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Netflix Adds Ghibli's Earwig and the Witch Outside U.S., Japan on November 18

Netflix announced on Wednesday that it will add Earwig and the Witch, Goro Miyazaki's anime of Diana Wynne Jones' novel of the same name and Studio Ghibli's first CG feature, for users outside the United States and Japan on November 18. (Netflix's Studio Ghibli catalog as a whole is not available in the United States and Japan.)

Netflix also reported that 55 million households have streamed a Ghibli film on its service since last year.

Goro Miyazaki's anime adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones' novel of the same name premiered on Japanese television through NHK General on December 30 last year. His father and studio co-founder Hayao Miyazaki is credited for the movie's planning and development. Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki produced the film. French distributor Wild Bunch International is serving as the feature's international sales agent.

Jones published the novel in 2011, and publisher HarperCollins describes the story:

Not every orphan would love living at St. Morwald's Home for Children, but Earwig does. She gets whatever she wants, whenever she wants it, and it's been that way since she was dropped on the orphanage doorstep as a baby. But all that changes the day Bella Yaga and the Mandrake come to St. Morwald's, disguised as foster parents. Earwig is whisked off to their mysterious house full of invisible rooms, potions, and spell books, with magic around every corner. Most children would run in terror from a house like that . . . but not Earwig. Using her own cleverness—with a lot of help from a talking cat—she decides to show the witch who's boss.

The film was slated to open in theaters in Japan on April 29, but the film's opening was delayed due to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, finally opening on August 27.

GKIDS and Fathom Events began screening the film in 430 theaters in the United States on February 3. The film ranked at #11 in the United States in its opening weekend, earning US$99,941 for a total of US$132,768. The film screened in Japanese with English subtitles and in English. HBO Max began streaming the film on February 5 in the U.S. GKIDS releaseed the film on digital platforms on March 23 and on Blu-ray Disc on April 6.

Source: Press release