Hayao Miyazaki's enchanting coming-of-age tale, "The Boy and the Heron," made an impressive $12.8 million in its debut weekend, marking a historic achievement as the first original anime production to lead the domestic box office.
Considered one of the standout films of the year, "The Boy and the Heron" features an English dub voice cast that includes Robert Pattinson, Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, and Mark Hamill. The storyline revolves around a boy who, following the loss of his mother in a World War II bombing, is guided by a mysterious heron to a portal leading to a fantastical realm. In Japan, the film is titled "How Do You Live?"
Screening in Imax and other premium large format theaters, the release by GKids significantly boosted its record-breaking earnings, contributing to its first-place success.
“It’s really a resounding statement for what animation can be,” said Eric Beckman, founder and chief executive of GKIDS, the North American distributor for Studio Ghibli films. “American audiences have been ready for a lot more than what they’ve been getting, and I think this really points to that direction.”
Additionally, its success was augmented by a shortage of major theatrical releases, as anticipated holiday blockbusters like "Wonka" and "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" are yet to premiere in the upcoming weeks.
"The Boy and the Heron" marks Hayao Miyazaki's surprising comeback to the big screen, ending a hiatus of over a decade. The acclaimed filmmaker, known for classics such as "Spirited Away" and "Princess Mononoke," had declared his retirement in 2013 following the release of his previous film, "The Wind Rises."
Internationally, "The Boy and the Heron" has been gradually making its way to audiences, amassing a total of $84 million in earnings, with $56 million originating from Miyazaki's home country of Japan.
The previous weekend's winner, "Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé," experienced a significant decline in its second weekend, securing a fifth-place position with earnings of $5 million. This steep 77% drop suggests that Beyoncé's concert film might not match the enduring success of "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour," which has amassed close to $180 million in box office revenue.
"Renaissance" has generated approximately $28 million in the domestic box office. Similar to Swift, Beyoncé opted for a non-traditional studio route, partnering with AMC Theatres for distribution. This approach enables her to retain a greater portion of the ticket sales.
As "Renaissance" faced challenges, Lionsgate's "Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" secured the second position, earning $9.4 million and bringing its total domestic earnings to $135.6 million.
On a global scale, the movie has accumulated close to $280 million in earnings. This is a commendable figure, especially when considering that the "Hunger Games" prequel was produced with a budget of $100 million, a relatively modest amount for a film of its scale and magnitude.
Toho International's "Godzilla Minus One" maintained its successful run, amassing $8.3 million in its second weekend. The monster movie has now reached a domestic total of $25.3 million, solidifying its position as the highest-grossing live-action Japanese film released in North America.
In fourth place, Universal and DreamWorks Animation's "Trolls Band Together" garnered $6.2 million, contributing to the family film's overall earnings of $83.1 million. Another new release over the weekend, Bleecker Street's "Waitress: The Musical," earned $3.2 million.
The upcoming weekend will witness the premiere of "Wonka," a film delving into the early years of the candy maker, featuring Timothée Chalamet. This release is anticipated to boost box office numbers, although theater owners and analysts predict a more subdued holiday season compared to the previous two years, which saw the blockbuster releases of "Avatar: The Way of Water" and "Spider-Man: No Way Home."
