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2nd Gundam Hathaway Film Opens at #1, The Camphorwood Custodian Anime Film at #3
posted on by Adriana Hazra
The film opened in 365 theaters in Japan. It was delayed from a planned 2025 release.
Bandai Namco Filmworks describes the second film's story:
In this latest installment, the film continues to follow Hathaway as he struggles between his unresolved feelings for Gigi and his mission aligned with MAFTY, Kenneth preparing for the suppression of MAFTY, and Gigi herself, whose presence will alter the course of both men's destinies in an intense space opera of drama, combat, and emotional complexity. The film arrives in theaters across Japan this winter and the United States at a date to be confirmed.
The main cast and most of the staff returned from the first film, but Yuichi Kuboki joined Takako Suzuki as a color key artist. Yoshinori Sayama (Macross Plus, Cowboy Bebop, Mobile Suit Gundam UC) is credited for display designs after contributing to the first film. Yoshihisa Ōyama is the new film's compositing director of photography, and Manabu Kamitōno directed the visual effects.
American R&B artist SZA's 2022 song "Snooze" serves as the opening theme song for the film. SennaRin performs the insert song "ENDROLL" with Yōhei Kawakami of Alexandros. Rock band Guns N' Roses' iconic 1988 song "Sweet Child o' Mine" is the film's ending theme.
The first film opened in Japan in June 2021, after previously being delayed three times. The movie was originally slated to open in Japan in July 2020, but was delayed due to COVID-19. The film was delayed in April 2021 from May 7 to May 21, and was then delayed again due to the extended state of emergency declared in Japan.
The first Hathaway film sold 259,074 tickets for 523,943,800 yen (about US$4.77 million) in its first three days at the box office. It ranked at #3 (in terms of tickets sold) in its opening weekend. It eventually became the first Gundam film since 1988's Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack to top the 1 billion yen mark. The film has earned a cumulative total of 2,209,628,200 yen (about US$19.57 million) in the Japanese box office as of October 10, 2021. (The Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- anime film has since surpassed its total.)
The anime film of Keigo Higashino's The Camphorwood Custodian (Kusunoki no Bannin) novel opened on Friday and ranked at #3 in its first weekend. The film sold 94,500 tickets and earned 124,985,320 yen (about US$800,400) in its first three days.
Sword Art Online and ERASED director Tomohiko Ito directed the film at A-1 Pictures and Psyde Kick Studio. Aniplex is distributing the film.
Taku Kishimoto (Haikyu!!, 91 Days, Sakamoto Days) penned the film's script. Blue Period manga creator Tsubasa Yamaguchi designed the characters alongside Akiko Itagaki (Lonely Castle in the Mirror assistant character design). Hiroshi Takiguchi was the art director. Yūgo Kanno (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, Ajin, Psycho-Pass) composed the film's music. Uru performs the theme song "Katawara nite Tsukiyo" (Moonlit Night By My Side).
The novel's story centers on Reito, a young man who was unreasonably fired from his job, and in revenge has committed a crime and gets arrested. He tries to appeal to the investigator to no avail, and he is sent to the prosecutor's office, where he waits for his indictment. Suddenly, a lawyer appears and tells Reito that he can be released if he follows his client's order.
Reito takes the gamble and accepts the condition, and the client turns out to be his late mother's half-sister, Chifune Yanagisawa. Chifune has only one order for Reito: to become the camphorwood tree custodian at Tsukigō shrine. Reito becomes the camphorwood tree custodian and meets different people who visit the temple grounds for different reasons.
The official X/Twitter account for the anime franchise revealed on December 30 that the film has sold 6.55 million tickets and has surpassed 10 billion yen (about US$63.7 million), after 103 days in theaters.
The film opened on September 19 and debuted at #1 in its opening weekend, replacing the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle - Akaza Sairai film, which had topped the box office for nine straight weeks. The film sold 807,000 tickets for 1,251,178,500 yen (about US$8.46 million) in its opening weekend.
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has acquired worldwide theatrical rights the film. The company opened the film in theaters in the United States on October 24.
Reina Ueda plays Reze in the film.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle - Akaza Sairai, the first film in the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle trilogy, left the top 10 again in its 29th weekend.
Ensemble Stars! Dream Live 9th Tour 'Trapezium #Orion' dropped from #2 to #3 in the mini theater rankings.
Sources: Kōgyō Tsūshin (link 2, link 3), comScore via KOFIC
