Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki’s most beloved films will return again to U.S. theaters this year for GKIDS and Fathom Events’ annual Ghibli Fest.
The distributors announced today with a new trailer that the festivities will begin with a celebration of Princess Mononoke’s 25th anniversary in April. The film, released in 1997, was the fifth animated feature from the legendary Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki seventh as director. It will see two screenings of the English-language dub on April 3 and April 6, and one with Japanese-audio and English subtitles on April 4.
While Princess Mononoke set Japanese box office records upon its release, it remains the seventh highest-grossing anime film in the world, surpassed today by three other Studio Ghibli films, each returning to screens throughout the year. Ponyo, Miyazaki’s 2008 animated feature based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, makes a reappearance with dubbed screenings on May 15 and May 18 and a subbed screening on May 16.
The Oscar-nominated favorite, Howl’s Moving Castle, will come to theaters with dubbed screenings on Sept. 25 and 28 and a subbed screening on Sept. 26. Miyazaki’s legendary, Academy Award-winning Spirited Away closed out the festivities in October. Now the second highest-grossing anime film in the world, Spirited Away makes its theatrical return dubbed on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1 and subbed on Nov. 2.
Two non-Miyazaki films complete the slate, which also includes Kiki’s Delivery Service in July and August. Hiroyuki Morita’s The Cat Returns, a sequel to Yoshifumi Kondō Whisper of the Heart, celebrates its 20th anniversary for two nights in June. Both films are based on manga by Aoi Hiiragi. And Studio Ghibli co-founder and director Isao Takahata’s Only Yesterday will see two screenings in August for the film’s first nationwide theatrical release. Takahata, who passed away in 2018, would go on to direct the Oscar-nominated The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.
GKIDS, who holds the North American distribution rights to Studio Ghibli’s filmography
Tickets for each screening go on sale March 3.