Mark your calendars, because Studio Ghibli fans have exactly two days to prepare themselves. On May 19, 2026, The Secret World of Arrietty returns to North American IMAX screens in a stunning newly remastered 4K version — and this might be the theatrical event anime fans did not see coming this spring.
If you thought the Studio Ghibli IMAX revival was slowing down after Princess Mononoke shattered box office records to become the second-highest-grossing vault release in IMAX history, think again. GKIDS and IMAX are doubling down with not one but two more remastered classics, and Arrietty is arguably the one that deserves the biggest screen treatment the most.
Why Arrietty on IMAX Is a Bigger Deal Than You Think
Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi in his feature directorial debut, The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) is often called one of the most visually sumptuous films in the entire Studio Ghibli library. Every frame is packed with microscopic detail — dewdrops the size of balloons, sugar cubes towering like furniture, and lush gardens that feel like entire forests. On a standard screen, some of that beauty gets lost. On an IMAX screen? Every leaf, every thread, every ray of sunlight becomes a painting.
The film adapts Mary Norton beloved novel The Borrowers, telling the story of Arrietty — a tiny fourteen-year-old borrower who lives concealed beneath the floorboards of a suburban home with her parents Homily and Pod. When a sickly human boy named Shawn discovers her, their forbidden friendship becomes the emotional core of a story that is equal parts whimsical and deeply poignant.
The screenplay was crafted by none other than Hayao Miyazaki alongside Keiko Niwa, giving the film that unmistakable Ghibli sensibility — quiet moments of wonder woven into a narrative about connection, courage, and letting go.
The 4K Remaster: Who Is Behind the Magic
The remastering process is being overseen by Atsushi Okui, a Studio Ghibli veteran whose relationship with the studio stretches all the way back to Porco Rosso in 1992. He most recently served as director of digital imaging on Miyazaki Academy Award-winning masterpiece The Boy and the Heron — the very first Ghibli film to receive an IMAX release. If anyone understands how to translate Ghibli hand-drawn artistry into a format this massive, it is him.
This is part of an ongoing GKIDS-IMAX collaboration that has already delivered remastered versions of Whisper of the Heart (released April 21 in IMAX) and Kiki Delivery Service (March 13). Both Arrietty and Whisper of the Heart will screen in their original Japanese language with subtitles as well as in English-dubbed versions.
The English voice cast for Arrietty is stacked: Bridgit Mendler voices Arrietty herself, with David Henrie as Shawn, Amy Poehler as Homily, Will Arnett as Pod, Moises Arias as Spiller, and Carol Burnett in a memorable supporting role. That ensemble alone makes the dubbed version worth catching for families who want the full big-screen experience.
How Arrietty Fits Into 2026 Massive Anime Movie Year
Arrietty returning to theaters is just one piece of what is shaping up to be an absolutely stacked year for anime films. Science SARU just dropped a jaw-dropping trailer for their new Ghost in the Shell film that has the internet absolutely obsessed. Kyoto Animation announced The Credits Roll Into the Sea, a film about a sixty-five-year-old going to film school that brought half of Twitter to tears. And Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Part 2 is already dominating conversations even though it skips 2026 entirely.
Meanwhile, Tekkonkinkreet gets its own theatrical re-release on May 31 — giving anime movie fans essentially back-to-back theatrical experiences through the end of May. Attack on Titan THE LAST ATTACK also screens in a special 4K one-night-only event on May 18, just one day before Arrietty opens.
Basically, May 2026 is an embarrassment of riches for anyone who loves animated cinema. Check out our roundup of 6 anime movies hitting theaters in H2 2026 that you absolutely cannot miss for more upcoming theatrical treats.
When and Where to Watch
The Secret World of Arrietty 4K IMAX opens May 19, 2026 across IMAX theaters in the United States and Canada. The film runs 1 hour and 35 minutes and is rated G — making it one of the rare anime-adjacent theatrical experiences you can bring literally anyone to.
Tickets are already selling through Fandango and IMAX directly. Given how fast Princess Mononoke sold out during its IMAX run, waiting until the last minute might mean missing out entirely.
Is This the Best Ghibli Movie for IMAX?
Here is the hot take nobody asked for: Arrietty might actually be the BEST Studio Ghibli film to experience on an IMAX screen. Not Spirited Away. Not Princess Mononoke. Arrietty.
The entire visual language of the film is about scale and perspective. Seeing a world from three inches tall on the biggest screen technology available is the kind of irony that makes this re-release genuinely special. The lush backgrounds, the way light filters through glass jars and teacups, the extraordinary sense of depth in every garden scene — all of that is engineered to feel immersive. IMAX just happens to be the most immersive format we have.
And with GKIDS running their annual Ghibli Fest program across over 1,000 venues nationwide since 2017, this IMAX release might be just the beginning of an even wider theatrical push later this year.
What Do You Think?
Is The Secret World of Arrietty your favorite underrated Studio Ghibli film? Are you catching it in IMAX, or are you waiting for the eventual 4K Blu-ray release? And most importantly — do you agree that this might be the most visually stunning Ghibli movie to experience on a massive screen?
Drop your thoughts below. We want to hear from the Ghibli fans who have been waiting for this one.
