Hayao Miyazaki, the renowned Japanese animator, has made history by achieving his first No.1 hit at the North American box office with his latest film, “The Boy and the Heron.” This groundbreaking achievement marks only the third time an anime film has ever topped the U.S. and Canadian box office, and notably, it is the first original anime to do so.
Miyazaki’s previous works have predominantly found success in Japan and Asia, but “The Boy and the Heron” has proven that American audiences are ready for more diverse and ambitious animation. The film, which premiered with an impressive $12.8 million, has been receiving widespread acclaim and is already being hailed as one of the year’s best. Notably, the English dub voice cast includes esteemed actors such as Robert Pattinson, Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, and Mark Hamill, adding to the film’s appeal.
Surprisingly, in Japan, where the film is titled “How Do You Live?”, it managed to collect a staggering $56 million without any marketing efforts. Studio Ghibli opted for a unique strategy by releasing the film without stills, trailers, ads, or billboards, relying solely on the reputation of Miyazaki and the studio.
The success of “The Boy and the Heron” follows the recent rerelease of all 10 of Miyazaki’s films in collaboration with Studio Ghibli by North American distributor GKIDS. This move has allowed audiences to rediscover the magic of Miyazaki’s works on the big screen, further fueling the excitement for his latest creation.
Turning to other box office news, last week’s top film, “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” experienced a significant decline in its second weekend, while “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” secured second place with $9.4 million. “Godzilla Minus One” earned $8.3 million in its second weekend, making it another notable release. Additionally, audiences can anticipate several potential awards contenders, including Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” and Ava DuVernay’s “Origin.”
Moving onto international releases, “Wonka,” featuring Timothée Chalamet and directed by “Paddington” filmmaker Paul King, had a successful start to its run, amassing $43.2 million from 37 markets.
For a complete list of estimated ticket sales for the weekend, viewers can visit Comscore. As the success of “The Boy and the Heron” continues to soar, Hayao Miyazaki’s influence on the animation industry remains unparalleled, captivating audiences across the globe with his imaginative storytelling.
