Gkids has acquired UK and Irish distribution rights to Studio Ghibli’s 23-title film library, adding theatrical, home video, TV and digital rights across the territory to its slate.
Releases will begin with the IMAX release of Kiki’s Delivery Service in the UK and Ireland on August 21st. Ghibli’s catalog includes the Oscar-winning films Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron, the Oscar-nominated films Howl’s Moving Castle, The Princess Kaguya, The Wind Rises, When Marnie Was There, and Princess Mononoke and Marnie. Totoro,” “Ponyo,” and “Laputa: Castle in the Sky.” Most films have had limited release in the region over the past few years.
Additional Imax releases are already lined up, including “The Secret World of Arrietty” (released in the UK as “Arrietty”) and “Whisper of the Heart.” Gkids is also planning more Imax releases of new 4K Ghibli remasters starting in fall 2026, alongside re-releasing the complete library across home video platforms.
In the UK and Ireland, Gkids will partner with Anime Limited, a Glasgow-based distribution company recently acquired by Gkids’ parent company, Toho Global. The two companies have previously collaborated on works such as “Arcane,” “Perfect Blue,” and “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” and will also be jointly responsible for Toho’s upcoming “Godzilla Minus Zero.”
The deal was negotiated by Eric Beckman of Gkids and Vincent Maraval of Goodfellas. Goodfellas serves as the worldwide distributor for Studio Ghibli outside of many territories, including the United States, Canada, and Japan. Gkids has long been responsible for Ghibli’s distribution in North America across theatrical, home video, digital and streaming. Goodfellas retains streaming rights in the UK and Ireland, which have been licensed to Netflix.
“Gkids is delighted to have the opportunity to extend our relationship with Studio Ghibli to the UK and Ireland and reintroduce these unique films to audiences new and old,” said David Jested, President of Gkids.
“We are very pleased to be working with Gkids to bring the famous Studio Ghibli library to audiences in the UK and Ireland,” added Goodfellas Managing Director Vincent Maraval.
Studio Ghibli was founded by directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and producer Toshio Suzuki, and has twice won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for “Spirited Away” and “The Boy and the Heron.” The studio, along with the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka and Ghibli Park, was awarded the Honorary Palme d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
The Imax rollout comes as Kiki’s Delivery Service expands beyond the movies. BBC Studios Kids & Family, British company Wheels in Motion and Kadokawa Ltd. are developing a live-action television series based on Eiko Kadono’s original novel, marking the property’s first live-action small-screen adaptation.
