Kiki's Delivery Service is in active theatrical re-release, with a 4K remaster playing in IMAX in North America, the UK, and Ireland, and a standard 4K release following in the UK. The film continues to chart in Japanese box office rankings.
Kiki's Delivery Service, the 1989 Studio Ghibli film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, is in the middle of a coordinated global re-release campaign centered on a new 4K remaster. The remaster opened in Japan in late June 2026, debuting at #6 with 173 million yen in three days. It remained in the top ten through mid-July, ranking #8 in its third weekend.
In North America, distributor GKIDS brought the 4K remaster to IMAX theaters on March 13, 2026, marking the first time the film has screened in the IMAX format. GKIDS described the film's sense of space and motion as well suited to the large format. The release is part of an ongoing partnership between GKIDS and IMAX to restore and show Ghibli titles in premium large-format theaters.
In July 2026, GKIDS acquired the rights to the 23-film Studio Ghibli library for the UK and Ireland. The first result of that deal was the announcement of Kiki's Delivery Service's first IMAX release in those territories, set for August 21, 2026, with a wider 4K theatrical release on August 28, 2026. GKIDS is working with sister company Anime Limited, the Glasgow-based distributor recently acquired by GKIDS' parent company Toho Global. Additional Ghibli titles slated for future IMAX releases in the UK and Ireland include Arrietty and Whisper of the Heart.
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Jul 21
Kiki's Delivery Service, the 1989 Studio Ghibli film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, will screen in IMAX theaters across the UK and Ireland starting August 21, 2026. The release is the first time the film has played on IMAX screens in those territories. Tickets are on sale now for both the original Japanese language with subtitles and the English dubbed version. The film has been newly remastered in 4K. A wider 4K theatrical release follows on August 28, 2026. The IMAX release is the first UK cinema outing for GKIDS after the distributor acquired the rights to the 23-film Studio Ghibli library earlier in July 2026. GKIDS is working with sister company Anime Limited, the Glasgow-based distributor recently acquired by GKIDS' parent company Toho Global. Additional Studio Ghibli titles slated for future IMAX releases in the UK and Ireland include Arrietty and Whisper of the Heart.
Jul 11
The live-action adaptation of Honobu Yonezawa's The Samurai and the Prisoner dropped to #4 in its third weekend at the Japanese box office. The 37th Anpanman film held at #5 in its second weekend. The 4K restoration of Kiki's Delivery Service ranked #8 in its third weekend. The new Sgt. Frog film opened at #10.
Jun 27
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie fell to #5 in its ninth weekend, earning 94 million yen. Kiki's Delivery Service's 4K remaster opened at #6 with 173 million yen in three days. Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway dropped to #7, while the live-action Mr. Osomatsu sequel fell to #9.
May 30
GKIDS is bringing a 4K remaster of Kiki's Delivery Service to IMAX theaters across North America on March 13. The 1989 Studio Ghibli film has never screened in the IMAX format before. The release is part of an ongoing partnership between GKIDS and IMAX to restore and show Ghibli titles in premium large-format theaters. The remastered presentation will be available in both the original Japanese with subtitles and the English dub. Tickets are on sale now in the U.S. and Canada. The collaboration was announced last year and has already produced several large-format Ghibli releases. The film's sense of space and motion is well suited to IMAX, according to the distributor, and the 4K remaster addresses visual imperfections from the original print.
May 16
The Princess of Asturias Foundation named Studio Ghibli the 2026 recipient of its Communication and Humanities prize on Wednesday. The award, often described as Spain's equivalent of a Nobel, carries a Joan Miro sculpture, a diploma, and 50,000 euros. A jury statement said the Tokyo studio transformed creativity into knowledge and communication, citing its hand-drawn craft, environmental themes, and complex female protagonists as a cultural bridge across generations. The ceremony is set for October in Oviedo, with King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia presiding. Ghibli is the first anime studio and the first pure animation recipient in the category's history. The honor follows the studio's 2024 honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes. Past winners include Margaret Atwood, Martin Scorsese, and Meryl Streep. Cartoonists Marjane Satrapi and Quino won earlier editions. The foundation's announcement did not specify which films the jury discussed, though the citation mentioned values of empathy, respect, friendship, and love of nature.