GKIDS in Deal with Studio Ghibli for Theatrical Rights
New York, New York – September 8, 2011 – GKIDS, a distributor of award winning animation for both adults and families, has entered into agreement with Japan's renowned Studio Ghibli to handle US and Canadian theatrical and non-theatrical distribution for Studio Ghibli's library of animated feature films.
The deal includes all thirteen titles produced between 1984 and 2002, including Hayao Miyazaki's Academy Award® winning Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Castle in the Sky. Films will be distributed by GKIDS in both the subtitled and English dubbed versions. (See below for a complete list of titles.)
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Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Hayao Miyazaki, (Isao Takahata)
Original story and screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki
1984
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Castle in the Sky
Hayao Miyazaki, (Isao Takahata)
Original story and screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki
1986
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My Neighbor Totoro
Hayao Miyazaki, (Tōru Hara)
Original story and screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki
1988
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Kiki's Delivery Service
Hayao Miyazaki, (Hayao Miyazaki)
Screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki based on the novel by Eiko Kadono
1989
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Only Yesterday
Isao Takahata, (Toshio Suzuki)
Screenplay by Isao Takahata based on the manga by Hotaru Okamoto and Yuko Tone
1991
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Porco Rosso
Hayao Miyazaki, (Toshio Suzuki)
Original story and screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki
1992
- The Ocean Waves
Tomomi Mochizuki, (Nozomu Takahashi)
Screenplay by Kaori Nakamura based on the original story by Saeko Himuro
1993
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Pom Poko
Isao Takahata, (Toshio Suzuki)
Original story and screenplay by Isao Takahata
1994
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Whisper of the Heart
Yoshifumi Kondō, (Toshio Suzuki)
Screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki based on the manga by Aoi Hiiragi
1995
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Princess Mononoke
Hayao Miyazaki, (Toshio Suzuki)
Original story and screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki
1997
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My Neighbors the Yamadas
Isao Takahata, (Toshio Suzuki)
Screenplay by Isao Takahata based on the manga by Hisaichi Ishii
1999
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Spirited Away
Hayao Miyazaki, (Toshio Suzuki)
Original story and screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki
2001
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The Cat Returns
Hiroyuki Morita, (Toshio Suzuki)
Based on the manga by Aoi Hiiragi
2002
As the first engagements announced under the agreement, New York Film Festival is presenting a 25 year anniversary screening of Castle in the Sky and 10 year anniversary screenings of Spirited Away. This will be followed by a touring Studio Ghibli retrospective, opening a four week run at New York's IFC Center from December 16 to January 12 and visiting key US and Canadian markets in the first half of 2012.
GKIDS is also planning limited releases of select Studio Ghibli titles, many of which have never been released theatrically in the US, beginning late 2012.
Eric Beckman, GKIDS president, said, “I am both excited and deeply honored to be working with Studio Ghibli to bring this amazing slate of films to theaters. Nausicaä, Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away, and My Neighbor Totoro are among my favorite movies of all time – and they played an important early role in my decision to launch GKIDS. I am in continual awe of the brilliance and artistry of the animation, the depth and humanity of the storytelling, and of the filmmakers' understanding that even the youngest audiences are capable of appreciating all the subtlety and nuance that cinema has to offer. As Miyazaki has said 'Children understand the complexity and uncertainty of things almost with their skin. They cannot be underestimated.' ”
ABOUT STUDIO GHIBLI
Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by animation directors Hayao Miyazaki and
Isao Takahata and is one of the most successful and well-respected animation
studios in the world. Cultivating a creative force of talented directors,
animators, and storytellers under the revered brilliance of Miyazaki and
Takahata, Studio Ghibli's films have been praised for their originality,
dazzling animation, and epic storytelling. The films have become a beloved
part of Japanese popular culture, and have garnered worldwide acclaim from
audiences and critics alike. Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away won the Academy
Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002 and in 2005 Miyazaki was named one
of "the most influential people" by TIME Magazine.
ABOUT GKIDS
GKIDS is a distributor of award-winning animation for both adult and family
audiences. Theatrical releases include Tomm Moore's Oscar nominated The
Secret of Kells, Michel Ocelot's acclaimed Azur & Asmar, European Film Award
Best Animated Feature winner Mia and the Migoo, Nina Paley's
multiple-award-winning Sita Sings the Blues, and Japan Academy Prize winner
Summer Wars by Mamoru Hosoda. Upcoming GKIDS releases include 2011 Berlin
official selection A Cat in Paris and Annecy winner Eleanor's Secret. GKIDS
is also producer of New York Int'l Children's Film Festival, North America's
largest festival of film for children and teens. NYICFF is an
Oscar®-qualifying event and jury members include Uma Thurman, Susan
Sarandon, Gus van Sant, Matthew Modine, James Schamus, Michel Ocelot, and
Christine Vachon.
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