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Recently, the world lost Japanese actor Shigeru Tsuyuguchi, who provided the voice of the Baron from Studio Ghibli's coming-of-age classic, Whisper of the Heart (1995). Bereaved by his passing, fellow Whisper of the Heart voice actor Yoko Honna released a loving farewell message to her late co-star.

In Whisper of the Heart, Honna stars as Shizuku Tsukishima, a 13-year-old aspiring writer who based her first novel on Tsuyuguchi's character -- a handsome cat statue that she discovers in an old antique shop. One day after Tsuyuguchi's death was reported, Honna honored his memory and the positive influence he had on her as a performer via her personal X (formerly Twitter) account.

Over the past few decades, fans have witnessed the emergence of a diverse range of fantasy productions, both on small and large screens. Some have performed well critically and commercially, while others haven’t been as fortunate. A few have also stood the test of time, influencing popular culture and spawning reboots, while also maintaining their significance in film and TV history. One such creation is a 2001 animated fantasy that instantly blew viewers' minds upon its release, which has finally become easier for fans in the U.S. to watch.

Still regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, Spirited Awaywas released in Japan on July 20, 2001, but it...

As the weather starts to cool off and the cozy season approaches, HBO Max is doubling down on its role as the premier streaming home for Japanese animation. Already the exclusive U.S. platform for the world-renowned Studio Ghibli library, HBO Max is expanding its acclaimed collection through an extended partnership with distributor Gkids. Beginning September 1, subscribers will have even more award-winning films at their fingertips, just in time for fall movie nights under a blanket.

New Arrivals Strengthen HBO Max’s Ghibli and Gkids Slate

The expansion brings several long-awaited debuts to streaming. Children Who Chase Lost Voices, Fireworks, The Place Promised in Our Early Days, and Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko...

Throughout his career, Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki has created anime films with independent, forward-thinking female protagonists, many of whom are viewed as idyllic role models for young women. According to Toshio Suzuki, who has served as Ghibli's main film producer since its founding, Miyazaki's admiration for women stems from his relationship with his mother.

Per The Observer, Suzuki recently sat down to an interview in the UK to discuss his decades-long partnership with Miyazaki, who is known primarily for works such as My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984), PrincessMononoke (1997) and Spirited Away (2001). Prior to Ghibli's opening, Suzuki also worked alongside Miyazaki on...

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle trilogy’s first movie is out, and early reviews suggest that Studio Ufotable has gone above and beyond anything they have ever attempted before. Even their work on the Demon Slayer anime and the Mugen Train movie has been overtaken by the latest production.

By the looks of it, the studio has even brought in outside staff to make sure that the movie is one of the remarkable ones that fans have come across. It was recently revealed that Shinya Ohira, a famous animator and director, worked on one of the fight sequences in Infinity Castle.

Demon Slayer Film’s Animator Partook in Ghibli Oscar Winners

Shinya Ohira has been a part of several iconic anime movies over his decades-long career. He worked on the iconic movie, Akira, in which he drew parts of the elevator scene as well as the famous explosion scene. His style...

Studio Ghibli’s prestigious reputation consists of truths and exaggerations. The company has spent 40 years as a world leader in quality animation while independently funding projects based on prior successes — until their sale to Nippon TV in 2023.

Behind every great library of art is a machine that needs to sell it, and Ghibli, which turns 40 this June, is no different. As much as we laud the altruistic, ethical enterprise established by Toshio Suzuki, Isao Takahata, and Hayao Miyazaki, Ghibli can be just as cynical as its Western counterparts.

Ghibli’s branding as an ethical animation studio isn’t unfounded. Rayna Denison, author of “Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History,” has admired the thoughtful way Suzuki, Takahata, and Miyazaki constructed the studio.

“They put deep thought into what they wanted to do with their studio before they founded it,” Denison told IndieWire. “You get early interviews with Miyazaki saying things like, ‘If...

A rare piece of Studio Ghibli artwork by Neon Genesis Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno has been rediscovered and will soon make its public debut.

Per Oricon, the image is an original layout of the heavy cruiser Maya, intended for Studio Ghibli's landmark anime movie Grave of the Fireflies,which Anno worked on as a key animator ahead of its 1988 premiere. The artwork will be exhibited at the Takahata Isao Exhibition: The Man Who Planted Japanese Animation, which opens June 27 at Azabudai Hills Gallery and runs through Sept. 15. Anno's Maya layout will be presented alongside a harmony cel based on the sketch, which features a painterly technique "for greater realism, resembling fine art."

Rare Studio Ghibli Artwork Rediscovered for Grave of the Fireflies Image via Akiyuki Nosaka / Shinchosha / Isao Takahata / Studio Ghibli

When Anno's long-lost Studio Ghibli artwork makes its exhibition debut, it will be a part of a larger gallery...

