Disney Will No Longer Distribute Future Ghibli Films

[Sotiris]

GKIDS, a distributor of award-winning animation for both adult and family audiences, announced today that it has entered into a distribution agreement with Japan’s renowned Studio Ghibli for North American rights to the studio’s newest release, From Up On Poppy Hill.

GKIDS is handling theatrical, home video, television and VOD rights and will qualify the film for the Academy Awards in the Best Animated Feature category. Theatrical release is planned for March 2013.

From Up On Poppy Hill was the top-grossing Japanese film of 2011, earning over $56 million at the Japanese box office and winning the Japan Academy Prize for Animation in 2012. The film was directed by Goro Miyazaki from a screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki, marking the first feature collaboration between father and son. An English-language version is being produced by Studio Ghibli with Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall executive producing.

Source: http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=91078

[dvdjunkie]

Good news for me. I never thought Disney should be associated with Ghibli Films in the first place. The difference in animation quality speaks so loud. I am not big on Japanese animation and find it inferior to Walt Disney or Warner Bros. animation.

[Sotiris]

The difference in animation quality speaks so loud.

I just wanted to point out that the difference is not in quality but in style.

[Super Aurora]

The difference in animation quality speaks so loud.

I just wanted to point out that the difference is not in quality but in style.

Telling it to a guy who know shit about Japanese animation and it's cultural history. His opinion is irrelevant.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

I think that this is incredibly sad, especially since we only got like 5 titles on Blu-ray. I wish we had more information about why Disney's out and GKIDS is in. I am glad that we'll continue to see Ghibli films released in North America, though.

[Jules]

The difference in animation quality speaks so loud.

I just wanted to point out that the difference is not in quality but in style.

Very well put.

When I was a kid I used to think that Japanese animation was inferior to Western animation because it was animated at fewer frames per second, hence less work. Only on developing a serious interest in animation did I learn that it's not about fps but about the animation acting and the may you play with the movement.

I do believe that higher frame rates are desirable, but not a necessity. If frames per second were the only means by which animation quality is judged then Richard Williams' work would rank highest as he always animates on ones. Disney animation is usually on twos, sometimes on ones.

I love Richard Williams, by the way.

[Sotiris]

I think that this is incredibly sad, especially since we only got like 5 titles on Blu-ray.

They still have the home video rights to the previous films they distributed. They just won't have them for the future ones.

[MJW]

I'm a little sad about this but as long as GKIDS brings these films to theaters and Blu-ray/DVD with great voice acting in the English dubs and superb picture/sound quality, I'm happy. I've got their release of The Secret of Kells on Blu-ray and the quality is really good, so I'm very hopeful.

[ajmrowland]

But how much exposure will they continue to get?

I wanna be able to see the next ghibli film at my *local* cinema, thank you.

[Little Red Henski]

Considering what Disney did to the American English dub of Arrietty I think this is very good news. Hopefully who ever takes over will actually care about the films like how the distributar in Britain does. The extras on the British Blu-Rays blow Disney's American Blu-Rays away. Their dub of Arrietty also puts Disney's to shame.

[ajmrowland]

^let me guess: David Henrie was way too old for Sho.

[toplaycool22]

look, Disney has Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel and Skellington Productions, I think they have enough animation studios to own.

[jpanimation]

While the dubs haven't been that bad, the lack of supplemental material on Disney's releases is frustrating (I just rented the DVD for The Borrower Arrietty and literally the only bonus features on the disc were a Disney Channel music video and the making of the Disney Channel music video). Hopefully these new distributors show more respect and just carry over the excellent supplemental material from the Japanese releases. Either way, they can't be much worse then Disney, who won't even release Only Yesterday and The Ocean Waves.

^let me guess: David Henrie was way too old for Sho.

That actually didn't bother me (Carol Burnett did though). From what I understand, the UK dub features a more faithful script with less ad-libbing (some people claim it's a near exact translation). Also, the US dub added the ending narration about the borrowers being alright and Sho never seeing Arrietty again (I liked it being more open ended, left room for a sequel). The US dub also added the Disney Channel pop song at the end of the credits that wasn't originally there. Oh, and they also renamed some characters (like Sho became Shawn). The UK dub didn't mess with the script, the names, the title of the movie or the music. The UK release also has actual bonus features.

I just don't get it. This company messed around with Kiki to make it more faithful to the original Japanese version and then at the same time changes a ton of stuff in Arrietty. If I had my choice, I'd watch the UK dub.

[ajmrowland]

^i didnt hear all except the last two points before. I understand. But what was ad-libbed?

How much would it cost to import from UK?

[MJW]

look, Disney has Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel and Skellington Productions, I think they have enough animation studios to own.

Disney never owned Studio Ghibli and never will and Skellington Productions hasn't put out a film since 1996...

[Wonderlicious]

I just wanted to point out that the difference is not in quality but in style.

Very well put.

When I was a kid I used to think that Japanese animation was inferior to Western animation because it was animated at fewer frames per second, hence less work. Only on developing a serious interest in animation did I learn that it's not about fps but about the animation acting and the may you play with the movement.

Just wondering, did the presence of Pokémon and other cheap anime series (many of them dire adaptations of classic stories) have anything to do with that? I know it did for me. If it weren't for films so enchanting as the ones produced by Ghibli, I would probably never have ever given Japanese animation much consideration. Though they may be different in style to Disney or Pixar, you can easily tell the amount of effort, craft and imagination that has gone into the films. A great many of them truly are masterpieces.

I don't really know what to make of this news. The Studio Ghibli films aren't even distributed by Disney outside of the USA, so I don't know the exact extent this will affect European distribution. One wonders whether they will receive such wide exposure now Disney has pulled out of dubbing and distribution. On the flip side, I'm not quite sure if even Disney's magic touch made the Studio Ghibli films all that popular with many but animation enthusiasts.

[Sotiris]

The Studio Ghibli films aren't even distributed by Disney outside of the USA, so I don't know the exact extent this will affect European distribution.

I don't know about other territories but Disney distributes Ghibli films in France (both in theaters and on home video.) Regardless, GKIDS only has distribution rights for North America so it shouldn't affect any other deals overseas.

[ajmrowland]

you know what I really worry for? The continuation of the DVD line. Unless GKids is able to make blu-rays and make them available in every target across the country.

The reason being that so far, the releases of the "new" line have hinged on the latest theatrical release, and are never advertised on their own.

[Lnds500]

Where is it said that they won't continue to distribute the rest of the films? Disney has never been distributing all of the Ghibli films, that's nothing new.

[Sotiris]

Where is it said that they won't continue to distribute the rest of the films? Disney has never been distributing all of the Ghibli films, that's nothing new.

Well, it doesn't but ever since Spirited Away and Lasseter's involvement, Disney has been distributing all of the following Ghibli films.