Japanese animation debuts at No. 1 in American cinemas

The weekend box office in the US and Canada was marked by box office surprises and unexpected entries, with three anime and two Japanese productions in the top 5.

Japanese animation “The Boy and the Heron” hit a historic milestone in its opening weekend in North America, leading the way with US$12.8 million. The feat is notable as it marks the first time an original anime has topped the North American box office.

“The Boy and the Heron” marks the return of acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki after a decade — and a retirement announcement in 2013. Initially released in Japan on July 14, the film has already grossed $84 million at the global box office. , US$56 million in Japan alone.

The production set other records, including Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s highest-grossing film in the United States, surpassing “Lives in the Wind.”

Audiences and critics loved the journey of Mahido, a 12-year-old boy who embarks on a perilous adventure to find his missing mother. The film received an A-rating on CinemaScore, a survey of audiences leaving American theaters, and a 96% approval rating on the average review compiled by the website Rotten Tomatoes.

There is no forecast for the launch in Brazil yet

The rest of the top 5

With the anime’s success, “Renaissance: A Beyonce Film,” which had debuted at No. 1 the previous week, suffered a sharp drop in its second week, earning just US$5 million. The music documentary, which premieres in Brazil only on December 21st, fell outside the top 5 in its second week of exhibition. This decline points to a fan base focused on the premiere and limited appeal beyond that.

No. 2 at the box office was “The Hunger Games: A Song of Birds and Snakes,” which collected US$9.4 million in its fourth week of exhibition. With this performance, the film boosted its domestic total to an impressive $135.6 million and reached nearly $280 million worldwide.

The box office also highlighted another Japanese production. “Godzilla Minus One” is No. 3 with $8.3 million in its second weekend in theaters. The Toho production set another record for Japan, totaling US$25.3 million in ticket sales over the 10-day exhibition, making it the highest-grossing Japanese live-action title in North America. With a 97% approval rating, the film easily surpassed ratings for the Rotten Tomatoes giant’s US productions — including 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong” (76%).

The rest of the Top 5 held the same positions as last week, with DreamWorks Animation beating out the Disney production.

“Trolls 3: Together Again” held on at No. 4 with $6.2 million, bringing its total to $83.1 million in North America and $173.8 million worldwide. “Wish: The Power of Desires” – which only opened in Brazil on January 4 – grossed US$5.3 million. Its domestic volume is US$49.4 million, while the global value is US$105.5 million.

Performance of “Wonka”.

Outside the U.S., the “Wonka” movie had a promising international performance, grossing $43.2 million in its first 37 foreign markets. This strong overseas opening indicated positive reception for the film, with the United Kingdom taking the lead with $11.1 million, followed by releases in countries such as Mexico, Spain and Germany. The contribution of IMAX theaters was significant, adding US$2.3 million to the total box office.

The prequel to “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” was released over the weekend in Brazil, but its release in the U.S. and Canada isn’t until next Friday (12/15).

Trailers

Check out the trailers for the weekend’s top 5 films in the US and Canada below.

1 | Boy and Heron

2 | The Hunger Games: Song of Birds and Snakes

3 | Godzilla minus one

4 | Trolls 3: Together Again

5 | Desire: The Power of Desires