Three years after his last film, Makoto Shinkai finally released his new movie Suzume. And now, ahead of its worldwide release, Suzume has already surpassed Weathering With You’s global box office record.
As of March 26, Suzume has earned over JPY 14.31 billion (around USD 108 million) in Japan since its November release, meaning it has eclipsed Shinkai’s previous film Weathering With You which had a lifetime total of JPY 14.23 billion (around USD 107 million).
This makes the film Shinkai’s second highest-grossing film in Japan, though it’s still well off the current record holder.
Suzume Cinema Release Schedule
Makoto Shinkai is pretty much a household name in Japan thanks in large part to his 2015 mega-hit, Your Name.
The film became a huge phenomenon in Japan as it became one of the country’s highest-grossing films of all time.
Since then, there has been lots of hype behind Shinkai’s next films. For instance, Weathering With You also proved to be a box office hit, though not on the same level as his previous movie.
Aside from box office success, Shinkai’s films have also received lots of praise from moviegoers and critics alike.
In fact, Suzume became the first Japanese anime film in over 20 years to be selected as part of the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival in February.
Following the film’s Berlin premiere, Suzume got cinema screenings in select Asian countries, including South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and China, among others.
Fans in the West will have to wait a while longer for its release, though even before the US release, Suzume has already surpassed Shinkai’s previous work.
READ MORE: Is Suzume no Tojimari Related to Weathering With You or Your Name?
Suzume Surpasses Weathering With You in Total Box Office
Currently, Suzume is the 9th highest-grossing anime film in Japan as it has overtaken Weathering With You during the weekend.
Given that the film is still in cinemas, there’s a chance that Suzume may place higher at the end of its run. Though this record only refers to Japan’s box office.
For now, it still lags in worldwide box office gross compared to Weathering With You, but that’s because the film is not yet out in most of the world.
Suzume will likely overtake Shinkai’s previous movie, though it probably won’t reach Your Name’s impressive JPY 25 billion (around USD 189 million) record.
Suzume will be released in the US, Canada, the UK, and other selected countries this April.
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READ NEXT: Makoto Shinkai's Best Movies, Ranked
Source: Kogyo Tsushin via Anime News Network
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