Anime Limited Reveal First Studio Ghibli Collector's Editions
Now, Anime Limited has announced the details of the first wave of films to get this treatment. They are starting with three classics directed by Hayao Miyazaki. My Neighbour Totoro, Porco Rosso and Spirited Away will all be released on December 7, 2026. Each film is being released on standard Blu-Ray, DVD, Blu-Ray/DVD Steelbook and Blu-Ray/DVD Collector's Edition.
The majority of these are self-explanatory. The Steelbook editions notably feature different artwork from GKIDS/Shout Factory's recently released US editions. What do you get for the Collector's Editions? All three films feature the same physical extras. Each Collector's Edition comes housed in a large box, with big, beautiful artwork on the cover, front and back. Inside, you'll find a Steelbook with the film on both Blu-Ray and DVD, four art cards featuring stills from the film, an A3 poster and a booklet (number of pages varies). Each Collector's Edition retails at £49.99, but Anime Limited is running an early bird offer until November 5, where you can order them directly from their store for a more wallet-friendly £34.99.
The extras are surely nice to have, but whether it's worth stumping up the extra cash or not is up to you. It's not like it's a step-up to 4K or anything. It's perhaps not enough to justify a double-dip if you already own the film. But if you don't already have them, this is the most deluxe version you can buy. At one point, StudioCanal offered Special Editions of select Ghibli films that also included their hardback Art Books. This isn't quite that, but these are still very attractive looking releases.
On-disc extras seem to be identical to previous releases, and include various featurettes, trailers and full-length storyboards. The extras are the same on all Blu-Ray editions, but may vary on DVD.
If you've been living under a rock for 40 years, these are three of Miyazaki and Ghibli's most important films. 1988's My Neighbour Totoro is perhaps their most iconic, giving the studio its mascot and inspiring tons of merchandise. It depicts young sisters Mei and Satsuki moving to rural Japan in the 1950s. There they discover a world of forest spirits only they can see, including the giant King Totoro and the one-and-only Catbus. Porco Rosso, released in 1992, features grumpy pilot Marco, who has been mysteriously transformed into a pig. Working as a bounty hunter, he chases pirates across the Adriatic Sea. Spirited Away is the 2001 classic that won Miyazaki his first Oscar and reigned as Japan's highest-ever-grossing film for nearly 20 years. 10-year-old Chihiro is transported into the Spirit World, where she is employed at the Bathhouse for the Spirits. Somehow, she must avoid being discovered as a human and work out how to save her parents, who have been turned into pigs.
We can assume there are plans to give the Collector's Edition treatment to the entire Ghibli collection, and that they will most likely take the same format. It will probably exclude The Boy And The Heron (which was released by Elysian in the UK) and Grave Of The Fireflies (which is covered by a separate deal to the rest of the catalogue). Ghibli co-production The Red Turtle might also not be included in the deal.
Release dates for the next wave of titles will be revealed soon. Expect the releases to continue throughout 2027. There are also plans to release further 4K restorations of Studio Ghibli films in IMAX and regular cinemas, although which titles will be included has not yet been announced. Anime Limited and GKIDS have already released Kiki's Delivery Service, Whisper Of The Heart and Arrietty in IMAX this year. Princess Mononoke was also released in IMAX stateside, where it became the highest-grossing vault release for the company. It wouldn't be crazy to assume it might get a UK release, sooner or later.
Keep an eye on Anime Limited's socials for announcements of further Ghibli releases. The official Studio Ghibli merchandise pop-up store Maison Ghibli has recently returned to London. Studio Ghibli's catalogue is also available to stream in the UK on Netflix.
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