Revival screenings of anime movie Anne of Green Gables: Road to Green Gables , written and directed by Isao Takahata, will be held at 66 movie theaters in Japan for a limited time of two weeks starting May 30, 2025. The 100-minute film is a compilation of the first six episodes of the 50-episode TV anime adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic novel Anne of Green Gables . The main staff included legends in the history of Japanese animation, such as Isao Takahata (director), Hayao Miyazaki (scene setting and layout), Yoshifumi Kondo (animation director), and Masahiro Ioka (art director). This theatrical version was not officially released when it was re-edited in 1989 under the supervision of Takahata himself, but was released theatrically in July 2010 , 20 years later. These screenings are part of a revival screening project sponsored by Filmarks to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Nippon Animation, the company that produced the original TV anime. This...

In 1988, Studio Ghibli released Grave of the Fireflies -- a heartbreaking war film set during WWII in Japan. Recently, Studio Ghibli president and producer Toshio Suzuki recounted when his team showcased the movie to one of Japan's foremost critics, a moment he now looks back on as one of the "happiest" times of his life.

Per Oricon and PR Times, Studio Ghibli recently unveiled two special teaser visuals for an event titled "Takahata Isao Exhibition: The Man Who Planted Japanese Animation." Starting June 27, this exhibition will commemorate Isao Takahata's prolific animation career, which produced renowned works like Anne of Green Gables (1979), Only Yesterday (1991), Pom Poko (1994), The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013) and many others. In addition to Heidi from Heidi, Girl of the Alps (1974), one of the teasers depicts a heartwarming visual of Setsuko and Seita, the young protagonists of Grave of the Fireflies. While addressing the upcoming exhibition,...

An exciting new image from Star Wars: VisionsSeason 3 has debuted online as part of the Annecy Festival, offering a first look at the next volume of the animated anthology series on Disney+. The latest innovative take on the galaxy far, far away promises plenty of color, chaos, and combat as a snapshot (seen below) from an upcoming episode, titled "Black," teases a "psychedelic" stormtrooper battle that makes it look like the white-clad soldiers have swapped their blasters for paintball guns as the fight scene includes splashes of oranges, yellows, and blues, creating a very vibrant picture of an otherwise seemingly dark event.

The synopsis for the 13-minute episode promises to disrupt the galaxy with "a psychedelic battle between past and present, light and dark, life and death," which "rages in the tormented psyche of an Imperial soldier near defeat." The description certainly aligns with the first-look image, but the...

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 all the way until his death in 2013. He was so well known for his work that in 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. Ebert had many followers who adored his film reviews and hung on his word like gospel. Even now, his reviews are seen as highly accurate and very insightful. Although anime films weren't his primary selection for watching, he did write some words on different anime works. In an article about Japanese anime movies, Roger Ebert claims,

"To watch these titles is to understand that animation is not an art form limited to cute little animals and dancing teacups. It releases the imagination so fully that it can enhance any story, and it can show sights that cannot possibly exist in the real world.

Ebert wrote an article for his blog, rogerebert.com, titled "Japanese...

The entire Studio Ghibli collection is available to watch on Max

Studio Ghibli is a goldmine of family-friendly anime films that are both timeless and perfectly safe for young children to enjoy. With exciting and fantastical productions like My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and The Secret World of Arrietty—all films with magic-rich plots focused on children—the options for a family movie night are near limitless.

Children's films seem to be Studio Ghibli's most common brand—it's their reputation. However, the anime realm's most renowned studio is also responsible for creating some of the best classics geared toward adult audiences, some of which contain an overwhelming amount of content that would be inappropriate for eyes too young and innocent.

Related'It All Began With This': Studio Ghibli Reveals Rare 50-Year-Old Artwork in New My Neighbor Totoro Release

Studio Ghibli unveils the image that sparked the idea for My Neighbor Totoro,...

Anime is an extremely versatile storytelling medium that's made a huge impact not only on television but also in movie theaters. There's an easy appeal in long-running anime series with hundreds — or even thousands — of episodes to explore. That being said, the average anime fan may not have the time to commit to such sprawling narratives as those seen in One Piece or Dragon Ball. A popular way to enjoy anime in a fraction of the time lies in the concise stories told in the top anime movies.

Some of the best anime movies are standalone feature film installments of popular series. However, many anime movies tell completely original stories that don't require any preexisting knowledge. It's not easy to sift through thousands of anime movies, but there are some special cinematic efforts that audiences owe it to themselves to check out.

Updated by Daniel Kurland on February 5, 2025: This...

