Theatrical rereleases of famed Japanese animation Studio Ghibli play across American cinemas in a sprawling annual festival, representing one of the few “brands” in motion pictures. Ghibli’s films have a cult-like following globally topped by “Spirited Away” that grossed a blockbuster $357 million in cinemas worldwide and won the 2002 Oscar for best animated feature.
What is the seventh annual Studio Ghibli Fest runs March through November booking playdates in 1,000 U.S. theaters at some point; there are about 2,300 U.S. theater locations. Last year, the Ghibli Fest movies grossed over $15 million in U.S./Canada cinemas (the “domestic” market).
Theaters are booked domestically by Fathom Events, which is a distributor of specialty content to cinemas. Fathom is owned by major cinema chains AMC, Regal and Cinemark (and the fest plays in other theaters). The Ghibli content is represented in the U.S. by New York-based Gkids. Earlier, Walt Disney Studio had a distribution/financing pact with Ghibli.
The annual festival is a retrospective of famed director Hayao Miyazaki’s work in anime.
It’s a great time for a cinema retrospective because the flow of mainstream movies from Hollywood contracted from last year’s labor strikes and also the hangover from the pandemic that interrupted production. The Studio Ghibli Fest is welcome because its films can fill cinema playdates in off-peak periods. Further, its segmented animation audience is inexpensive to market because of enthusiasm for the “brand.” Fathom wouldn’t discuss marketing.
The Ghibli films are stylized with a Japanese flavor that includes characters with big faces, animals that seem human-like, paranormal happenings, and an affinity for the natural world/ecology. Children and teenage characters also populate its movies. The films are presented in the original Japanese (subtitled) and dubbed for English speakers, depending on the chosen screening.
Ghibli releases are generally audience classified PG (parental guidance) for mild action in the United States, so no hard violence or other rough content. Adults are a big part of the fan base. The Cannes Film Festival honored Studio Ghibli with a special Palme D’or last year, which is its highest prize. Ghibli was founded in 1985.
The latest Ghibli cinema offering, “The Boy and the Heron,” was the No. 1 grossing movie at domestic cinemas for the Dec. 8-10 weekend with $13 million. “Heron” went on gross $48 million domestically, which is well above the $10 million benchmark for a domestic “artbuster,” meaning a blockbuster down-scaled financially for arty films. “Heron” finally collected $127 million in worldwide boxoffice (that incorporates the domestic take).
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