Studio Ghibli's Kiki's Delivery Service / Grave Of Fireflies To be Released on Doubleplay July

Studiocanal have announced this July will see them release Studio Ghibli's latest Double Play on Blu Ray, Kiki's Delivery Service and Grave Of The Fireflies

The re-releases of the classic animes is to coincide with upgrading the great films to blu ray and you can add this upcoming release from 1st July.

KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE out on Double Play on July 1st
It’s witch meets world, as teenage Kiki chooses to live on her own in a new town, using her magical powers to get by. But Kiki is poor with potions and second-rate at spells- instead, she sets up a courier service, using her broomstick to deliver everything from pies to pets. At first with only her sarcastic cat Jiji for company, she soon discovers that she has more friends than she ever thought possible.

Adapted by Hayao Miyazaki from the children’s book by Eiko Kadono, KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE is one of the best-loved animated features in Japan and elsewhere.

Featuring the voices of Kirsten Dunst, Janeane Garofalo and Debbie Reynolds, Kiki’s Delivery Service is superb entertainment from start to finish.

Extras: Complete Feature Length Storyboards / Ursula’s Painting / Creating Kiki’s Delivery Service (new!) / Kiki & Jiji (new!) / Flying with Kiki & Beyond (new!) / Producer’s Perspective: Collaborating with Miyazaki (new!) / The Locations of Kiki (new!) / Beyond the Microphone (new!) / Original Japanese Theatrical Trailers / Studio Ghibli Trailer Reel



GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES out on Double Play on July 1st
Set in Japan during World War II, the film focuses on Seita and his little sister Setsuko. After their mother is killed in an air raid and with their father serving in the navy, they are forced to fight for survival in the devastated Japanese countryside. Food and shelter are scarce, and even their own relatives are too concerned with their own survival. Allthey have is each other and their belief that life must carry on.
Takahata and his team, including character animator Yoshifumi Kondo (who has subsequently worked on other acclaimed Ghibli films from director Hayao Miyazaki) have created a visually stunning and emotionally powerful film and that meditates on the devastating consequences of war and has rightly earned a reputation as an anime classic.

Featuring the voices of J Robert Spencer, Rhoda Chrosite, Veronica Taylor and Amy Jones.

Extras: Interview with Director Isao Takahata / Japanese Release Promo Featuring Interview with Director Isao Takahata and Writer Akiyuki Nosaka / Deleted Scenes Storyboards (some new!) / Interview with Film Critic Roger Ebert / Historical Perspective Documentary / Trailers



We will be reviewing the films closer to the time, stay tuned for that review

My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies to get a 25th anniversary cinema release

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the release of Studio Ghibli’s acclaimed masterpieces GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES and MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO, STUDIOCANAL are delighted to announce a nationwide theatrical release with a chance to experience a recreation of the original Japanese double-bill feature that first launched these anime classics. An arresting combination from Studio Ghibli’s founding fathers: Hayao Miyazaki’s MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO, a lyrical fantasy about benevolent forest spirits and Isao Takahata’s GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES, the heartbreaking tale of two children’s struggle to survive their firebombed city in World War 2, were launched together in 1988, showcasing the breadth of the anime powerhouse’s range of vision. Seemingly almost polar opposites in subject matter, Miyazaki’s gentle fable and Takahata’s grittier wartime adaptation both perfectly encapsulate the studio’s signature motif: its evocation of the wonder and innocence of childhood with their leading young protagonists, and showcase perfectly its defining style impressionistic imagery.

GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES
Set in Japan during World War II, GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES focuses on Seita and his little sister Setsuko. After their mother I skilled in an air raid, and with their father serving in the navy, they are forced to fight for survival in the devastated Japanese countryside. Food and shelter are scarce, and even their own relatives are too concerned with their own survival. All they have is each other and their belief that life must carry on. Takahata and his team, including character animator Yoshifumi Kondo, have created a visually stunning and emotionally powerful meditation on the devastating consequences of war.


MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO [read our blu-ray review]
While their mother recovers from an illness, Satsuki and her little sister Mei get away from it all in an idyllic rural retreat. Far from the bustle of the city, they discover a mysterious place of spirits and magic, and the friendship of the Totoro woodland creatures. Conceived as a family film devoid of conflict and suffused with the joy of country living, MY NEIGHBOUR TOTOR is a masterpiece for the whole family, uniting the unique vision of Hayao Miyazaki with a feel-good tale of childlike wonder and true originality



Grave Of The Fireflies and My Neighbour Totoro will be released in UK cinemas from next Friday 24th May.