roll out further titles from the new Studio Ghibli 4K Remaster series in IMAX and on physical media.

GKids President David Jesteadt addressed UK and Irish fans directly in a statement, promising careful stewardship of the catalog. "We promise UK and Irish fans that we will take loving care of the Ghibli catalog, beginning with the IMAX release of Kiki's Delivery Service this summer, and expand from there across all home video and digital platforms. Our deep thanks to our longtime friends at Goodfellas for entrusting us with these masterpieces and to everyone at Studio Ghibli for their continued trust and support," he said.

Studio Ghibli has released over 20 feature films since its founding and is known internationally for award-winning titles including Spirited Away, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and the more recent The Boy and the Heron. U.S. viewers already have access to the Ghibli library through existing streaming arrangements, while the new GKids deal specifically addresses the UK and Ireland markets.

Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (Spirited Away) title, from Japanese DVD disc.
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (Spirited Away) tit…      Studio Ghibli Spirited Away    Studio Ghibli / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)