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Final Evangelion Film Opens at #1 in Japan

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time (Shin Evangelion Gekijō-ban :||), the "final" Evangelion film, ranked #1 in its opening weekend. The film sold 760,000 tickets for 1,177,445,400 yen (about US$10.8 million) on Saturday and Sunday. Specifically, it sold 401,723 tickets for 649,071,800 yen (about US$5.9 million) on Saturday, and 359,159 tickets for 528,373,600 yen (about US$4.8 million) on Sunday.

The film sold 2,194,533 tickets for 3,338,422,400 yen (about US$30.6 million) in its first seven days in 466 theaters in Japan. The film sold 33.6% more tickets for 45.1% more yen than the previous Evangelion film during their respective first seven days.

Entertainment news website Deadline reported on Sunday that the film earned the equivalent of US$3.4 million in 38 IMAX theaters during its first seven days— the second-highest opening week for IMAX screenings of a domestic title in Japan, behind only last year's Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Mugen Train. Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 also played in 82 theaters equipped for 4D screenings.

The staff had delayed the film from January 23 to March 8, after careful consideration due to the new state of emergency declared in four prefectures in Japan on January 8, and then extended to a total of 11 prefectures. The film had an earlier delay due to concerns over the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its spread inside and outside of Japan. The film was originally scheduled to open in Japan on June 27, 2020.

Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train dropped from #2 to #4 (in number of tickets sold) in its 22nd weekend. The film and earned 86,848,300 yen (about US$795,000) from Friday to Sunday. It has now sold a total of 28 million tickets and earned a cumulative total of 38,612,613,550 yen (about US$353.4 million). Eiga.com projects that the film is still continuing to climb towards 40 billion yen (about US$366 million).

After 12 consecutive weeks at #1 in the box office in Japan, Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train dropped to #2 during the January 9-10 weekend, its 13th weekend. The film ranked at #1 again in its 14th and 15th weekend, fell back down to #2 in its 16th weekend, and stayed at #2 in its 17th weekend. The film ranked at #3 in its 18th and 19th weekends.

The film has surpassed Hayao Miyazaki's 2002 Spirited Away, its last rival for all-time highest earnings in Japanese box office history. (Spirited Away earned 30.8 billion yen in its original run, but has since earned a total of 31.68 billion yen after last summer's revival screenings.) The film has also surpassed Spirited Away as the #1 highest-earning Japanese film of all time worldwide.

Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train began screening in 38 IMAX theaters in Japan on October 16. The film had the highest opening weekend globally for the October 16-18 weekend. The film sold 3,424,930 tickets and earned 4,623,117,450 yen (about US$43.85 million) in Japan in its first three days. The film sold 910,507 tickets and earned over 1,268,724,700 yen (about US$12.03 million) on its opening day alone, making it the highest weekday opening day in Japan ever. Mugen Train began holding immersive MX4D and 4DX screenings on Saturday, December 26.

The main staff members of the previous television anime returned for the sequel film. Toho and Aniplex are handling the film's distribution in Japan. Funimation and Aniplex of America will screen the film in theaters in North America in early 2021.

The Detective Conan: The Scarlet Alibi (Meitantei Conan: Hiiro no Fuzai Shōmei) compilation film released in anticipation of the upcoming Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet (Meitantei Conan: Hiiro no Dangan) film dropped from #4 to #5 in its fifth weekend. The film earned 53,569,200 yen (about US$490,400) from Friday to Sunday. It has earned a cumulative total of 1,035,823,150 yen (about US$9.48 million).

The film opened at #2 at the Japanese box office. The film earned 251,886,500 yen (about US$2.38 million) in its first four days, and it sold 92,000 tickets and earned 126,468,400 yen (about US$1.19 million) over the weekend. (The film opened on Thursday, a holiday in Japan.)

The compilation film combines footage from various television anime episodes that center on the Akai family. The film was originall slated only for a three-week limited theatrical run from February 11 to March 4, but its run was later extended to March 5 and beyond. The ending of the compilation film contains a video "secret message from Shuichi Akai" that will lead up to The Scarlet Bullet film, as well as a new trailer for The Scarlet Bullet itself. The titular character Conan narrates the compilation in a newly recorded and edited audio track.

Meitantei Conan: Hiiro no Dangan is the 24th film in the franchise. The film was slated to open on April 17 last year, but was delayed from its original date due to concerns about the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The film will now open on April 16 this year and have a simultaneous release in 22 countries and territories outside of Japan.

The live-action film of Renjuro Kindaichi's Liar x Liar manga dropped from #5 to #8 in its fourth weekend. The film earned 40,073,460 yen (about US$366,800) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 687,982,300 yen (about US$6.29 million).

The film ranked at #2 in its opening weekend. The film sold 109,000 tickets in its opening weekend, and earned 205,898,980 yen (about US$1.96 million) from its first Friday to Sunday. The film opened on February 19.

Hokuto Matsumura and Nana Mori star in the film as protagonists Tōru and Minato, respectively. Saiji Yakumo (live-action Ankoku Joshi, Touken Ranbu) directed the film, with a script by Yuichi Tokunaga (live-action Kaguya-sama: Love is War). Kodansha Comics is releasing the manga digitally in English.

The Shimajirō to Sora Tobu Fune (Shimajirō and the Flying Ship) 3D CG anime film opened at #9. The film opened on March 12.

The film was postponed from its February 28, 2020 opening due to concerns about the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The film is billed as the franchise's first 3D CG anime film.

Takamitsu Kawamura directed the film, with a script by Masafumi Sugiura. Yūma Uchida performed the film's theme song "Egao no Sora" (Smiling Sky).

Studio 4°C's anime film of Akihiro Nishino's Poupelle of Chimney Town (Entotsu-chō no Poupelle) picture book dropped from #9 to #10 in tickets sold in its 12th weekend. The film earned 16,466,300 yen (about US$150,700) from Friday to Sunday. It has earned a cumulative total of 2,360,693,100 yen (about US$21.60 million).

The film ranked at #4 and earned 322,998,700 (about US$3.13 million) in its opening weekend. The film opened in Japan on December 25.

Yusuke Hirota (CGI director for Berserk films, Harmony) directed the film, with Nishino serving as production supervisor, original creator, and writer, while Atsuko Fukushima (Genius Party, Robot Carnival) designed the characters.

The Aria the Crepuscolo theatrical anime film dropped off the top 10 in its second weekend, but still earned 14,547,670 yen (about US$133,100) from Friday to Sunday, and it has earned a cumulative total of 90,674,310 yen (about US$830,000).

The Gintama The Final anime film has been out of the top 10 for two weeks in its 10th weekend, but it still earned 13,430,650 (about US$122,900) from Friday to Sunday. It has earned a cumulative total of 1,850,391,800 yen (about US$16.94 million).

Tokyo 7th Sisters: Bokura wa Aozora ni Naru, the anime film of Donuts' Tokyo 7th Sisters smartphone game, dropped from #2 to #3 in the mini-theater ranking in its third weekend.

Anime News Network's Sources: Kōgyō Tsūshin (link 2), Eiga.com, comScore via KOFIC