Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero topped the charts in its first weekend in theaters, with $20.1 million in ticket sales according to studio estimates on Sunday. Beast, meanwhile, settled for a second-place debut with $11.6 million.
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero emerged as the winner at the North American box office over the weekend, surpassing Beast in ticket sales. The latest Dragon Ball movie earned an estimated $20.1 million in its first weekend, claiming the top spot. On the other hand, Beast made its debut in second place with $11.6 million in ticket sales.
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero made its North American debut on a record-breaking 3,900 screens, the widest release ever for an anime film. Produced by Toei Animation and directed by Tetsuro Kodama with the involvement of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, the movie benefited from the extensive fanbase of the Dragon Ball franchise. With almost four decades of history, the Dragon Ball universe spans across manga, television shows, movies, video games, and merchandise, making it a highly popular and influential franchise.
“We are incredibly excited that fans of Dragon Ball could gather and have the opportunity to enjoy this incredible film on the big screen,” stated Mitchel Berger, the senior vice president of global commerce for the distributing company. “Crunchyroll extends its gratitude to all the fans, whether they are long-time enthusiasts or newcomers, and we hope they continue to support and revisit our offerings.”
According to PostTrak, the audience for Dragon Ball Super was predominantly male (79%) and 44% of them were aged between 25 and 34.
“Japanese anime has a rich cinematic heritage, but it is uncommon to witness a movie like this achieving the top position in the domestic box office,” commented Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “To surpass numerous mainstream Hollywood films is truly remarkable. It reflects the significant impact of globalization on the box office.”
Beast, on the other hand, was released on 3,743 screens in North America. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur (known for Everest), the film features Idris Elba as a widowed father of two teenage girls, portrayed by Iyana Halley and Leah Jeffries. The story follows their harrowing journey as they face a relentless lion while on a trip to South Africa.
“Including international screenings, Beast has earned a total of $21.8 million up until now,” stated Jim Orr, Universal’s head of domestic distribution. “I consider this to be an excellent beginning for Beast, and I have confidence that we will experience a successful run at the box office.”
In addition to Beast, Idris Elba has another film, George Miller’s fantasy epic Three Thousand Years of Longing, set to open in theaters next weekend.
Meanwhile, Sony’s Bullet Train, which had previously held the top spot, dropped to third place with an estimated $8 million in its third weekend, bringing its total domestic earnings to $68.9 million. Paramount’s Top Gun: Maverick secured the fourth spot in its 13th weekend, adding $5.9 million to its impressive total of over $683 million in North America. This places Top Gun: Maverick as the sixth highest-grossing domestic release of all time, surpassing Avengers: Infinity War. DC League of Super-Pets rounded out the top five films at the box office.
Paramount’s Orphan: First Kill, an origin story exploring the character of Esther, was released on Paramount+ and in 498 theaters this weekend. The film made an estimated $1.7 million in ticket sales from its theatrical release.
The weekend saw approximately $77 million in ticket sales in North America, which is a significant increase of over 168% compared to the same weekend last year. This brings the total year-to-date ticket sales to $5.2 billion, as reported by Comscore. However, the summer movie season is starting to wind down, and it is expected that this trend may continue well into the fall.
“It doesn’t mean there won’t be any movies; it just means that we won’t see $100 million blockbusters for some time,” explained Dergarabedian. “However, during this period, there will be plenty of exciting films to look forward to, such as Don’t Worry Darling (Sept. 23).”
According to Comscore, the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at theaters in the US and Canada are as follows. Please note that these figures are subject to change, and the final domestic figures will be released on Monday:
1. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, $20.1 million.
2. Beast, $11.6 million.
3. Bullet Train, $8 million.
4. Top Gun: Maverick, $5.9 million.
5. DC League of Super-Pets, $5.8 million.
6. Thor: Love and Thunder, $4 million.
7. Nope, $3.6 million.
8. Minions: The Rise of Gru, $3.5 million.
9. Where the Crawdads Sing, $3.2 million.
10. Bodies Bodies Bodies, $2.4 million.
