The Boy and the Heron marks Ghibli’s best start in the USA. © Studio Ghibli
Ten years after The wind picks up, Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki is still popular. Released this weekend in American theaters, his new film The Boy and the Heron topped the box office, ahead of Hunger Games: The Ballad of the Serpent and the Songbird.
Best start for a Ghibli
With $10.4 million earned in three days, Miyazaki’s latest film takes the box office crown… and also a nice record. The Boy and the Heron marks the best American start for a Studio Ghibli film, far ahead Arrietty (6.4 million) and Ponyo (3.5 million).
The Boy and the Heron by Hayao Miyazaki. © Studio Ghibli
The film is also the sixth best debut for an anime at the US box office, behind Pokémon the Movie (1999 – 31 million), Demon Slayer (2021 – 21.2 million), Dragon Ball Super (2022 – 21.1 million), Pokémon 2 (2000 – 19.5 million), and Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (2022 – 18 million). This great start can be explained in particular by a significant IMAX release in the United States.
The Boy and the Heron has already raised more than $97 million worldwide, including $56 million in Japan alone. In France, the film has recorded 1,230,940 spectators to date and has already become Miyazaki’s biggest success in France, ahead of Spirited away (1,123,340 spectators in first run) and The Howl’s Moving Castle (1,209,836 spectators in first run).
© Lionsgate Films / Paramount Pictures
In the rest of the American box office, Hunger Games clings to second place with $9.4 million. The prequel totals 135.6 million in America, for a worldwide cumulative of 262 million. A solid figure for a film that “only” cost $100 million, and which promises a future for the franchise.
The Japanese film Godzilla Minus One is a success in the United States. © Tōhō
In third place, Godzilla Minus One continues his great career. A week after a great start at 11.4 million, the Japanese feature film only lost 26% of its audience and still gleans 8.3 million for an international total close to 52 million dollars. A superb public and critical success which shows the popularity of the famous kaiju, a few months before the release of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empirescheduled for April 10, 2024.
Finally, wish, the latest from the Disney studio, has just surpassed the symbolic mark of 100 million dollars earned worldwide. A sad progress report, which will not save the film from commercial failure.
© The Walt Disney Company
US box office from December 8 to 10, 2023 (estimates)
| MOVIE | WEEKEND | CUMULATIVE UNITED STATES | WORLD CUMULATION | WEEK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Boy and the Heron | $10,446,313 | $12,836,313 | $97,020,055 | 1 |
| 2 | Hunger Games: The Ballad of the Serpent and the Songbird | $9,400,000 | $135,655,926 | $262,576,016 | 4 |
| 3 | Godzilla Minus One | $8,342,710 | $25,344,044 | $51,974,011 | 2 |
| 4 | Trolls 3 | $6,200,000 | $83,081,775 | $173,798,775 | 4 |
| 5 | wish | $5,300,000 | $49,412,846 | $105,512,846 | 3 |