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Demon Slayer Film Back at #2 in 20th Weekend in Japan

Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train rose from #3 (in number of tickets sold) to #2 in its 20th weekend. The film sold 100,000 tickets over the weekend and earned 155,641,100 yen (about US$1.45 million) from Friday to Sunday — increases of 5.5% and 3.3%, respectively, over the previous weekend's numbers. It has now sold a total of 27.68 million tickets and earned a cumulative total of 38,140,817,550 yen (about US$356.8 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 rose from #4 to #3 in its third weekend. The film earned 98,373,800 yen (about US$920,300) from Friday to Sunday. It has sold a total of 510,000 tickets and earned a cumulative total of 738,479,100 yen (about US$6.90 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 #2 to #4 in its second weekend. The film earned 79,596,540 yen (about US$744,500) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 431,929,680 yen (about US$4.04 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.

Kindaichi (Jungle wa Itsumo Hare Nochi Guu) launched the manga in Dessert in 2010, and ended the series in 2017. Kodansha published 10 compiled book volumes for the manga. The manga ranked #10 in Takarajimasha Inc.'s Kono Manga ga Sugoi guidebook ranking in 2012, and was nominated for the 39th annual Kodansha Manga Awards in 2015.

Gintama The Final, the new anime film of Hideaki Sorachi's Gintama manga, dropped rose from #10 to #5 in its eighth weekend. The film earned 52,767,520 yen (about US$493,600) from Friday to Sunday. It has earned a cumulative total of 1,746,169,100 yen (about US$16.33 million).

The film opened at #1 in Japan on January 8 and ended Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train's 12 consecutive weekends at the top of the Japanese box office. The film is based on the finale of the original manga, combined with new story elements.

The manga also inspired a new net anime special titled Gintama The Semi-Final with a story that will be a two-episode prequel to the film. The net anime premiered exclusively in Japan on the online dTV service on January 15. The film also has a novel by Mirei Miyamoto that shipped on January 8.

Sorachi's original "science-fiction period-drama comedy" manga began in 2003 and ended in June 2019 with over 55 million copies in circulation. The latest anime series premiered in July 2018. The manga has also inspired various original video anime (OVA), event anime, two live-action films, and two live-action net spinoffs. Viz Media published the manga's first 23 volumes in English.

Studio 4°C's anime film of Akihiro Nishino's Poupelle of Chimney Town (Entotsu-chō no Poupelle) picture book rose from #9 to #7 in tickets sold in its 10th weekend. The film earned 41,740,750 yen (about US$390,500) from Friday to Sunday. It has sold a total of 1.63 million tickets and earned a cumulative total of 2,260,767,950 yen (about US$21.15 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.

Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle (Gekijōban Pocket Monster Koko), the 23rd anime film in the Pokémon franchise, rose from #11 to #9 in tickets sold in its eighth weekend. The film earned 34,521,500 yen (about US$322,900) from Friday to Sunday. It has sold a total of 1.44 million tickets and has earned a cumulative total of 1,696,547,100 yen (about US$15.87 million)

The film ranked at #2 and earned 378,195,750 yen (about US$3.66 million) in its opening weekend. The film opened on December 25 in Japan. Toho had originally planned to open the film earlier last year on July 10, but the staff delayed the film due to the spread of COVID-19.

The film will then open in the West in 2021.

Tetsuo Yajima returned from 2018's Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us film at OLM, and co-wrote the film's script with Pokémon series writer Atsuhiro Tomioka.

Tokyo 7th Sisters: Bokura wa Aozora ni Naru, the anime film of Donuts' Tokyo 7th Sisters smartphone game, ranked at #2 in the mini-theater ranking in its opening weekend.

Sources: Kōgyō Tsūshin (link 2), Eiga.com, comScore via KOFIC