Japan’s Studio Ghibli is teaming up with Singapore’s mm2 Entertainment to re-release Hayao Miyazaki’s beloved animated classic in cinemas across Southeast Asia over the next five years.
The distribution agreement announced by the two companies on Thursday will see mm2 distribute 21 of Ghibli’s iconic films, including fan favorites such as Spirited Away, howl’s moving castle and my neighbor chinchillaspanning seven regions: Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Cambodia.
The plan continues Ghibli’s highly profitable use of its library in recent years. The company has followed a similar strategy in mainland China, earning tens of millions of dollars by bringing Miyazaki’s works to a new generation of Chinese moviegoers. master’s my neighbor chinchilla The 2018 re-release in China earned $26 million, followed by Spirited Away It grossed $69 million at the box office in 2019.
Mm2 says the first titles from the Studio Ghibli library will get the re-release treatment in Southeast Asia later this year. The company’s parent company, mm2 Asia, which operates theater chains in Singapore and Malaysia, will be directly responsible for the marketing and distribution of Ghibli works. In other markets, it will work with partners.
“Studio Ghibli’s films are renowned around the world for their artistry, storytelling and emotional resonance,” said Zhang Longzhong, CEO of mm2 Asia Group. “This partnership allows us to bring these beloved classics to Southeast Asian audiences so they can enjoy them on the big screen as intended. We believe this collaboration will bring a new generation of fans into Ghibli’s work room world.
Ghibli has been enjoying a bit of a lucky win lately. The studio further cemented its status as a global cultural icon when it won the honorary Palme d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May. And Hayao Miyazaki’s latest movie, boy and heronLast year’s global box office exceeded 250 million US dollars, and it later won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film. In Singapore, the upcoming “World of Studio Ghibli” exhibition at the Singapore ArtScience Museum will further introduce unique experiences to the studio’s stories and characters to fans in the region.
“Many tourists from Southeast Asia come to the Mitaka Ghibli Museum and Ghibli Park [near Nagoya] Every day,” said Junichi Nishioka, Ghibli Vice President of International Publishing. “Recently, Hayao Miyazaki won the prestigious Magsaysay Award (often referred to as the ‘Asian Nobel Prize’). We feel that our films are loved by more Asians than before. I am very happy that through this The opportunity to bring our work to more people, as well as children born in the future.
