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1st 'Final Chapter' Live-Action Rurouni Kenshin Film Opens at #2

The Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet (Meitantei Conan: Hiiro no Dangan film stayed at #1 in its second weekend. It earned 774,072,500 yen (about US$7.15 million) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 3,935,583,800 yen (about US$36.39 million). The film has sold a total of 2.74 million tickets.

The film sold 1,533,054 tickets and earned 2,218,130,800 yen (about US$20.5 million) in its first three days to rank #1 in the Japanese box office in its opening weekend.

Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet is the 24th film in the franchise. The film was slated to open on April 17 last year, but was delayed from its original date due to concerns about the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The film opened in Japan on Friday. The film also had a simultaneous release in 22 countries and territories outside of Japan: Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and France.

Tomoka Nagaoka (Detective Conan: Fist of Blue Sapphire) directed the film, and Takeharu Sakurai (Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer) wrote the script. Katsuo Ono returned to compose the music. Rock band Tokyo Jihen performed the theme song "Eien no Fuzaishōmei" (The Eternal Alibi).

Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō The Final, the first of two "final chapter" films in the live-action film series based on Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin manga, ranked at #2 and earned 745 million yen (about US$6.9 million) in its opening weekend.

The film opened in Japan on April 23. Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō The Beginning, the second film, will open on June 4.

The films were originally slated to open on July 3 and August 7 last year, but were delayed to this year due the ongoing new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō The Final has an original story that differs from the story in the manga. The film centers on the story from the manga's "Jinchū" arc, which features Kenshin's conflict with the mysterious weapons dealer Enishi. Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō The Beginning will tell the story of how Kenshin got his cross-shaped scar. Kasumi Arimura will play the character Tomoe Yukishiro in the films. Tomoe was Kenshin's wife during his days as the assassin Battōsai, and her story ties into Kenshin's iconic X-shaped scar. Kenshin and Tomoe's relationship was previously portrayed in the Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal original video anime (OVA) project.

Keishi Ōtomo is returning to direct the films. The rock band ONE OK ROCK returns to perform the theme song "Renegade" for the films.

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time (Shin Evangelion Gekijō-ban :||), the "final" Evangelion film, dropped from #2 to #3 in its seventh weekend. The film earned 90,223,050 yen (about US$833,900) from Friday to Sunday. It has sold a total of 5.23 million tickets and has earned a cumulative 8,013,146,850 yen (about US$74 million).

In its third week, the film surpassed the domestic earnings of Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, which earned a total of 5.3 billion yen. The new film is now the highest-earning film in the series domestically and internationally.

The film ranked #1 in its opening weekend. The film sold 2,194,533 tickets for 3,338,422,400 yen (about US$30.6 million) in its first seven days in 466 theaters in Japan. The film sold 33.6% more tickets for 45.1% more yen than the previous Evangelion film during their respective first seven days. The film earned the equivalent of US$3.4 million in 38 IMAX theaters during its first seven days— the second-highest opening week for IMAX screenings of a domestic title in Japan, behind only last year's Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train. Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 also played in 82 theaters equipped for 4D screenings.

The staff had delayed the film from January 23 to March 8, after careful consideration due to the new state of emergency declared in four prefectures in Japan on January 8, and then extended to a total of 11 prefectures. The film had an earlier delay due to concerns over the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its spread inside and outside of Japan. The film was originally scheduled to open in Japan on June 27, 2020.

BanG Dream! Episode of Roselia I : Promise, the first in a two-film project in the BanG Dream! franchise, ranked at #5 in its opening weekend.

The two-film project is focused on the "Roselia" in-story band. The film opened in Japan last Friday. The second film, BanG Dream! Episode of Roselia II : Song I am., will open in Japan on June 25.

Bushiroad USA will stream the two films in the U.S. on the online streaming platform Eventive. BanG Dream! Episode of Roselia I : Promise will begin streaming on May 22 at 10:00 p.m. EDT until August 22. BanG Dream! Episode of Roselia II : Song I am. will begin streaming on July 24 at 10:00 p.m. EDT until October 24. Customers can purchase a ticket to stream a movie for three days.

The BanG Dream! FILM LIVE 2nd Stage anime film will open in Japan on August 20.

The BanG Dream! Poppin' Dream! film is slated to open in 2022.

Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train fell from #5 to #6 in its 28th weekend. The film earned 25,934,300 yen (about US$239,700) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 39,779,619,100 yen (about US$367.7 million).

After 12 consecutive weeks at #1 in the box office in Japan, Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train dropped to #2 during the January 9-10 weekend, its 13th weekend. The film had ranked in the top three spots weekly in Japan since then, until its 22nd weekend.

The film has surpassed Hayao Miyazaki's 2002 Spirited Away, its last rival for all-time highest earnings in Japanese box office history. (Spirited Away earned 30.8 billion yen in its original run, but has since earned a total of 31.68 billion yen after last summer's revival screenings.) The film has also surpassed Spirited Away as the #1 highest-earning Japanese film of all time worldwide.

The main staff members of the previous television anime returned for the sequel film. TOHO and Aniplex are handling the film's distribution in Japan. Funimation and Aniplex of America began screening the film in theaters in North America on April 23, and will release the film digitally on June 22.

The live-action film of CAPCOM's Monster Hunter game franchise dropped from #4 to #7 in its fifth weekend in Japan. The film earned 23,910,500 yen (about US$221,100) from Friday to Sunday. The film has earned a cumulative total of 1,143,566,100 yen (about US$10.57 million).

The film earned 256,244,150 yen (about US$2.33 million) to rank #2 in its opening weekend. The film opened in Japan on March 26.

The film opened in the United States on December 18. The film earned US$2.2 million to rank at #1 in its opening three days in the United States box office.

The film stars Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil movie franchise) as film-original character Captain Natalie Artemis and martial arts actor Tony Jaa (Ong-Bak film series) as "The Hunter." Additionally, Ron Perlman (Hellboy film series, Pacific Rim, Sons of Anarchy) plays the Admiral, who is the leader of The Hunter's crew. T.I. Harris (Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp) plays a sniper named Link, Diego Boneta (Luis Miguel: La Serie, Pretty Little Liars) plays Sergeant Marshall, and Hirona Yamazaki plays the Handler. Meagan Good and Josh Helman also have roles in the film.

The third film in the six-part Girls und Panzer das Finale film series dropped off the top 10 once again in its fifth weekend, but the film still earned 9,782,900 yen (about US$90,400) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 416,995,100 yen (about US$3.85 million).

Sources: Kōgyō Tsūshin, Eiga.com, comScore via KOFIC