Anime, or animated film and television projects produced in Japan, cover the entire spectrum of genres and tones. As effervescent and joyous as anime movies can be, they can also be absolutely dreary and melancholy, depending on the story. The award-winning animation production company Studio Ghibli excels at this juxtaposition, with their acclaimed and beloved films celebrating life's wonders and tragedies in equal measure. When anime movies lean in for sadder moments, they do so with heart-rending effectiveness that can leave audiences shaken long after the credits roll.

Simply put, as long as there's been anime movies, the medium has embraced the possibilities of using it to tell tragic stories. These can be films with an absolutely downer ending to movies that tap heavily into melancholy themes, even if the main characters eventually come out okay. There's just something about a true anime tearjerker that hits differently than their western animation counterparts.

Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2024, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.

By way of introduction, I think I said most of the important things last year, so I’ll keep it short this time around. Maybe.

2024 was probably a beautiful, exciting, formative year for some people: a year of first kisses, first jobs, life-changing continental vacations, that sort of thing. I wouldn’t know, because I spent much of it scrolling the news, and people’s reactions to the news, and sinking into a deep well of despair. If you haven’t been living the dream of health, wealth and family (and even if you have), you’ve probably noticed it too. The despair in the air––not to mention the fire, with light hints of brimstone. I don’t feel like I know my countrymen anymore, but I can feel their hunger.

From thrilling adventure flicks to heartwarming family films, world-renowned filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki has created some of the most beloved features in animation history. To kick off 2025, Studio Ghibli's official online store recently unveiled a new piece of merchandise inspired by one of the director's earliest works.

The latest addition to Donguri Sora's product lineup is "Pan-chan's Butt Tote Bag," an adorable tribute to Hayao Miyazaki's Panda! Go Panda! film. As the product's name suggests, the design is meant to resemble Pan-chan's backside, with the cute little bear shown peeking behind at the viewer. Like most conventional totes, the bag is slightly smaller than a standard purse. It also has a large inner pocket with a divider for phones, wallets and other essentials. Including tax, the retail price is 3,850 yen (or US$22.67). Cbr readers can check out Donguri Sora's official product photos below.

Related Studio Ghibli Revives Its Sweetest My...

Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey Skywalker in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and Ashley Eckstein, who voices Ahsoka Tano in animation, once worked together in an unexpected place: a Studio Ghibli movie. Both Ashley Eckstein and Daisy Ridley have had massive impacts on Star Wars as a whole. Eckstein was the first person to voice Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Ridley portrayed Rey Skywalker throughout the sequel trilogy of Star Wars movies. As important as they were, however, their paths only crossed once.

Interestingly, Ridley and Eckstein have actually appeared in the same Star Wars movie together. In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Rey heard the voices of several past Jedi speak to her as she had her final confrontation with Emperor Palpatine. One of The Rise of Skywalker's voice cameos was Ahsoka Tano, voiced by Ashley Eckstein. While it was the first time Rey...

Later this month, New York City's Paris Theater will host screenings of several popular anime films and shorts. This lineup includes Chie the Brat: Downtown Story, a film directed by Studio Ghibli's late co-founder, Isao Takahata.

As detailed on GKIDSFilms' official X (formerly Twitter) account, Chie the Brat will have its first-ever slate of East Coast theatrical screenings at the Paris Theater on Dec. 26-30. While the anime and its titular manga series are relatively well-known in Japan, the franchise is significantly more obscure among Western audiences. Chie the Brat: Downtown Story is a condensed version of the television series, which initially aired from October 1981 to March 1983.

Related Studio Ghibli Reveals Over 7.5 Hours of New Footage in Special Feature for Fans of Howl, Princess Mononoke & More

Studio Ghibli spotlights Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle and more in a new special feature available to fans internationally.

Studio Ghibli Fans Are Treated to Some Rare U.

Studio Durian's Look Back, widely considered one of 2024's most heartbreaking movie releases, has become just one of a very select few anime films to ever achieve a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Via the popular review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Look Back debuted with a perfect 100% on the Tomatometer, comprised of 19 approved critics, and a 99% score on the Popcornmeter (audience score), comprised of over 250 ratings. Comments generally highlighted the film's beauty, tragedy and how the animation complemented the storytelling, with one by Dominick S reading, "Beautiful movie. Heartbreaking, but still a must-see. It provokes deep thought about the fragility of life."

Related A Silent Voice Returns to U.S. Theaters Next Month

One of the most critically acclaimed and emotional anime tales of the last decade, A Silent Voice, gets a theatrical re-release courtesy of Gkids.

'Look Back' Becomes One of Only a Handful of Anime With 100% Rotten...

