GKIDS Films opened Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- in American theaters on February 28th. The film serves as a prologue to the upcoming Gundam GQuuuuuuX anime by Studio Khara and Sunrise, compiling the first three episodes of the show into one motion picture. The movie successfully launched in Japan on January 17th, opening at number one at the weekend box office and remaining in the top ten a month out. The film grossed an extra $916,664 at the American box office, giving Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- a worldwide gross of over $19 million. -Beginning- is now the second highest-grossing film in the Gundam franchise, surpassing 1982’s Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space’s total gross.
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While Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- continues to impress at the theaters, it still lags behind Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedom. Even though -Beginning- is on track to make over $20 million at the box office, it currently doesn’t seem to be on track to surpass Seed Freedom‘s $36 million box office. Seed Freedom was a genuinely huge hit in Japan, serving as a continuation of one of the most popular Gundam animes in the country. However, -Beginning-‘s success in theaters should carry over to the new anime launching in the Spring.
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Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Is Already an International Hit!
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-‘s success at the Japanese box office has led to cinemas rewarding Japanese customers with new bonuses. Theater chains are now distributing illustration cards drawn by mecha designer and chief animation director Kim Se-jun. Sunrise and Khara have even added more footage to the film to promote the forthcoming series. The Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX anime series will air on late nights starting April 8th, 2025, aiming for a more adult demographic. A new line of Gunpla (Gundam plastic models) has been announced with the titular GQuuuuuuX and mysterious Red Gundam getting figures first.
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX has been drawing a lot of hype since it was unexpectedly unveiled in late 2024. The new anime is a collaboration between Sunrise, the main studio behind all animated Gundam projects, and Khara, founded by Neon Genesis Evangelion‘s Hideaki Anno. Gundam GQuuuuuuX will have a story written by Anno and the rest of the production staff consist of veterans who’ve worked on the Evangelion series. Anime fans have been anticipating Gundam GQuuuuuuX because of how well-respected Evangelion continues to be within fan circles on top of Gundam’s storied reputation as a franchise.
How Does GQuuuuuuX Connect With the Rest of the Franchise?
The Gundam franchise consists of multiple anime with most mainline entries taking place in alternate timelines from one another. While fans theorized that all the Gundam shows secretly take place in one timeline, the different timelines don’t often intermingle, making most mainline series standalone entries. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is different, though.
The new series takes place in a reverse timeline of the original Mobile Suit Gundam show. Whereas the original series had the Earth Federation winning the war thanks to the Gundam, Gundam GQuuuuuuX is in a Universe where The Principality of Zeon got the Gundam instead and won. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX follows teenagers who live in this new reality.
H/T: Oricon Japan, Box Office Mojo
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