The Boy And The Heron Just Had A Massive Box Office Weekend, Months After It Opened

Nine months after Hayao Miyazaki's "The Boy and the Heron" first premiered in its native Japan, the film finally opened in China — and it made one heck of a splash in the country. The Studio Ghibli production debuted in the Middle Kingdom last week and, after just a matter of days, it is now the number one market in the world for the acclaimed animated feature. Moreover, the Studio Ghibli film is a rare hit import in China in the pandemic era and a truly welcome victory lap for a beloved movie by one of cinema's living legends.

"The Boy and the Heron" opened to $34.9 million in China this past weekend. That alone would be impressive, but across its first five days of release after arriving in the country mid-week, it pulled in a whopping $73 million. That already makes it the biggest market in the world for Miyazaki's long-awaited return to the big screen. In Japan, the film pulled in an impressive $56.1 million during its run, which began back in July of last year. But Chinese audiences turned out in droves to celebrate Miyazaki.

It's worth pointing out that the film also did very well in North America. "The Boy and the Heron" made history by topping the charts in the U.S. when it premiered in December, ultimately going on to gross nearly $47 million domestically. All told, the film has earned $162.1 million around the world, not accounting for China. That was the last major market the film had yet to open in. Based on the current numbers, it looks like the film will now wind up somewhere between $250-$275 million when all's said and done.

Much has been made about moviegoing in China in the pandemic era. Hollywood films have had an exceptionally hard time breaking out in the country in recent years, with blockbusters like "The Batman" hardly registering with audiences there. Movies like "Avatar: The Way of Water" are now the exception, not the rule. Granted, that's Hollywood and not a new animated film by Miyazaki. Even so, it's good to see that the right import can still bring out Chinese moviegoers en masse.

Beyond that, this is a wonderful punctuation mark to this movie's run. Miyazaki not only returned to theaters after a decade-long absence, but we're now looking at one of his biggest global hits ever. Given that this is the legend behind movies such as "Princess Mononoke" and "Spirited Away," that's no small thing. The debut in China, coupled with the movie's recent Oscar win, goes down as a resounding success in every imaginable way. If this is ultimately Miyazaki's swan song for real, it's one heck of a send-off to a legend.

"The Boy and the Heron" will stream on Max at some point in 2024.