Disney+ has added famous Japanese anime movies, including “Your Name.” As Disney+ and Hulu’s fourth annual Animayhem campaign kicks off this summer with new anime titles, the companies have revealed that they have released Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence to libraries in the UK and France through a licensing agreement with Anime Limited.
This collection includes works by directors Makoto Shinkai (Your Name, Weathering With You), Mamoru Hosoda (Future Future, Bell, Wolf Children, Summer Wars, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time), Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence), Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue), and more. Naoko Yamada’s A Silent Voice and Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira will only be available in the UK and Ireland, while the remaining films will be available in both the UK and France. Several titles will make their streaming debuts in both regions, including “Belle,” “Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence,” “Mirai” and “Weathering with You.” Premiere dates for individual films will be announced at a later date.
“Animation is a powerful force in global storytelling, with key markets such as the UK and France where fan communities continue to grow,” said Lauren Tempest, Head of DTC, Content Planning and Partnerships, The Walt Disney Company. “We are committed to meeting viewers where they are and making Disney+ the home of beloved animated storytelling, bringing culture, community and must-see stories to one destination.”
Disney+ “Anime fans have a few movies they always love to come back to and share, and this collection brings together many of those favorites. It’s easy to see why they’re so beloved,” said Karl Holmes, General Manager, EMEA. Created by animation’s greatest storytellers, these films have inspired fans for years with their unforgettable characters and extraordinary worlds, and we can’t wait for our customers in the UK and France to discover them on Disney+.”
Kelly Cassim, co-managing director of Anime Limited, said: “Having just finished the Annecy Film Festival, anime remains one of the most appealing storytelling mediums for audiences today. We’re thrilled to make Disney+ home to such strong story-driven features from the brightest areas of animation. Fans in France, the UK and Ireland are looking forward to it.”
The deal comes as Disney+ and Hulu roll out the fourth year of its Animayhem campaign this summer, spotlighting adult anime and anime on both platforms. English-dubbed episodes of the Hulu original series “Undead Unluck: Winter Ark” (July 2nd) and “Mission: Yozakura Family” Season 2 (July 15th) will be added, as well as the first releases of “Mushoku Tensei” Season 3 (July 5th), “Incompetent Villainess” (July 12th), and “BLEACH: The Calamity”. (July 25th). Subscribers can also stream franchises like Attack on Titan, Naruto Shippuden, and My Hero Academia through the platform’s Anime Animayhem Hub.
At Anime Expo, Disney+ and Hulu will host Anime Hem Yokocho, an immersive walkthrough inspired by Tokyo’s alley culture, spotlighting titles such as Naruto Classic, Tokyo Revengers, Bleach: The Millennium, Rooster Fighter, Mission: Yozakura, Undead Unluck: Winter Ark, and more. The convention will also include previews of the first episodes of Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi and Bleach: The Calamity.
Globally, Disney+ and Hulu carry more than 500 anime titles and more than 16,000 episodes and movies, with Naruto Shippuden, My Hero Academia, and Bleach ranking as the most streamed anime titles on the platform to date.
