Renowned international animation distributor Gkids has struck a new deal with HBO Max that will expand upon their partnership, with HBO Max continuing to serve as the U.S. streaming destination for Gkids’ award-winning Japanese, primarily animated features.
Already, the streamer is the U.S. home to the famed Studio Ghibli catalog, distributed by Gkids, going back to 2019. But on September 1, an all-new batch of titles will drop for all subscribers, including Children Who Chase Lost Voices (dir. Makoto Shinkai), Fireworks (dir. Akiyuki Shinbo, Noboyuki Takeuchi), Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (dir. Ayumu Watanabe), Ghost Cat Anzu (dir. Yôko Kuno, Nobuhiro Yamashita), Lonely Castle in the Mirror (dir. Keiichi Hara), Love & Pop (dir. Hideaki Anno), The Place Promised in Our Early Days (dir. Makoto Shinkai), and Your Name (dir. Makoto Shinkai). Many of these titles are making their North American and/or their 4K streaming debut under the deal.
Titles coming to the streamer later in 2025 and 2026 include Angel’s Egg (dir. Mamoru Oshii), Liz and the Blue Bird (dir. Naoko Yamada), Lu Over the Wall (dir. Masaaki Yuasa), Millennium Actress (dir. Satoshi Kon), Mind Game (dir. Masaaki Yuasa), Perfect Blue (dir. Satoshi Kon), Shin Godzilla (dir. Hideaki Anno, co-director Shinji Higuchi), Summer Wars (dir. Mamoru Hosoda), The Boy and the Beast (dir. Mamoru Hosoda), The Colors Within (dir. Naoko Yamada), The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (dir. Mamoru Hosoda), and Wolf Children (dir. Mamoru Hosoda). Specific premiere dates for these titles will be announced down the road.
“HBO Max’s continued partnership with GKIDS indicates our commitment to bringing world class Japanese animation and original films to our audiences,” said Royce Battleman, EVP, Global Content Acquisitions at Warner Bros. Discovery. “This deal, which introduces masterpieces and fan favorites to streaming for the very first time, allows us to continue delivering premium films to our subscribers and solidifies HBO Max’s position as a leading destination in the space.”
Said Gkids President Dave Jesteadt, “We are excited to continue the relationship with HBO Max and to bring this exciting package to US streaming audiences. HBO Max’s focus on award-winning, genre-defining essential programming is a perfect match for the type of outstanding filmmaking that GKIDS champions.
HBO Max’s VP Content Acquisition Liz Bannan Atcheson negotiated the deal with Gkids Founder and CEO Eric Beckman.
