Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’ Soars to Over $2M in Previews, Opens to Over $10M – Box Office

After a Japanese title that delivered at the sleepy December box office last weekend Godzilla minus one, Here’s another one that will dominate: Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki’s GKIDS The boy and the heron Who is looking for a number 1 edge? $10 million+ after $2.39 million Thursday and early access previews.

This compilation is literally the Japanese live-action title from last weekend Godzilla minus one with $2.1 million in previews before Friday’s $4.7 million release and an $11.4 million three-day theatrical release in 2,308 theaters.

The boy and the heron Yesterday played in 1,774 theaters across the US and Canada, with shows starting at 5 p.m. The film was booked in 2,205 theaters this weekend, including IMAX and PLF. It is the first Studio Ghibli film ever shown in Imax. There were award-winning preview orders starting on Thanksgiving in New York and Los Angeles, and those numbers will be prorated to daily grosses per GKID over the next two weeks.

Although Miyazaki retired in 2013, he remained committed to the production of this film, described as a “semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death and creation.” In the picture, a boy named Mahito yearns for his mother and ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There death ends and life finds a new beginning.

Miyazaki’s last film, the wind blows via Disney grossed $5.2 million in the United States. The current highest opening weekend for a Studio Ghibli film is 2012 The secret world of Arrietty which opened to $6.4 million via Disney and finished on $19.2 million in the United States. The boy and the heron will far surpass the film’s opening attendance of 1,522 theaters and become the largest theatrical opening ever for a Studio Ghibli film, as well as the largest theatrical opening for a GKIDS release. The boy and the heron will be shown in subtitled and English dubbed copies. The English version features the voices of Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson and Florence Pugh.

The boy and the heron is 95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and has grossed more than $84 million overseas, including $56.1 million in its home country of Japan, where it was Miyazaki’s highest opening ever in July without any promotion.

The film had its international premiere as the opening gala at the Toronto International Film Festival, a first for a Japanese or animated film. The film recently won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Feature and was named one of the Top 10 Films of 2023 by the National Board of Review.

Spoken of Godzilla minus one, The top-grossing Japanese live-action title in the United States led the way on Thursday $1.25 million (-8% from Wednesday) and a first week 17 million dollars in 2,308 movie theaters. Pic’s second weekend appears to be $5 to $6 million in what is a shot at third place with AMC’s second frame Renaissance: A Beyoncé Movie.

The 32-time Grammy winner’s concert documentary took a hiatus from screenings Monday through Wednesday, but returned yesterday with $1.145 million and on Thursday’s BO no. 3 ends up. She also looks around 6 million dollars. Squirting sperm for Beyoncé is $23.1 million.

Don’t underestimate Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes who came second yesterday with $1.148 million (-3% compared to Wednesday) and lasted a third week $19.5 million in 3,691 cinemas with a total $126.2 million. Projections for the fourth frame of the Francis Lawrence-directed prequel have been completed 8 million dollars.

Fourth place goes to the film of the Broadway musical Bleecker Street Waitress which has $672,000 in 1,214 movie theaters.

Fifth place goes to Apple Original Production Napoleon about Sony, who made it $609,000 yesterday, -13% from Wednesday, for a second week $10.2 million in 3,500 cinemas and in total $48.9 million.

Yorgos Lanthimos’ Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival wins Poor stuff, Actor and producer is Emma Stone, who appears in four markets in a total of nine cinemas – New York (AMC Lincoln Square, Regal Union Square and Alamo Drafthouse, Brooklyn), Los Angeles (AMC Century City, AMC The Grove, AMC Burbank 16) , San Francisco (AMC Metreon, Alamo Drafthouse Mission) and Austin (Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar). This is a rather racy adult film from Disney’s Searchlight, and it will be interesting to see how arthouse audiences receive the film, which has caused quite a stir among awards bloggers and media outlets. The film, about a Frankenstein-like girl who finds sexual independence across Europe, is certified 93% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Emerald fennel salt burn, The film, which many also found risque due to its sexy content, earned $322,000 in its first weekend in seven theaters for a box office average of $46,000. Can Poor stuff over and over?

Salt burns, which posted a staggering 9% drop on the third post-Thanksgiving weekend, ending its third week with $2.9 million after a Thursday of $256,000 and a running total of $7.6 million. The Amazon MGM film hits Prime on December 22.