World-renowned filmmaker and legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki is so synonymous with Studio Ghibli that most viewers assume he directed every one of the iconic studio's movies. While this is true for the most part, especially when it comes to the studio's most critically acclaimed and well-known films, there are some notable exceptions. One of these is Only Yesterday, which Miyazaki only produced since it was directed and written by Isao Takahata. The director is also one of Ghibli's founders, and he's best known for writing and directing the heartbreaking Grave of the Fireflies.

As of this writing, Only Yesterday is also one of only three Ghibli movies to have a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, all of which were directed by Takahata. Even if it was Takahata's movie more than anything, by default and technicality, it's also Miyazaki's highest-rated movie on the review aggregator. Despite this pedigree and acclaim, Only Yesterday...

Animators have always pushed the boundaries of their medium. Theyve stretched forms and molded shapes to create spectacular displays of narrative artistry. Sometimes, the results revolve around a realistic recreation of the world around us. Other animated films take a different route, choosing to portray whimsical worlds of magic. Alternatively, animators can straddle the fine line between these two extremes. Some of the most famous examples of magical realism hail from the Japanese icon Studio Ghibli.

While some of Ghibli's older films such as Castle in the Sky and Kikis Delivery Service revolve around European realities, many of the studios most famous works focus on Japanese history and culture. Notably, both of its Academy Award winners, Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron, are perfect examples of uniquely Japanese exercises in liminal realities. Although Western animators are more hesitant to take such bold approaches to narrative and stylistic artistry,...

Studio Ghibli films are based on varied source materials. Some are inspired by studio executives' original stories, like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke, and some are based on young adult fantasy novels written by Welsh authors, like Howl's Moving Castle. Some are inspired by shojo manga, like Whisper of the Heart.

A basic definition of shojo are works that are marketed toward a young female audience. Though shojo is a demographic and not a genre, shojo stories tend to have certain conventions and trope hallmarks. Fans of shojo manga and anime will find plenty of familiar tropes in Studio Ghibli films, as well.

Shojo Trope: Friends-to-Lovers Taeko & Toshio Bond in Only Yesterday

Taeko goes back to the countryside where she grew up in the quiet contemporary film, Only Yesterday. Only Yesterday is based on a manga written for a female audience, though it's unclear whether it's classified as shojo.

Back in 2016, Moma curator Dave Kehr programmed a series of restorations and rediscoveries from the early days of sound at Universal Studios. Across the country in Los Angeles, film historian Leonard Maltin looked at the schedule with envy and longing. “My mouth was watering,” Maltin told IndieWire. “I was so frustrated that I couldn’t just fly to New York and set up a futon in the lobby so I could go to all the films he was screening.”

Luckily, Maltin was able to see some of the films back in Hollywood when Universal archivist Bob O’Neil allowed him to sit in on screenings that had been set up to check answer prints. “I saw dozens of them,” Maltin said. “Some were good, many were unmemorable or downright bad, but every now and then I got lucky and found a real winner.”

Maltin wanted to share his discoveries with the Los Angeles film community,...

Anime is bigger than ever. With each passing year, the industry continues to make a huge impact not only on television but also in movie theaters. From heartwarming tales of love and friendship to epic clashes between good vs evil, Studio Ghibli has solidified its status as a Japanese Animation Powerhouse.

With the likes of Your Name, Suzume, Spirited Away, and many more popular titles earning millions of dollars from their international theatrical releases, Japanese Animation is taking the world by storm.

A still from Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name | Credits: Toho

Despite being recognized as the highest-grossing anime movie of all time, many titles fail to receive a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes focuses less on the quality of a movie itself and puts importance on fans critics’ scores from the community. Interestingly, there are only four anime movies with a 100% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and...

Miyazaki has become one of the most celebrated directors of kids movies for a reason, and viewers will find his films on-demand on Max.

Hayao Miyazaki has had a remarkable career. Miyazaki’s career started in 1963, and for the past six decades he has captured the imagination of audiences with his groundbreaking work. The legendary animator and filmmaker’s newest movie “The Boy and the Heron” is coming to streaming on Max on Friday, Sept. 6, joining the other Studio Ghibli titles available to stream on that service. We’ll run through the other Miyazaki films on Max below, and explain your subscription options for the streamer as well!

Sign Up $9.99+ / month Max.com Where to Stream Miyazaki’s Films:

Castle in the Sky

The Cat Returns

From Up on Poppy Hill

Howl’s Moving Castle

Kiki’s Delivery Service

My Neighbor Totoro

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Only Yesterday

Pom...

"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" is a movie decades in the making, with the original being a rare highly successful '80s movie that didn't immediately span a sequel — even if it did actually get a follow-up of sorts in the form of a cartoon series. It's not like Burton is aversed to making sequels, as he did make two "Batman" movies. Still, it's taken 36 years, but at least now we are finally getting a new "Beetlejuice," with cast both new and old — through some convincing.

