Things were getting very animated at the global box office this week. TOM & JERRY brought renewed hope to the Domestic market while Japanese smash-hit DEMON SLAYER THE MOVIE: MUGEN TRAIN crossed $400 million worldwide at the box office this weekend.
TOM & JERRY looked like the cat (and mouse) that got the cream at the weekend as the animated-live action hybrid scored big in the Domestic market. Despite only 46% of theaters open by market share across the Domestic market and the Warner Bros film being available simultaneously at home for HBO MAX subscribers, TOM & JERRY scored a reported $14.1 million opening – the second biggest result since the pandemic closed theaters in March 2020.
After hearing last week that indoor movie theaters in New York City will finally be permitted to re-open from March 5, there was further good news and recovery hope sprinkled across the Domestic market. Quebec re-opened theaters on Feb. 26 with 71% of cinemas by market share immediately back in business this past weekend. Theaters counts are also notably on the rise in the states of Oregon and Washington. Meanwhile, there may finally be some hope on the horizon for New Mexico, where indoor movie theaters have been closed since March 16, 2020. Re-opening guidance, announced last week (Feb. 24), includes movie theaters in counties achieving a “Green – Medium Risk” level. Ten counties already sit in this level.
TOM & JERRY had already been seeing significant success internationally over the past two weeks, and added new openings this week including $12.3 million in China and a $3.45 million #1-opening in Russia. It has dominated across Latin America since opening and this week saw second and third weekends in Mexico and Colombia, respectively, gain 8% and 21% week-on-week. In total TOM & JERRY scored $33.5 million globally this weekend for a total to date of $39.2 million. Mexico City begins re-opening this week (March 1).
There was further good news in Latin America where Chile hit the Stage 2 target of Gower Street’s Blueprint To Recovery (a single day of box office equivalent to the lowest grossing day recorded in 2018/2019) in just it’s second week with cinemas back open. The market share of open theaters expanded from 30% upon re-opening to 38% this week, which was already enough to allow for Stage 2 to be achieved on Saturday Feb. 27. With Chile having been closed nearly a year it is playing catch-up with titles, but it was another Warner Bros animation that led this week, SCOOB!
Not to be forgotten amid the slew of US animation playing strongly around the world, which also includes SOUL ($111.7m theatrically so far) and THE CROODS: A NEW AGE ($156.2m worldwide), was Japanese smash-hit DEMON SLAYER THE MOVIE: MUGEN TRAIN. The anime, which stands as Japan’s biggest ever box office hit with $362 million to date, scored new #1 openings in Australia ($1.5m) and New Zealand ($255k) this past weekend. It scored the 4th biggest opening since the pandemic began in Australia and third in New Zealand. It also took the #1 spot in South Korea this week for the first time since releasing five weeks ago, enjoying a 20% gain in business week-on-week. It has now topped $8 million in South Korea.
In total DEMON SLAYER added over $4.2 million globally this past weekend, crossing $400 million in global box office! With $400.4 million worldwide through Sunday (Feb. 28), according to our partners at Comscore Movies, other top markets include Taiwan ($22.2m), where it is now the highest grossing animated film of all-time; Hong Kong ($3.6m); and Thailand ($2.5m).
