Studio Ghibli Unveils Release Date of Hayao Miyazaki’s New Collection

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I’m a huge fan of Studio Ghibli, and honestly, Hayao Miyazaki is a legend! He’s directed so many of their most famous films, and he’s really brought Japanese animation to the world. What’s amazing is he’s not just a brilliant filmmaker, but a talented manga artist too – that’s pretty rare! He even made history as the first anime director to win an Oscar, and his movies still feel magical decades later. As one of the founders of Studio Ghibli, I truly believe he’s the heart and soul of everything they’ve achieved.

Founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, and Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli is known for creating many of the most popular animated films ever made. The studio frequently offers merchandise for its fans, and now they’re releasing the sixth collection of artwork from Miyazaki’s personal image boards.

Hayao Miyazaki’s Image Board Collection 6 Is Available For Pre-Order in Japan

This new collection features 178 illustrations inspired by two works from Miyazaki: the beloved 1995 film Whisper of the Heart and the 1995 song On Your Mark. Whisper of the Heart tells the story of a book-loving girl who discovers a new direction in life thanks to a mysterious cat statue. On Your Mark is a song by Chage and Aska, and Miyazaki created an experimental music video for it while he was struggling to write the screenplay for Princess Mononoke.

Fans loved the new video, which debuted just before Whisper of the Heart. A special collection of illustrations focusing on both films is coming soon, featuring never-before-seen artwork from Miyazaki that shows how the movies were made, including early ideas and experiments. Pre-orders began on Donguri Sora on May 1st, 2026, but initially, shipping was only available within Japan. The collection is officially launching in early to mid-June, and an international release is planned, so fans worldwide will be able to purchase it.

What to Expect From Studio Ghibli in 2026

Hayao Miyazaki is currently making a new movie, but his studio hasn’t revealed any information about it yet. He had planned to retire after his 2023 film, The Boy and the Heron, but continues to work despite being older and facing health challenges. In other news, Goro Miyazaki and Akihiko Yamashita are creating a short animated film for Ghibli Park.

The film will be shown at the Orion theater within the Ghibli Grand Warehouse starting July 8th. While the studio hasn’t announced any other anime releases for 2026 beyond this short film, fans can still enjoy the yearly Studio Ghibli Fest in North America, running from July to October.

After the popular IMAX showing of Princess Mononoke last March, IMAX and GKIDS are teaming up again to bring more Studio Ghibli films to the IMAX format. These versions will be specially created using new 4K restorations and supervised by Ghibli animator Atsushi Okui, who has worked on classics like Howl’s Moving Castle and The Boy and the Heron as a cinematographer and director of photography for many years.

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2026-05-08 04:40