Japanese director and animator Hayao Miyazaki’s latest movie, “The Boy and the Heron,” debuted at the top of the North American box office this past weekend with a . It is the first original anime film to secure first place in the United States and Canada.
The movie, which marks Miyazaki’s return to filmmaking after announcing his retirement in 2013, also Monday in the category of best animated motion picture. “The Boy and the Heron” composer Joe Hisaishi received a nomination for best original score for a motion picture.
Meanwhile, fellow Japanese director Makoto Shinkai’s latest feature, “Suzume,” also received a Golden Globe nomination for best animated motion picture.
“The Boy and the Heron” isn’t the only Japanese film performing extremely well in North America this week. Takashi Yamazaki’s “Godzilla Minus One” came in at No. 3, in its second week. The film arrived in North American cinemas Dec. 1 and surprised many by earning in its opening weekend. The latest entry in the giant monster franchise is now the highest-grossing Japanese live-action film of all time in North America.
Despite featuring one of the most iconic Japanese characters in cinema history, “Godzilla Minus One” has been a surprise hit in Japan and abroad. Film company Toho Studios has extended the movie’s theatrical run, despite initial plans for “Godzilla Minus One” to start exiting theaters in Japan this week.
The dual success of “The Boy and the Heron” and “Godzilla Minus One” underlines the continued global interest in Japanese entertainment. It goes well beyond money made — the films have garnered praise from English-language critics as well. While accolades are to be expected for anything Miyazaki puts out, “Godzilla Minus One” has caught many off guard, with media outlets such as the BBC calling it “” and Rolling Stone declaring it “.”
In recent years, Japanese movies have been performing well in U.S. theaters. In 2021, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba — The Movie: Mugen Train” opened at the top of the American box office, breaking records for the highest debut for a foreign language film ever. In 2022, “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero,” the latest full-length in the “Dragon Ball” universe, topped the North American box office in its first week.
The success of “The Boy and the Heron” and “Godzilla Minus One” comes at a time when major American animated features like Disney’s “Wish” and live-action superhero movies such as Marvel’s “The Marvels” are underperforming domestically.
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