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The end of the year can bring with it plenty of openings for relatively smaller films to rule at the box office in-between the big tentpole blockbusters that can dominate the Christmas season. This was the case for the latest box office report, which saw two notable Japanese films take two of the top three spots for the weekend of December 10, 2023.
In the number one spot for the weekend was The Boy and The Heron, the latest animated film from Studio Ghibli and acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki. The film brought in $12.8 million for its opening weekend haul to secure the top spot at the U.S. domestic box office, according to Variety. The outlet pointed to the film also running in Imax and premium format theaters as helping to boost the anime's earnings for its first weekend out in the U.S.
The number three spot went to Godzilla Minus One, Toho's latest Godzilla film which served as a remake of the original 1954 Godzilla. Despite already being out, the king of the monsters continued its strong run in the U.S. box office with another $8.3 million to bring its domestic haul to $25.3 million after two weeks.
The rest of the top five was rounded out by The Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbird and Snakes at number two with $9.4 million, Trolls Band Together at four with $6.2 million, and Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce earning another $5 million to take the number five spot.
Miyazaki's latest film, in particular, is already the second-highest earning film in the U.S. domestic box office with its opening weekend haul. Heading into the release of The Boy and The Heron, 2008's Ponyo was Miyazaki's highest grossing film with over $15 million during its theatrical run in the U.S. market. With $12.8 million on its opening weekend, it would not be surprising to see The Boy and The Heron pass Ponyo in short order.
Godzilla Minus One's own success may also be a good omen for Godzilla's next big screen outing, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, which hits theater's on April 12, 2024.
