Studio Ghibli classic Kiki’s Delivery Service has been remastered in 4K, with cinemas across Australia and New Zealand screening the new version from 2 July.
The film will initially be available in IMAX – for the very first time in both countries – and will hit traditional cinemas from 9 July.
Kiki’s Delivery Service remastered – quick links
Revisiting Kiki’s Delivery Service
For those who haven’t seen Kiki’s Delivery Service, this new 4K remaster is a chance to catch an all-time classic of Japanese cinema, buoyed by the signature whimsy of director Hayao Miyazaki. Like other films in his repertoire, Kiki’s Delivery Service is a bright, hopeful movie about the power and independence gained from striking out on your own.
Here’s a quick rundown for those unfamiliar, courtesy of Sony and Crunchyroll:
‘It is a tradition for all young witches to leave their families on the night of a full moon and fly off into the wide world to learn their craft. When that night comes for Kiki, she embarks on her new journey with her sarcastic black cat, Jiji, landing the next morning in a seaside town, where her unique skills make her an instant sensation.’
4K remaster showcases Studio Ghibli’s ‘authentic craftsmanship’
For those who love the film already, the re-release is a chance to revisit it with all the enhancements that a 4K remaster offers – brighter colours, sharper lines, and more dynamic movement. Per distributor Sony, this version of the film has been remastered with a view to showcase the ‘authentic craftsmanship of Studio Ghibli’s intricate hand-drawn artwork’.
Notably, the re-release will be shown in two forms: the original Japanese with English subtitles, and the English dub featuring Kirsten Dunst, Janeane Garofalo, Phil Hartman, Tress MacNeille and Debbie Reynolds.
Tickets for the screenings in IMAX and traditional cinemas will be available shortly. At this stage, the length of the run for Kiki’s Delivery Service in Australia and New Zealand is yet to be confirmed, but we do expect it to be fairly short, with sessions in high demand.
If you’re keen to visit or revisit the film, you’ll need to keep an eye on your local cinema listings.
The 4K remaster of Kiki’s Delivery Service is in Australian and New Zealand cinemas from 2 July.
Also on ScreenHub: Studio Ghibli films improve your mental health, new study says
Young people are more anxious than ever, but a new study suggests that the gentle magic of Studio Ghibli films could actively combat the brain-scaries. Published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, the study surveyed 518 postgraduate students and found significant links between watching Ghibli films and an improved sense of calm, mastery, purpose and meaning.
The study also looked at whether playing open world games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild could have the same effect on mood – and lo and behold, it did. The researchers set out to explore a simple question: can forms of entertainment often dismissed as ‘just games’ or ‘children’s films’ meaningfully improve mental wellbeing? According to their findings, the answer is a resounding ‘yes’.
Participants were divided into four groups – some played Breath of the Wild, some watched animated films like My Neighbour Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service, some did both, and a control group did neither. Those who played the game reported higher levels of life happiness than those who didn’t. More strikingly, when gameplay was paired with the nostalgic pull of Ghibli films, the effect became even stronger.
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