Fullmetal Alchemist won’t be hitting U.S. theaters for a bit, but Japan is giving the movie a warm welcome abroad. The numbers are in, and it looks like the live-action adaptation led the box office charge in Japan this weekend.
According to Deadline, Fullmetal Alchemist debuted in Japan to $3.6 million with screenings in 411 theaters. The results are on par with how Rurouni Kenshin opened when Warner Bros. released the critically acclaimed film.
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If you break down the film’s earnings, you can see it did disappoint some number crunchers. Fullmetal Alchemist failed to make half of what Gintama‘s live-action film did this summer and less than 5% of Assassination Classroom: Graduation. Forecasters are keeping a close eye on the film’s projected second week at the box office to see if Fullmetal Alchemist‘s drop could bomb its overall earnings.
So far, reviews for the live-action adaptation are mixed, but Fullmetal Alchemist has received more praise than poison. There are fans who are understandably weary of the project given the history of live-action anime, but audiences mostly agree that director Fumihiko Sori struck a good balance with his latest film.
If you are not familiar with Fullmetal Alchemist, then you have plenty of time to watch the anime before its live-action film arrives. The series follows brothers Edward and Alphonse after their mother tragically passes. They attempt to use alchemy to resurrect her, but the attempt takes Edward’s arm and leg – and it takes Alphonse’s entire body. Determined to get their bodies restored, Edward and Alphonse try to become State Alchemists so they can find the location of a powerful item known as the Philosopher’s Stone. But their journey ultimately leads them into a seedy world of government corruption and mass genocide.
Will you be seeing Fullmetal Alchemist when it begins screening in the U.S? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!
