Disney bringing more Studio Ghibli Japanese animated films to Blu-ray in May

It had been rumored and now it seems an early retailer alert has confirmed the upcoming Blu-ray Disc releases and release date (May 22nd) for three more Studio Ghibli Japanese animated films being brought stateside by Disney — with English voice casts. The three films (in alphabetical order) are: “Castle in the Sky” from 1986, “The Secret World of Arrietty” from 2010 and “Whisper of the Heart” from 1995. Most folks will know this studio for being the creators of films like “Spirited Away” and “Ponyo” — the latter of which came to Blu-ray back in 2010. Tech specs (it appears) for the three releases will include full 1080p Hi-Def video with (it seems both) JAPANESE & ENGLISH language DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound — although not yet 100% confirmed, this is just based on retailer listings. The three titles are all already available for PRE-ORDER over at Amazon with “Castle in the Sky” carrying a $27.99 price tag, “The Secret World of Arrietty” carrying a $35.99 price tag and “Whisper of the Heart” carrying a $27.99 price tag. All three of these releases will come in the form of a “combo pack” with a DVD also included. The bonus materials (although not yet 100% confirmed, again just based on retailer listings) are set to include the following listed below; with the exception of one film. Stay tuned for any updates.
“Castle in the Sky” bonus materials:
- Character Sketches
- Introduction By John Lasseter
- Original Japanese Storyboards
- “Behind The Studio: Explore The Movie’s Fantastic World – The World Of Laputa”
- “Creating Castle In The Sky”
- “Producer’s Perspective: Meeting Miyazaki”
- “Scoring Miyazaki”
- Original Japanese Trailers
- “Behind The Microphone”
“The Secret World Of Arrietty” bonus materials:
- Storyboard Presentation of the Film
- Original Trailers and TV Commercials
- Cecile Corbel Music Video
- “Summertime” Music Video by Bridgit Mendler
- “Behind the Scenes of the ‘Summertime’ Music Video”