As obvious as the sequel seems, it actually took a lot of effort and time for it to be made, and it wasn't until the success of "Wednesday" on Netflix that Burton's interest in a sequel became reinvigorated. During a recent press day attended by /Film's Jacob Hall, Tim Burton answered questions from a group of journalists, and reflected on the decades wait before making "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice...

Studio Ghibli films are packed with fantastical narratives, interesting characters, and beautiful scores. Under the guidance of master directors like Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli has produced countless magical movies through the years. For many, certain films bring out nostalgia for the wonders of childhood and the endless expanse of imagination. Others, on the other hand, appreciate the dense layering offered by the narratives.

Ghibli is nothing without its characters, many of whom have become icons and pop-cultural symbols. With characters so authentic in terms of personalities as well as idiosyncrasies, it's easy to identify them as a broad spectrum of protagonists. After careful consideration, we've sorted 16 Studio Ghibli characters by their Myer-Briggs type labels.

Updated on August 2, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: Ghibli's latest offering, The Boy and the Heron, received just as much critical acclaim as many of the previous movies. Although this might actually be Miyazaki's swansong,...

(Welcome to Under the Radar, a column where we spotlight specific movies, shows, trends, performances, or scenes that caught our eye and deserved more attention ... but otherwise flew under the radar. In this edition: Netflix's beautifully-rendered animated movie "The Imaginary," the Ilana Glazer-starring dramedy "Babes," and Jake Gyllenhaal's courtroom-thriller series "Presumed Innocent.")

Do studios just have no earthly idea how to market their latest movies and shows anymore, or is it the children viewers who are wrong? That age-old debate rears its ugly head practically every time a highly-anticipated title ends up underperforming in theaters or otherwise failing to reach its intended audience. Netflix is notorious for acquiring some of the buzziest and most exciting offerings ... only to promptly bury them under an avalanche of vague, algorithmically-defined parameters that ensures they'll never see the light of day (or even just the streamer's main page) again. And, to nobody's surprise,...

Rotten Tomatoes does not measure the quality of a movie, no matter what your favorite YouTuber says. What it does measure is the percentage of critics who think a movie is at least decent. The higher the Rotten Tomatoes score, the firmer the consensus is that a movie is at least "good," rather than, say, an exact quality score of the title.

Still, even if it doesn't exactly measure quality, a Rotten Tomatoes score is quite useful to get an idea of whether a movie has a wide appeal or if it's polarizing (meaning different people have vastly different opinions on the title). When it comes to anime, even if the genre is becoming more and more accessible, more mainstream, and more accepted, there are only four anime movies with a 100% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

What's curious is how different, yet very similar, the titles are. That's because,...

Max has shared a curated list of films available to stream on the service in Summer 2024. Max is home to Warner Bros. Pictures films, classics and new favorites from A24, the Studio Ghibli library, and award-winning films spanning multiple genres.

The platform is showcasing its vast film library with curated summer watch lists of blockbusters, horror, family-friendly films, and more.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Warner Bros. Pictures’ Dune: Part Two, the groundbreaking sequel to Dune, is now available to stream on the platform along with recent hits like Wonka and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which also has an American Sign Language (Asl) version of the film available to stream.

Viewers can also find summer favorites like Mamma Mia!, Meg 2: The Trench, A Night at the Roxbury, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Dune: Part Two

Horror fans can look to Max for their summer scares and favorite films from franchises,...

Hayao Miyazaki has a reputation for being one of the most renowned animators not only in Japan but throughout the world. The image set by Ghibli Studios is one worth commending and it leaves an impression of great character and world understanding, as well as the audience’s perception of the art. He has often been compared to some of the biggest animators and filmmakers.

Spirited Away | Credit: Studio Ghibli

Not only that, but his work has inspired many across the world. His ability to inspire isn’t limited to anime enthusiasts alone but even the biggest Hollywood film directors and producers. There have been many who have openly praised him and some of the biggest Hollywood starts have contributed their voice for the English dubbing of his works.

Hayao Miyazaki is Not the Walt Disney of Japan

During an interview (via Brian Dana Camp), Hayao Miyazaki talked about Walt...

Anytime Studio Ghibli is mentioned, most people's minds immediately jump to Hayao Miyazaki. It's easy to see why this is the case, as Miyazaki has directed ten Studio Ghibli films, including some of the most popular animated features ever made, from My Neighbor Totoro, to Kiki's Delivery Service, and Spirited Away.

However, Studio Ghibli is not a single-person operation, and Miyazaki is far from the only person to direct a Studio Ghibli project. In fact, over the years, seven other creatives have directed Studio Ghibli movies. While some, like studio co-founder Isao Takahata, have created several films for the company, others have only taken charge of a single picture. But these non-Hayao Miyazaki films contain some of Studio Ghibli's best and most fascinating work, making them a must-watch for animation fans.

