Studio Ghibli Turns 40: Retrospectives, New Series, and a Los Angeles Exhibition

Studio Ghibli officially celebrates its 40th anniversary on June 15, 2025, marking four decades since its founding by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Toshio Suzuki, and Yasuyoshi Tokuma in 1985. The studio's co-founder Toshio Suzuki received an honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival last year, a historic first for a group rather than an individual. Early films like My Neighbor Totoro, Grave of the Fireflies, and Castle in the Sky achieved moderate success, but Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) became Japan's top-grossing film that year. International breakthrough came with Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl's Moving Castle; Spirited Away won the Golden Bear at Berlin in 2002 and the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2003. The latest film, The Boy and the Heron (2024), continues the studio's ascent. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles will host a retrospective on Ponyo on the Cliff (2008) starting February 14, 2026, focusing on Miyazaki's preparatory work and animation techniques. In Italy, Rai Gulp will broadcast the series Ronja the Robber's Daughter, directed by Goro Miyazaki and co-produced by Polygon Pictures, based on Astrid Lindgren's novel, airing 26 episodes in 2025.