IMAX Corporation and GKIDS have announced an expanded partnership that will bring additional Studio Ghibli 4K restorations to North American IMAX locations beginning in 2026 and continuing thereafter. The deal builds on the success of the March 2025 4K re‑release of Princess Mononoke, which generated an estimated $4 million over its opening weekend in U.S. IMAX theaters and became the second‑highest‑grossing vault release for the company.
The new titles will be remastered in 4K by Studio Ghibli’s long‑time digital imaging lead, Atsushi Okui, who oversaw the restoration of Princess Mononoke and served as Director of Digital Imaging on The Boy and the Heron, the first Studio Ghibli film to screen in IMAX. Okui’s work ensures that each film retains the original visual fidelity while taking full advantage of IMAX’s high‑resolution projection system.
From a business perspective, the partnership represents a strategic diversification of IMAX’s content portfolio. By securing exclusive rights to high‑quality, culturally resonant titles, IMAX can attract new audience segments and reinforce its position as the premier platform for premium cinematic experiences. The partnership is expected to drive incremental revenue in the Content Solutions segment, which already saw a 34% year‑over‑year increase in Q4 2024, and to enhance brand equity through association with a globally beloved animation studio.
Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, said the collaboration “builds on our strong foundation with Studio Ghibli and positions IMAX to meet the growing demand for premium animated content at scale.” Eric Beckman, CEO of GKIDS, added that the expanded relationship “will bring more of Studio Ghibli’s celebrated titles to IMAX, offering fans an unparalleled visual experience.”
The partnership will be distributed exclusively through IMAX’s global network of 1,829 systems operating in 89 countries, giving the restored films access to a broad international audience and reinforcing IMAX’s global reach.
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