Related The Connection Between My Neighbor Totoro & This 1960s Finnish Cartoon Most Fans Don't Know About

My Neighbor Totoro...

Ridley's cinematic career, marked by highs and lows, began with shorts and TV appearances before transitioning to feature films. Despite its success at the box office, Ridley's role in "The Quiet Ones" was underwhelming, marking an unimpressive debut in her filmography. Ridley's versatility is showcased in films like "Peter Rabbit," where she excels in a vocal role, contributing to the movie's commercial success.

After bursting onto the scene with her starring role in the Star Wars sequel series, Daisy Ridley has established herself as one of the most recognizable performers working today. Despite only making her feature film debut 10 years ago, Ridley has gone on to appear in 18 major movies and documentaries, including some of the most commercially-successful releases of all time. However, while many of her projects have made a major impact at the box office, not every Daisy Ridley movie has been a triumph.

Before appearing in...

Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, who passed away in 2018, has received a posthumous North American release of his final anime TV series, Chie the Brat. The release comes from Discotek Media, a distribution company that focuses on licensing and distributing anime and other Japanese media, especially retro titles from the 1970s, '80s and '90s.

Discotek announced this week that Takahata's Chie the Brat - The Original First TV Series - Blu-ray has officially been released via the Crunchyroll Store. Fans in North America can now order the Blu-ray for the first time ever, priced at US$52.46 ($69.95 Msrp), with Crunchyroll teasing the release, "This complete collection includes all 64 episodes of the groundbreaking comedy classicpresented in high definition with the original Japanese language and English subtitles!" Readers can check out the Blu-ray footage, cover and additional stills below.

Related Studio Ghibli's Anime Art Book Receives English-Language International Release

Ghibli's upcoming...

Over a decade before co-founding Studio Ghibli, Oscar Award-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki helped create a humble children's anime called Panda! Go Panda!. Later this month, Tokyo's Akihabara Udx Theater will host a special one-time screening of its follow-up film, Panda Go Panda! Rainy Day Circus.

Released in 1973, Panda! Go Panda! Rainy Day Circus is one of Hayao Miyazaki's earliest-written pre-Ghibli projects. As detailed by Natalie, the event is being organized by Dreampass, a popular Japanese website where fans can petition for older films to be shown in theaters. Akihabara Udx theater will showcase the movie on May 25. After the show, Studio Ghibli animator Yu Honda and acclaimed film researcher Seiji Kano will get on stage together to discuss the film and the legendary anime icon that contributed to its creation. Dreampass will continue selling tickets for the screening until May 23.

Related Studio Ghibli Returns to the U.S. With Nausicaa...

Hayao Miyazaki has been regarded as one of the greatest animation filmmakers of all time. The animator has worked on several Studio Ghibli films, which he co-founded in the 1980s. His films such as Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Princess Mononoke have all been regarded as some of the best anime films of all time.

Miyazaki came out of his retirement to create his final epic The Boy and the Heron. The film was released last year and won many accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. While the film has many Easter Eggs that reference other films by Miyazaki, one of the most important characters is reportedly inspired by the animator’s mentor.

The Boy And The Heron Has A Reference to Hayao Miyazaki’s Mentor Isao Takahata A still from Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron

Hayao Miyazaki had announced his retirement after...

Studio Ghibli produces some of the best romantic subplots. The characters are well-written and complex, so their feelings are palpable. Ghibli movies focus on small and big moments, like the way a love interest softens their tone when they're concerned about their beloved, or the way a couple will run into each other's arms. These characters show different kinds of romance; grand gestures and quiet devotion, commitment and daily acts of service, raising children together as a unit, and falling in love for the very first time.

Even the romances based in fantasy worlds, like in Howl's Moving Castle, feel very real and relatable. Studio Ghibli doesn't shoehorn romance into every protagonist's story, and there are many side characters who have gorgeous romances. Ghibli characters are some of the most romantic love interests in all anime.

Related 10 Best Modern Shojo Love Interests, Ranked Shojo anime often features romantic themes with charming love interests,...

Nearly 40 years after its founding, Studio Ghibli still reigns supreme over not just anime but also the animation industry at large. On the heels of Hayao Miyazakis third Oscar win this time for The Boy and The Heron his many masterworks, and Studio Ghiblis other stellar entries, have never been more prevalent in the minds of fans and film buffs worldwide.

It's a rightful buzz, with each Ghibl entry proving to be meticulously crafted, offering audiences something wholly unique. After a checkered history of complicated licensing and turbulent American releases, the animation studio has a reliable presence streaming on Max. Studio Ghibli has become increasingly successful over the years, with its films now widely distributed worldwide. As a result, their entire catalog is more accessible than ever before. Whether you are a film enthusiast, an anime fan, or simply curious, revisiting each of the Ghibli releases and exploring their box...

