Hayao Miyazaki's Legendary First Movie Is Getting A Steelbook Limited Edition

Before co-founding Studio Ghibli, the storied director Hayao Miyazaki made his directorial debut in 1979 with the animated heist film, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro. Written and directed by Miyazaki, the film is based on the popular Lupin III manga series from the 1960s. It is considered a landmark animated film that ushered in a new era of animation in both Japan and the US–and soon, the legendary movie is getting a brand-new steelbook Blu-ray release on December 12 that features crisper video quality and a selection of special features. You can preorder the Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro Limited Edition Steelbook Blu-ray exclusively from the Crunchyroll Store for $50.

$50 | Releases December 12

The Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro Limited Edition Steelbook features new cover art based on the film’s 45th anniversary IMAX poster from 2023. Distributor Discotek previously released the film on Blu-ray back in 2015, and if this new release is based on the same edition, then you can expect a high-quality 1080p presentation with reduced grain effect and a richer color palette. For audio, you can watch with the original Japanese language track or the new English dub featuring Tony Oliver, Richard Epcar, Michelle Ruff, Lex Lang, and Doug Erholtz (several of whom reprise their roles from the original US dub). Special features include a full-length commentary track with Discotek’s Reed Nelson, original production storyboards, interviews with the film’s cast and crew, an art gallery, and more.

Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro Limited Edition Steelbook Blu-ray special features

Feature-length original storyboards
Interviews with cast and crew
Commentary with Reed Nelson
Art gallery
Original trailers
Opening and ending credits collection
Translation notes
Deleted storyboard opening

While this new steelbook edition looks to be a great new collector’s piece, it’s not the only version Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro available now. A 4K version dropped in 2021, and you can pick it up for $28 at Amazon. You’ll miss out on the new steelbook case, but this version features 4K presentation, reversible cover art, and a slipcover, plus all the same special features as the

Adapted from the popular manga written and illustrated by Kazuhiko Katō, The Castle of Cagliostro follows the infamous thief Lupin III and his frequent partner-in-crime Daisuke Jigen as they attempt to track down the source of counterfeit cash following a recent heist. It’s not long before the duo find themselves caught in the middle of a scheme to rescue a damsel in distress and claim a legendary treasure. Despite it being almost 50 years old, the film has aged well over the years thanks to its stylized animation, fast-paced action scenes, and a sense of artistry that would become hallmarks of Miyazaki’s work at Studio Ghibli. The Castle of Cagliostro is considered one of the best adventure movies of all time, and other directors like Steven Spielberg and Pixar’s John Lasseter cite it as a major influence.

Miyazaki’s other Studio Ghibli movies continue to be popular, thanks to their superb production qualities and focus on themes like environmentalism, magic, and the futility of war. We’ve rounded up all the recent steelbook Blu-ray releases below of Miyazaki’s films, as well as other projects created by the talented crew at Studio Ghibli:

Studio Ghibli Blu-ray steelbooks

Crunchyroll also has a few more exclusive steelbook edition Blu-rays on the way. A new edition of Berserk’s Golden Age OVA arc is on the way, while fans of the Isekai series That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime can pick up steelbook editions of the show’s first and second seasons.