GKIDS and IMAX announced an expanded partnership to bring further 4K Studio Ghibli restorations to North American theatres in 2026 and beyond.
The announcement came after the highly successful IMAX release of “Princess Mononoke,” which is the second-highest-grossing vault release in IMAX history.
The next Studio Ghibli title to be released under the agreement will debut in IMAX in 2026, with more details to come.
The IMAX versions of the films are being created from new 4K restorations, directly overseen by Studio Ghibli’s own Atsushi Okui, who has been involved in nearly every major Studio Ghibli project since he began in 1993.
Okui’s most recent credit with Studio Ghibli was as Director of Digital Imaging on Miyazaki’s Academy Award-winning feature “The Boy and the Heron,” which was also the first Studio Ghibli film to screen in IMAX.
“GKIDS is thrilled to extend our relationship with IMAX for more Studio Ghibli releases,” said Eric Beckman, CEO of GKIDS.
“As a company, GKIDS is a champion of the shared theatrical experience and what better way for fans to experience the unparalleled visual beauty, immersive worlds, and deeply humanistic storytelling of Studio Ghibli than in IMAX. ”
GKIDS handles North American distribution for the famed Studio Ghibli library of films across all theatrical, home video, digital, and streaming platforms. Since 2017, GKIDS has produced the annual Ghibli Fest, a monthly theatrical program of Studio Ghibli film screenings in over 1000 theatres across the USA.
“Studio Ghibli has long been synonymous with exceptional storytelling and a devoted global fanbase, and we’re ready to build on our strong foundation with the studio as we partner with GKIDS to bring some of its most celebrated titles to IMAX,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX.
“As animation continues to thrive as a box office and cultural force, IMAX is poised to meet that demand at scale as the industry’s only truly global platform for cinema.”
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