"The Boy and The Heron" Flies High with $73 Million Opening in China

Hayao Miyazaki's "The Boy and the Heron" soared to $73 million at the Chinese box office over the holiday weekend, surpassing its totals in both Japan and North America. The film easily overtook "Godzilla vs. Kong" and is projected to reach $106.5 million, while the latter is expected to finish with $121.9 million. Chinese audiences have shown a preference for Japanese animation over Hollywood imports, with "The Boy and the Heron" continuing this trend. Overall, China's current ticket sales revenue for 2024 is $2.5 billion, up 6.2 percent from the same period last year.