Each year, Studio Ghibli's top movies are shown in theaters throughout the U.S. as part of GKIDS' annual Ghibli Fest event. The lineup is typically headlined by classics like My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and more. Each film is shown over a brief period of time lasting anywhere from a couple of days to a week, before it's removed and replaced with the next beloved title.

From year to year, the lineup features minimal changes, but fans will now have the chance to see Ghibli's saddest movie, Grave of the Fireflies, on the big screen for the first time in seven years. Now that it's been out of theaters for some time, fans anticipated the addition of 2023's The Boy and the Heron to the Ghibli Fest lineup, but few expected the 1988 tragic war film to be screening among the studio's other greatest works. It will be a rare opportunity for Ghibli fans to have their hearts shattered in the theater setting.

The Grave of the Fireflies Is Screening as Part of Ghibli Fest 2025

Fans Have a Rare Chance to See Ghibli's Saddest Film on the Big Screen

Studio Ghibli is known for the often lighthearted coming-of-age drama that defines their biggest hits. The recipe of young protagonists facing very real issues lined with elements of fantasy has been an effective one for anime's most iconic studio, and can be found in legendary director Hayao Miyazaki's most celebrated movies. In the case of Isao Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies, however, tragic real-world horrors take center stage.

The film follows 14-year-old Seita and 4-year-old Setsuko as the siblings are forced to survive on their own in a war-torn Japan, after their mother is killed during an air raid. A harrowing look at what the people of Japan endured during the latter stages of World War II, Grave of the Fireflies stands out in Ghibli's catalog for just how brutally tragic a movie it is. Fans won't want to miss out on the film, which lands in theaters on August 10-12, but it would be smart to come equipped with a box of tissues.

Ghibli Fest 2025 Will Bring Other Notable Changes

A Few of Studio Ghibli's Biggest Works Are Missing From the Lineup

Fans might have noticed that Ghibli Fest 2025's roster is a bit shorter than usual, with eight movies taking up the entire lineup from May to October. The additions of Grave of the Fireflies and The Boy and the Heron seem to have led to the subtractions of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Castle in the Sky, which have been mainstays for as long as Ghibli Fest has been around. Princess Mononoke is also missing from the lineup, though it just spent several weeks in theaters for a special IMAX showing.

The fan-favorite Whisper of the Heart, a new addition to last year's Ghibli Fest, will also not be included in the festivities. Nevertheless, Studio Ghibli fans will have the opportunity to watch Grave of the Fireflies in U.S. theaters for the first time in nearly a decade, as the film will be shown for three days later this summer.