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.
Taiwanese film "The Pig, The Snake and The Pigeon" made a strong debut in China's box office, outperforming local blockbusters and Hollywood's "Madame Web," which opened poorly. Meanwhile, a promotional rerelease of "Dune: Part One" garnered more attention, setting the stage for the upcoming release of "Dune: Part Two" in China. Despite economic challenges, China's film sector has shown resilience, with the theatrical box office generating nearly $2 billion in ticket sales this year.
Makoto Shinkai's latest anime film, Suzume, has earned $50 million in its opening weekend in China, making it the biggest start for a non-Chinese film this year. The film is projected to finish its run at around $90 million, which would be the biggest performance ever by a Japanese animated feature. This success highlights the growing popularity of Japanese anime in China's movie market, while Hollywood superhero films have been struggling. Suzume follows a 17-year-old high school girl who helps a mysterious young man close doors from an outer realm that are releasing disasters all across Japan.
