Which Studio Ghibli film was the company’s first feature released after its 1985 founding?

Castle in the Sky was Studio Ghibli’s first feature released after the company’s 1985 founding. Hayao Miyazaki wrote and directed the film, which reached Japanese cinemas in 1986.

Studio Ghibli was established by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and producer Toshio Suzuki after the success of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Nausicaä is often described as a Ghibli film because many of the same creators made it, but it was produced by Topcraft before Studio Ghibli officially existed.

Castle in the Sky therefore occupies a special place in the studio’s history. It introduced audiences to recurring Miyazaki ideas such as airborne adventure, lost civilizations, ecological responsibility, and the danger of militarized technology. The film’s Japanese title is Tenkū no Shiro Rapyuta. A common timeline error treats Nausicaä as the first official Ghibli feature; historically, Castle in the Sky followed the studio’s formation.