Japanese animated Studio Ghibli films to hit Netflix

LOS ANGELES: Animated films from Japan’s famous Studio Ghibli, including Oscar winner “Spirited Away”, are coming to Netflix.

Twenty-one films from Japan’s animation studio, co-founded by animator Hayao Miyazaki, will be made available in batches between February and April.

Netflix made the announcement this week delighting many fans but leaving US subscribers disappointed as they will miss out. The films include Princess Mononoke, Arrietty and Kiki’s Delivery Service. They will available for streaming in most places worldwide.

The productions will be subtitled in 28 languages and dubbed in up to twenty, but will not be for Netflix viewers in the United States, Canada or Japan.

“We’ve listened to our fans and have made the definitive decision to stream our film catalogue,” said Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki.

Aram Yacoubian, director of original animation at Netflix, described the news as a “dream come true for Netflix and millions of our members”.

Miyazaki is regarded among the world’s most acclaimed animators with huge followings in Japan and abroad. His film Spirited Away won the Oscar for best animated feature in 2003.

The world’s biggest paid online streaming service faces fierce competition from the likes of Disney+ and Apple TV+, and acquiring the film is a huge victory.

Many fans were delighted but the films will not be available to Netflix subscribers in the US where HBO Max has acquired rights for the streaming service set to be launched in May.