Studio Ghibli films are more than just beautiful animation and pretty music. Ghibli characters are dynamic and complex; they undergo meaningful evolutions as they grow into their best selves. Like the folktales that often inspire many of the Ghibli stories, the plots are equally entertaining and filled with meaningful questions and lessons about life, family, and ethics.

Studio Ghibli movies have some common themes, with varied messaging and conclusions. Common threads are environmentalism and what makes humans human. Movies like My Neighbor Totoro and Only Yesterday explore the nuances of childhood and parenthood. Stories like Howl's Moving Castle and Ponyo explore the complexities and virtues of healthy love.

Related 10 Anime Studios Everyone Recognizes By Their Style Mappa, Orange, and Doga Kobo have become well-known for their unique animation styles, as seen in series like Jujutsu Kaisen, Beastars, and Yuru Yuri. Lesson: Radical Love & Acceptance Is the Answer Film: Ponyo Close...

Andrew Haigh’s profoundly moving ghost story follows in a bittersweet line of dramas, from Only Yesterday to Aftersun, in which a character is transported back to their early years

I tend to be wary of movies talked up as tear-jerkers – going into any film with an expected or prescribed emotional reaction kind of sets the body up to resist. If you’ve heard anything about Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers, it’s probably something along those lines. “This film will destroy you,” a colleague told me before I saw it last summer. (Should we be enticed by such a promise?) But then it did: not aggressively or unpleasantly, but by slow degrees, continuing in the weeks and months after I saw it, the memory of it returning and lingering like a deep bruise when my father died last November.

Haigh’s artful, unexpected ghost story, now streamable on Disney+ and elsewhere,...

Studio Ghibli's The Boy and the Heron has finally revealed its streaming home following a contract renewal with American film distributor Gkids.

The streaming platform Max has announced a multiyear agreement with Gkids via a Warner Bros. Discovery press release, which will "extend the exclusive U.S. film streaming rights for Studio Ghibli, Japan’s legendary, Oscar®-winning animation house." As part of this deal, The Boy and the Heron will come to Max, with the exact release date to be confirmed later this year.

Related Hayao Miyazaki's Debut Film Unveils Global Luxury Shoe Collaboration Luxury shoemaker Madras has revealed its new line in collaboration with Hayao Miyazaki's debut film, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro.

Wbd Vice-President of Content Acquisitions Elizabeth Bannan Atcheson said regarding the deal, "Our subscribers are always looking for unique stories, and we are happy to continue to offer these award-winning, critically acclaimed...

The Boy and the Heron will be available for streaming on Max, joining the Studio Ghibli film collection following the film's Oscar win. The film has received critical acclaim, including being awarded the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2023. The movie explores themes of grief through a poignant story about a boy who copes with his mother's death.

Hayao Miyazaki's award-winning film, The Boy and the Heron, has just received an official streaming home. The incredible movie will soon be available to stream on Max. The Boy and the Heron will be the newest in the long list of Studio Ghibli films currently streaming on the Max platform.

The movie was released in theaters on December 8, 2023, in the USA, going on to gross over $167 million worldwide. The amazing film has received countless awards and nominations, and recently took home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. This 2023 Oscar is Miyazaki's...

Max will continue to be the studio’s exclusive streaming home in the United States with tiles including “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Spirited Away,” and more.

Thanks in no small part to the prevalence of streaming media, anime has become an increasingly important part of the American entertainment landscape in recent years. When Warner Bros. Discovery launched the HBO Max streaming service in 2020, the iconic films of Studio Ghibili were included in the catalog. On Tuesday, Wbd announced that it had extended its deal with the Japanese studio and that the recent Oscar-winning film “The Boy and the Heron” will stream on HBO Max’s successive streaming service Max.

HBO Max became the first streaming service to carry Studio Ghibli titles when it launched in 2020. This new multi-year extension will keep the iconic Japanese studio’s films on Max in the United States. Recent Oscar winner “The Boy and the Heron...

Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron,” which just won the Oscar for animated feature film, is streaming to Max in the U.S.

Warner Bros. Discovery announced a multiyear agreement with independent distributor GKids to extend Max’s exclusive U.S. streaming rights for films from Studio Ghibli, Japan’s legendary animation house. The streamer has been the U.S. home to Studio Ghibli’s catalog since 2020, when the service originally launched as HBO Max.

Under the deal renewal, Max will be the future home of “The Boy and the Heron”; the streaming premiere date on Max will be announced later this year. The hand-drawn, semi-autobiographical film — Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years — was produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki and features a musical score from Miyazaki’s longtime collaborator Joe Hisaishi.

