Ghibli classic Kiki's Delivery Service getting new live-action adaptation

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Published Jun 16, 2026, 10:13 AM EDT

It'll be based on the first book in Eiko Kadono's series

Kiki, an anime girl with black hair and a red bow on top, rides a broom over a European-style cityscape in Studio Ghibli’s Kiki’s Delivery Service.

Kiki's Delivery Service is flying between mediums as Studio Ghibli's animated classic heads to the small screen for a TV series adaptation. BBC Studios Kids & Family, Wheel in Motion, and Kadokawa Corporation are partnering to bring it to life.

Studio Ghibli's Kiki's Delivery Service is based on Eiko Kadono's 1985 novel of the same name, the first in a six-book series. The live-action series will be based on the first book and is currently planned for 10 half-hour episodes.

The 1989 film adaptation is considered one of Studio Ghibli's best movies. It follows Kiki, a young witch setting out on her own (well, with her talking cat Jiji). In a new town among new faces, she opens a courier business while growing up and growing more independent. We're drawn to its exploration of adolescent loneliness and its examination of creativity. The moment where Kiki learns to fly again is one of the best scenes from any of Ghibli's works.

"Kiki is one of fiction’s great girl characters and I’m thrilled to be part of bringing her to life in this new adaptation," series writer Irena Brignull said (via Variety). "Embodying the magic that exists in re-invention and human connection, she shows us what’s possible when you venture boldly and big-heartedly into the world to find a sense of purpose."

This won't be the first time Kadono's Kiki's Delivery Service novel has been adapted for live-action. A 2014 live-action film adapted the novel, though it wasn't very well received at the time.

In fact, this won't be the first time one of Studio Ghibli's famed films gets a live-action adaptation. A few of the studio's films have been adapted for the stage, like Spirited Away and, most recently, My Neighbor Totoro.