Mar 21, 2024

Netflix Extends Studio Ghibli Catalog Deal, Gains Streaming Rights to 'The Boy and the Hare' Outside of Japan and the U.S.

Max may be the home of Hayao Miyazaki's work in the United States, but Hayao Miyazaki's latest Academy Award-winning film, "The Boy and the Hare," will be available on Netflix outside of Japan.

Netflix has not yet announced a release date for "The Boy and the Hare," but has said it will appear on the platform this year.

Global distributor Goodfellas (formerly Wild Bunch International) has agreed with GKIDS and Netflix to extend a 2020 agreement that makes Netflix the international home for Studio Ghibli's entire catalog.

Under the extended agreement, Netflix will provide international subscribers with access to 22 Studio Ghibli films, including such modern classics as "The Boy and the Hare," Miyazaki's Oscar-winning "Spirited Away," "My Neighbor Trollo," "Princess Mononoke," and "The Witch's Delivery Service."

The films will be offered in 28 languages with subtitles and will be dubbed in up to 20 languages.

Despite its release over eight months ago in Japan, the box office story of "The Boy and the Hare" is far from over. After winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature earlier this month, GKIDS announced a second commemorative theatrical release in North America beginning March 22 (bonus content TBD). In Japan, Toho announced that the English-dubbed version will be screened with Japanese subtitles. And earlier this week, Alibaba Pictures announced that the film will be released theatrically in mainland China on April 3.