‘The Boy and the Heron’ Makes Anime History With $10.6 Million Opening

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Hayao Miyazaki’s film is the first original anime title to open wide to No. 1 at the U.S. box office

An animated still showing a boy with dark wild hair in "The Boy and The Heron," with a grassy background, a blue sky with a few clouds, and a house behind him
"The Boy and The Heron" (Studio Ghibli)

A lack of new Hollywood releases has left movie theater business in a sluggish state this weekend, but a pair of Japanese specialty films are standing out: GKids/Studio Ghibli’s “The Boy and the Heron” and Toho’s “Godzilla Minus One” are driving solid turnout.

“The Boy and the Heron,” possibly the final animated film from Hayao Miyazaki, expanded wide to 2,205 theaters after two weeks in select theaters. The film is earning an estimated $10.6 million this weekend.

While anime has carved out a place for itself at the box office thanks to Crunchyroll’s franchise films like “Dragon Ball Super: Broly,” “The Boy and the Heron” stands out as the first original anime film to open wide to No.

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