Throughout the next five years, Studio Ghibli is set to work with Singapore’s mm2 Entertainment to redistribute Hayao Miyazaki’s renowned anime favorites in movie theaters spanning around Southeast Asia. 

This deal was recently made public on Thursday where the two companies shared that mm2 would release twenty one of Ghibli’s films. Some of these films include 75th Academy Award winner Spirited Away, as well as, Howl’s Moving Castle and My Neighbor Totoro. These movies will be released throughout Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, and Cambodia. 

This plan persists with Ghibli’s use of its successful and extensive collection of films as a way to reach a new generation of moviegoers while also seeing a good profit. This is seen with what they accomplished in China after making Studio Ghibli’s films viewable in theaters again, earning tens of millions. My Neighbor Totoro earned $26 million through its Chinese release in 2018 while Spirited Away made $69 million the following year. 

Mm2 stated that they will release the first Studio Ghibli films in Southeast Asia later this year. The marketing and distribution of these films will be handled by mm2 Asia which is managed in Singapore and Malaysia. Chang Long Jong, group CEO of mm2 Asia, spoke about the new deal made with Studio Ghibli: “Studio Ghibli’s films are renowned worldwide for their artistry, storytelling, and emotional resonance. This partnership allows us to bring these beloved classics to Southeast Asian audiences, where they can be enjoyed on the big screen as intended. We are confident that this collaboration will introduce a new generation of fans to the world of Studio Ghibli.”

Studio Ghibli has been thriving lately. This past May at the Cannes Film Festival the studio was awarded with an honorary Palme d’Or. Furthermore, Miyazaki’s latest film, The Boy and the Heron made a huge splash at the global box office last year, garnering $250 million, before winning best animated feature at the Academy Awards. Singapore will also be introducing a “World of Studio Ghibli” at the ArtScience Museum for fans to get a full experience of the films. 

Studio Ghibli’s determination to reach more people and countries with their characters and stories comes from their love of having their films being enjoyed by everyone. Now that this deal has been signed they will be able to show their work to children and families of the new generation.