Netflix wins rights to Studio Ghibli films

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Today Netflix announced that it has acquired the exclusive rights to 21 Studio Ghibli films. From next month, a range of classics from the iconic Japanese animation studio will become available to stream, in all regions except for the US, Canada and Japan. The catalogue of films joining Netflix includes much-loved classics such as Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle. 

It's huge news for Ghibli fans in the UK and Europe. In the US, it has been announced that HBO Max has the streaming rights to the Studio Ghibli catalogue – but you'll need to wait until May 2020 for the service to go live. If that doesn't appeal, or you're in one of the other regions excluded from the additions, you might want to take look at our roundup of the best VPNs, which will help you access foreign Netflix catalogues.

These are the Ghibli movies coming to Netflix from 1 March 1:

• Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
• Princess Mononoke (1997)
• My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
• Spirited Away (2001)
• The Cat Returns (2002)
• Arrietty (2010)
• The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)

From 1 April, the following will be added to the collection:

• Pom Poko (1994)
• Whisper of the Heart (1995)
• Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
• Ponyo (2008)
• From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
• The Wind Rises (2013)
• When Marnie Was There (2014)

The announcement marks a shift in approach from Studio Ghibli. Until recently, it refused to offer its films in any digital format. That changed last month when the studio started selling downloadable copies, shortly before the announcement that HBO Max would be offering Ghibli movies to US fans. 

For more inspirational binging, explore our pick of the best Netflix documentaries for designers.

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