‘The Boy and the Heron’: Japanese Animation Debuts at #1 in US Theaters

The film marks the return of acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki after a decade.

With three animations and two Japanese productions in the Top 5, the weekend box office in the United States and Canada was characterized by surprises and unexpected records.

Leading the gross with $12.8 million, the Japanese animated film ‘The Boy and the Heron’ (‘The Boy and the Crane’, in the literal translation) reached a historic milestone in its opening weekend opening in North America. This achievement is significant as it is the first time an original anime has occupied the top position at the North American box office.

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

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

Audiences and critics loved the journey of Mahito, a 12-year-old boy who, embarking on a dangerous adventure to find his missing mother, experiences a coming-of-age story. The film received an A- rating on CinemaScore, a survey of U.S. theatergoers, and achieved 96% approval in the review average compiled by the site Rotten Tomatoes.

There are no predictions yet for his debut in Brazil.

The rest of the Top 5

With the success of the anime, “Renaissance: A Beyoncé Film,” which had debuted at number one the previous week, suffered a sharp decline, earning only $5 million in its second week. The music documentary, which will only premiere on December 21 in Brazil, fell so hard that it was out of the Top 5 in its second week of performance. This decline points to a fanbase focused on the premiere and limited appeal beyond that.

2nd place at the box office was taken by “The Hunger Games: Song of Birds and Serpents,” which grossed $9.4 million in its fourth week of showing. With this performance, the film increased its domestic total to a whopping $135.6 million and reached nearly $280 million globally.

The box office also highlighted another Japanese production. “Godzilla Minus One” came in at No. 3 with $8.3 million in its second weekend in theaters. The Toho production also set another record for Japan as the highest-grossing Japanese live-action title in North America, after ticket sales totaled $25.3 million in 10 days of screening . With an approval rating of 97%, the film also easily topped Rotten Tomatoes ratings for American giant monster productions, including ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ (76%), as of 2021.

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

“Trolls 3: Together Again” remained in fourth place with a gross of $6.2 million, bringing its total to $83.1 million in North America and $173.8 million worldwide. “Wish: The Power of Desires,” which will only be released on January 4 in Brazil, has grossed $5.3 million. Its domestic volume is $49.4 million, while its worldwide value is approximately $105.5 million.

The performance “Wonka”.

Outside the United States, the film “Wonka” had a promising international performance, grossing $43.2 million in the top 37 foreign markets. This strong opening overseas indicated a positive reception for the film, with the UK leading the box office with $11.1 million, followed by countries such as Mexico, Spain and Germany, where the release performed strongly . The contribution of IMAX theaters was significant, adding $2.3 million to the total box office.

The prologue of ‘Charlie and Chocolate Factory’ was also released in Brazil over the weekend, but its release in the United States and Canada will not take place until next Friday (12/15).

Trailers

Check out the trailers for the 5 below. movie most watched in the US and Canada over the weekend.

1| “THE BOY AND THE HERON”

2| “HUNGRY GAMES: THE SONG OF BIRDS AND SNAKES”

3| ‘GODZILLA MINUS ONE’

4| ‘TROLLS 3: TOGETHER AGAIN

5| ‘WISH: THE POWER OF DESIRES’

Source: Terra

Earl

Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.