If you have been paying attention to the entertainment industry as of late, you know things are difficult. The pandemic has forced a number of movies to push back their releases, but some areas have been able to reopen theaters following control efforts. In fact, Japan was one such nation, and it brought theaters back online just in time. After all, the first-ever Demon Slayer movie debuted back in October, and it just took out Titanic to become the second-highest-grossing movie in Japan ever.
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The milestone comes not long after Demon Slayer made its debut. The film, which is titled Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Mugen Train, has been out for just 45 days now. In that time, it has earned more than $265 million USD which eclipses the former second-place record holder at the Japanese box office.
And who did the title belong to? Well, the award went to James Cameron’s Titanic. The epic romance earned just over $250 million USD during its box office run in Japan.
There is only one movie standing in the way of Demon Slayer as it aims to become the highest-grossing movie in Japan to date. The current record is held by Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away as the film earned more than $295 million USD during its run. Demon Slayer needs to make up a $30 million gap if it wants to overtake the Hayao Miyazaki masterpiece. And if it does, well – it seems a new era has come for the Japanese box office.
When it comes to the global box office, Demon Slayer has a bit of ground to make up. It is the third highest-grossing anime film worldwide with a total of $280 million USD. Spirited Away and Your Name top that total at $355 million and $358 million respectively. But when you consider that Demon Slayer‘s movie has yet to screen in North America or Europe, the odds are good the series will topple one of those films on its way to the top.
Do you think Demon Slayer will take the top spot at Japan’s box office? Or will Spirited Away win the race? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.