Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a rerelease
    • ex. There is a rerelease of “My Neighbor Totoro” at the movie theater.
  2. a fandom
    • ex. The boy group’s global fandom organized a huge event to celebrate their new album.
  3. box-office
    • ex. Cinema owners were very happy with the high box-office sales this month.
  4. account for
    • ex. Electric cars now account for about 20% of new car sales in the country.
  5. a streaming service
    • ex. It is very convenient to use a streaming service because you can watch films anytime at home.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Studio Ghibli Fest is a popular annual movie event in North America that brings famous Japanese animation back to theaters. For ten years, families and fans of all ages have gathered to watch classic movies like My Neighbor Totoro together. Each rerelease helps young children and adult fans share these special stories in movie theaters.

The enthusiastic fandom for Studio Ghibli has made this event a huge box-office success over the last ten years. The event helps theaters fill empty schedules when no new major films are available. In 2017, the festival earned $5 million (about ¥788 million) from five movie titles. By 2024, 14 movies helped account for over $16 million (about ¥2.6 billion) in total sales.

Because of high demand, a major theater chain partner now shows Ghibli movies at more than 1,100 locations across the United States. Many films now play for five days instead of just two. Organizers say that seeing the movies on streaming services first has also helped attract a new generation of audiences to the theaters. They want to experience these classic films in theaters for the first time.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Studio Ghibli Fest and Films

  • Why do you think Studio Ghibli films have attracted so many enthusiastic young and adult fans in other countries over the years? Discuss.
  • How do you feel about Studio Ghibli films becoming popular in other countries? Discuss.
  • Besides Studio Ghibli movies, what other films from your country do you think deserve to be famous worldwide? Discuss.

Movie Theaters, Streaming Services, Rereleases

  • Do you prefer seeing movies at a theater or watching them on streaming services at home? Why? Discuss.
  • Should movie theaters play classic, older movies more often to bring back audiences who use streaming services? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • If there was a rerelease of your favorite movie, would you watch it? Why or why not? Discuss.