So Studio Ghibli has lost the rights to theatrically release 13 of the Studio Ghibli films they own. However, they still get DVD rights I believe. GKids is the new owner of the theatrical rights, and they’re already planning to rerelease some of the movies at film festivals/ events. They don’t have Grave of the Firefliesas that is owned by somebody else.
The deal covers all Ghibli movies released from Nausicaa to The Cat Returns. So no Howl, Ponyo or Earthsea. Presumably Arrietty is still in Disney’s hands in the states.
However, what interests me is the fact that one of the properties they have purchased is Only Yesterday, which to my understanding has never had an official release in the states. So hopefully it will get a proper release over there, as Disney apparently didn’t want anything to do with it.
I was going to make a topic of this, but it seems most people are beating me to the punch with a few things. Will this deal also get the ghibli films for a regular theatrical release? If not, its a shame because it would be a treat. Was there any given reason why Only yesterday wasn’t released? According to wikipedia it was aired in 2006 on the Turner Classic Movie channel.
It wasn’t directed by Miyazki, who tends to be the only Studio Ghibli director who is well-known in the states. Takahata retired before Ghibli got big over there, so none of his movies recieved the kind of treatment Howl or Spirited Away got.
It’s not a fantasy, so it probably wouldn’t sell as well as, say, Spirited Away, which is the kind of film people tend to expect from Ghibli.
There is a fairly long segment of the movie that deals with the protagonist and her classmates learning about puberty. They spend at least 10 minutes of the film showing the girls worrying about periods whilst the boys tease them. Disney might not want to risk provoking some angry parents who would get offended by this.
There’s a scene where [spoil]the protagonist (as a child) is slapped in the face by her father. Whilst it isn’t treated positively, it isn’t considered abusive. This could be considered problematic if a younger audience were to see it and get the wrong idea about what is appropraite in a parent/ child relationship. The scene makes sense in the movie, as it is set in the 60s, but still, Disney have an image they’d like to uphold.[/spoil]
Unlike most Ghibli movies, the protagonist is a woman in her late twenties. She spends most of the movie reflecting on her childhood, and farming. It is probably the least marketable of all of Ghibli’s films in the USA. It’s not exactly designed for kids, although they might still enjoy it. Genre-wise it’s very unusual for an anaimated film (in English-speaking countries at least), which might make it a hard sell, as a lot of drama fans might not pay attention to foreign, animated movies, and a lot of animation fans might be put off by its more realistic approach.
I don’t think a concrete reason has ever been given, but those tend to be the main assumptions.
I think it’s nice that some of the older movies will be reshown in cinemas. In London they occassionally have special screenings, and I hope all the American Ghibli fans out there will get to see some of their favourites on the big screen
See, this has always seemed really insane to me concerning the American entertainment market. I’ve yet to see the film myself, but I’ve heard the scenes about periods described in good detail, and while it certainly would be awkward, it’s a perfectly normal bodily condition every biological female goes through. I don’t understand why referencing their existence is more suggestive than bloody violence. Our country’s standards are just…wow.
I have to admit that I was initially surprised when I saw this news as I too think Disney does an excellent job with the Ghibli movies—their dubs are some of the best in business; I can’t watch any of these movies in their Japanese tracks anymore because I think these dubs are so good. But once I learned that it was just a case of the older movies getting the theatrical release they deserve (and let’s face it, Disney isn’t going to spend a lot of money on releasing movies that appeal only to a niche audience in theaters; particularly older ones) I was OK with it. I’d really like to see Disney continue their partnership with Ghibli; it’s probably the best thing that’s ever happened to them in years.
Our country’s standards are just…wow.