Studio Ghibli’s first fully 3D CGI film, Earwig and the Witch, will be streaming on Netflix starting 18 November. The legendary Japanese animation studio is proudly expanding the existing film catalogue available on Netflix globally (excluding US and Japan).
“We’re incredibly fortunate to continue expanding the Studio Ghibli film lineup on Netflix by streaming Earwig and the Witch. The highly anticipated new film of Goro Miyazaki will bring a fresh perspective to the wildly popular Studio Ghibli films. In countries and territories where we stream Studio Ghibli films (excluding US and Japan), 55M households have chosen to watch a Studio Ghibli film on Netflix since 2020, and that number will only continue to grow. We’ve been blown away by the positive reactions from viewers everywhere, proving that stories can come from anywhere, and can be loved everywhere,” said Netflix animation film director Aram Yacoubian.
The latest movie Earwig and the Witch tells the story of a headstrong young girl, who grew up in an orphanage and her life changes dramatically when a strange couple takes her in, and she is forced to live with a selfish witch.
The story is based on a novel of the same name by English writer Diana Wynne Jones. It is directed by Goro Miyazaki accompanied by planning done by his Academy Award winning father Hayao Miyazaki. Keiko Niwa and Emi Gunji were responsible for the screenplay.
“We’re thrilled that our film Earwig and the Witch will reach many countries and territories through Netflix. The film is Studio Ghibli’s first fully 3D CGI film which prompted us with an exciting challenge to reflect the spirit and pride of our studio using this new artform. Through that experience we met Earwig, our rebellious protagonist who grows to overcome difficulties with her wits and relentless energy. We hope you will come to love our Earwig, just like you enjoyed spending time with the main characters in our last 21 films. Today, the world is forced to continue its journey into a chaotic era. We hope this film will inspire our children who live long into the future,” said the show’s director Miyazaki.
Earwig and the Witch will join the list of cult films like My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke or the Academy Award-winning Spirited Away. It will soon be available to fans across the world and in over 30 languages, including Japanese, English, Mandarin, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai in addition to many more languages available in subtitles.
The full Studio Ghibli lineup available on Netflix are:
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
- Castle in the Sky (1986)
- My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
- Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
- Only Yesterday (1991)
- Porco Rosso (1992)
- Ocean Waves (1993)
- Pom Poko (1994)
- Whisper of the Heart (1995)
- Princess Mononoke (1997)
- My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
- Spirited Away (2001)
- The Cat Returns (2002)
- Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
- Tales from Earthsea (2006)
- Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2008)
- Arrietty (2010)
- From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
- The Wind Rises (2013)
- The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)
- When Marnie Was There (2014)
- Earwig and the Witch (2020)