For the first time in Hayao Miyazaki91裸聊视频檚 decades-spanning career, the 82-year-old Japanese anime master is No. 1 at the North American box office. Miyazaki91裸聊视频檚 latest enchantment, debuted with $12.8 million, according to studio estimates.
91裸聊视频淭he Boy and the Heron,91裸聊视频� the long-awaited animated fantasy from the director of 91裸聊视频淪pirited Away,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淢y Neighbor Totoro91裸聊视频� and other cherished anime classics, is only the third anime to ever top the box office in U.S. and Canadian theaters, and the first original anime to do so. The film, which is playing in both subtitled and dubbed versions, is also the first fully foreign production to land atop the domestic box office this year.
Though Miyazaki91裸聊视频檚 movies have often been enormous hits in Japan and Asia, they91裸聊视频檝e traditionally made less of a mark in North American cinemas. The director91裸聊视频檚 previous best performer was his last movie, 201391裸聊视频檚 which grossed $5.2 million in its entire domestic run.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 really a resounding statement for what animation can be,91裸聊视频� said Eric Beckman, founder and chief executive of GKIDS, the North American distributor for Studio Ghibli films. 91裸聊视频淎merican audiences have been ready for a lot more than what they91裸聊视频檝e been getting, and I think this really points to that direction.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭he Boy and the Heron91裸聊视频� for years was expected to be Miyazaki91裸聊视频檚 swan song. But just as it was making its premiere at the in September, Junichi Nishioka, Studio Ghibli vice president, said the previously retired Miyazaki has begun
91裸聊视频淭he Boy and the Heron,91裸聊视频� has been hailed as films of the year. The film, featuring an English dub voice cast including Robert Pattinson, Christian Bale, Dave Bautista and Mark Hamill, follows a boy who, after her mother perishes in World War II bombing, is led by a mysterious heron to a portal that takes him to a fantastical realm. In Japan, its title translates to 91裸聊视频淗ow Do You Live?91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭he Boy and the Heron91裸聊视频� earlier collected $56 million in Japan despite zero promotion. Studio Ghibli opted to release the film without production stills, trailers, ads or billboards.
The U.S. and Canadian release included conventional advertising but was similarly handled with the care of something truly special as a Miyazaki movie. Throughout this year, all 10 of Miyazaki91裸聊视频檚 films with Ghibli were rereleased in theaters by GKIDS, which was founded in 2008 as way to bring ambitious animation to wider audiences.
91裸聊视频淲orking on a Hayao Miyazaki film is a huge honor but also kind of terrifying,91裸聊视频� Beckman said. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e really just trying to do justice to the film.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淩enaissance: A Film by Beyonc茅,91裸聊视频� dropped steeply in its second weekend. The concert film, the second pop star release distributed by AMC Theatres collected $5 million in its second weekend, a decline of 76% from its $21 million opening.
That allowed Lionsgate91裸聊视频檚 still-going-strong to take second place, with an estimated $9.4 million in its fourth weekend of release. The 91裸聊视频淗unger Games91裸聊视频� prequel has a domestic haul of $135.7 million.
91裸聊视频淭he Boy and the Heron91裸聊视频� wasn91裸聊视频檛 the only Japanese film that ranked among the top movies in theaters over the weekend. 91裸聊视频淕odzilla Minus One91裸聊视频� followed up its stellar debut last weekend with $8.3 million for Toho Studios. Takashi Yamazaki91裸聊视频檚 acclaimed kaiju movie dipped just 27% in its second weekend of release, bringing its total to $25 million.
Several potential awards contenders got off to strong starts in limited release. Yorgos Lanthimos91裸聊视频� warped fantasy starring Emma Stone, opened with $644,000 from nine theaters in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Austin, Texas. 91裸聊视频淧oor Things91裸聊视频� expands in more theaters next week.
played an Oscar-qualifying run in two theaters in New York and Los Angeles with a per screen average of $58,532 for Neon. It stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as the author Isabel Wilkerson while she investigates race and inequality for her book 91裸聊视频淐aste: The Origins of Our Discontents.91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淥rigin91裸聊视频� opens wide Jan. 19.
one of the holiday season91裸聊视频檚 most anticipated releases, kicked off its overseas run with $43.2 million from 37 international markets. The film, starring Timoth茅e Chalamet and directed by 91裸聊视频淧addington91裸聊视频� filmmaker Paul King, is expected to lead U.S. and Canada ticket sales next weekend.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 91裸聊视频淭he Boy and the Heron,91裸聊视频� $12.8 million.
2. 91裸聊视频淭he Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,91裸聊视频� $9.4 million.
3. 91裸聊视频淕odzilla Minus One,91裸聊视频� $8.3 million.
4. 91裸聊视频淭rolls Band Together,91裸聊视频� $6.2 million.
5. 91裸聊视频淲ish,91裸聊视频� $5.3 million.
6. 91裸聊视频淩enaissance, A Film by Beyonc茅,91裸聊视频� $5 million.
7. 91裸聊视频淣apoleon,91裸聊视频� $4.2 million.
8. 91裸聊视频淲aitress: The Musical,91裸聊视频� $3.2 million.
9. 91裸聊视频淎nimal,91裸聊视频� $2.3 million.
10. 91裸聊视频淭he Shift,91裸聊视频� $2.2 million.
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Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