The extension with GKids also will keep nearly two dozen Studio Ghibli films — including “My Neighbor Totoro,...

Studio Ghibli’s latest masterpiece — The Boy and the Heron — has taken the world by storm with its compelling coming-of-age story. Like many of Hayao Miyazaki’s other works, this brilliant film has captivated audiences, leaving its mark on the world of anime and animation as a whole. Though it’s likely this may be the master director’s final film, fans needn’t despair. The acclaimed studio has many other amazing titles for newcomers and veterans alike to enjoy for generations to come.

From Spirited Away to My Neighbor Totoro, many of Ghibli’s iconic films carry the same message, tone, and themes found within The Boy and the Heron. For fans looking for their next watch, these Ghibli classics make a perfect companion piece and are sure to satisfy.

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Related The Boy and the Heron: Its Most Important Metaphor, Explained Hayao Miyazaki's latest film, The Boy and the Heron,...

Hayao Miyazaki is not the only talented director at Studio Ghibli - Isao Takahata's films have also achieved perfect scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Takahata's films showcase emotionally resonant stories and exemplify the hallmarks of Studio Ghibli with their storytelling and characters. Grave of the Fireflies and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya deserve their perfect scores, as they are gripping war stories and have been recognized for their exceptional writing and animation.

Hayao Miyazaki is almost synonymous with Studio Ghibli, and for good reason, which is why it's so surprising that the studio's only perfect scores on Rotten Tomatoes aren't from films made by him. In addition to being one of the founders of Studio Ghibli, many of their most iconic films like My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and The Boy and the Heron were made by Miyazaki, so it makes sense that people would think of Miyazaki before anyone else.

Netflix and Studio Ponoc announced today a new deal that will see the studio's current and upcoming films exclusively distributed on the service. The Imaginary — Studio Ponoc's latest movie released in Japan on December 15 last year — will stream on the platform later this year, with no specific date announced at the time of reporting. A new teaser key art was also released. Studio Ponoc founder and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura released the following statement regarding the new agreement in a press release: "Studio Ponoc is thrilled to bring our storytelling and innovative hand-drawn, hand-painted animated films to all audiences, and in particular to children and their families to enjoy together, around the world on Netflix. Netflix’s genuine commitment to supporting animation as a vital and valuable storytelling medium, and to growing high-quality and trailblazing animation, makes Netflix a truly excellent partner." The Imaginary is based on A.F. Harrold's children's novel of the same name,...

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has a full slate of programming set for this year, as the classic movie home celebrates its 30th anniversary.

The 15th annual TCM Classic Film Festival in April will honor film historian Jeanine Basinger with the Robert Osborne Award, and pay tribute to actor Billy Dee Williams and makeup artist Lois Burwell.

Additionally, The Plot Thickens, TCM’s official podcast about movies and the people who make them will debut later in the year following the release of Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast, TCM’s latest podcast in tandem with Max.

Extending beyond the screen, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood will introduce a WB/TCM Classic Movie Tour in April.

“With the 30th year of TCM upon us, we both look back at all that’s been built over the last several decades and look ahead at what is undoubtedly one of the most exciting times in TCM’s history,...

Turner Classic Movies has announced that the network will celebrate its 30th anniversary with special themes, spotlights and stars to be included in the 2024 programming slate and upcoming tentpole events.

The classic movie channel celebrated its 30th anniversary on Friday with a reception at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. Charlie Tabesh, longtime TCM programming executive, confirmed at the gathering that filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson have extended their deals to serve as consultants to TCM for another year.

At the 15th TCM Classic Film Festival in April, TCM will bestow film historian Jeanine Basinger with the Robert Osborne Award and present tributes to actor Billy Dee Williams and makeup artist Lois Burwell. Additionally, a new TCM podcast called “The Plot Thickens,” which focuses on “movies and the people who make them” will be released after a podcast made in partnership with Max, “Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast.

Daisy Ridley says Cleaner feels like her "first action movie." Ridley's breakout role came in 2015's Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens. Ridley has several other projects in the works: Sometimes I Think About Dying and Magpie. She will also be returning as Rey Skywalker in a new Star Wars film.

Learning the ways of the Force represents only a fraction of actress Daisy Ridley’s potential. True, the 31-year-old is best known for portraying Rey Skywalker in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, but she’s accumulated an impressive resume outside of that galaxy far, far away. In an exclusive interview with MovieWeb, the thespian discussed the upcoming projects she’s most excited about working on, which includes teaming up again with her Ophelia (2018) co-star Clive Owen in Cleaner. Ridley said:

"I don't know. I made Magpie from the ground up. So that was like a totally different experience.