They are some of the most critically acclaimed films ever made and one has even won an Oscar - but there's a good chance you've never seen a Studio Ghibli film.

That could all be set to change with today's announcement that the vast majority of the cult Japanese animation studio's back catalogue will be available to stream on Netflix starting from the beginning of next month.

The American entertainment giant revealed it will be releasing the 21 animated movies in three batches across the world, with the exception of the US, Canada and Japan.

They will be subtitled in 28 languages, and dubbed in up to 20 languages.

The full list includes the Academy Award-winning "Spirited Away", as well as the studio's most recent feature-length creation, "When Marnie Was There".

It's fair to say the internet has reacted positively to the news.

 

Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by Japanese animated film directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki.

Its newest film, How Do You Live?, will be released this year.

Toshio Suzuki, Producer at Studio Ghibli, said: "In this day and age, there are various great ways a film can reach audiences.

"We’ve listened to our fans and have made the definitive decision to stream our film catalogue.

"We hope people around the world will discover the world of Studio Ghibli through this experience."

The second set of seven films will be released on March 1, with the final seven coming out on April 1.

Aram Yacoubian, Director of Original Animation at Netflix, said: "This is a dream come true for Netflix and millions of our members.

"Studio Ghibli's animated films are legendary and have enthralled fans around the world for over 35 years.

"We're excited to make them available in more languages across Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia - so that more people can enjoy this whimsical and wonderful world of animation."

A full list of the films and when they will be released is below:

February 1:

Castle in the Sky (1986) 

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

Only Yesterday (1991)

Porco Rosso (1992)

Ocean Waves (1993)

Tales from Earthsea (2006)

March 1:

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Princess Mononoke (1997)

My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)

Spirited Away (2001)

The Cat Returns (2002)

Arrietty (2010)

The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)

April 1:

Pom Poko (1994)

Whisper of the Heart (1995)

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2008)

From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)

The Wind Rises (2013)

When Marnie Was There (2014)