The Boy and the Heron, Hayao Miyazaki's fantasy film, earned $47,343,204 in domestic theaters and $247,807,229 internationally for a $295,150,433 worldwide total. Domestic sales were about 16% of the gross, while international sales were about 84%, according to Box Office Mojo's tracker page. That split makes the film a clear international-driven hit. North America set records for its distributor, but Japan and especially China supplied much larger totals.
Table of Contents
- How did it perform in North America?
- Which international markets mattered most?
- Why did international earnings dominate?
- Why do reports show $295 million and over $300 million?
How did it perform in North America?
The film opened at No. 1 in North America with about $12.8 million.
Reporting on Comscore data called it the first original anime film to top the domestic box office and GKIDS' biggest opening, according to Game News 24's December report. It then passed $46 million in North America. Distributor GKIDS described that result as its highest-grossing release and Studio Ghibli's top North American grosser, according to Animation Magazine's March 2024 report.
Which international markets mattered most?
Japan contributed 8.66 billion yen, about $61.4 million, ranking among Japan's top domestic films of 2023. That established a strong home-market base before later territories reported.
China then became its single biggest theatrical market with about $73 million in its first five days, including $34.9 million Friday through Sunday. The scale of that opening reshaped the worldwide total in less than one week.
- North America: over $46 million total
- Japan: about $61.4 million total
- China: about $73 million in first five days
Why did international earnings dominate?
China's five-day opening alone exceeded the film's prior cumulative totals in Japan and North America at that date. Japan stood near $61 million and North America near $46.6 million when China passed both markets.
The result shows concentration, not breadth alone. One large opening can outweigh months of domestic play when the domestic share starts near one-sixth of worldwide gross.
Why do reports show $295 million and over $300 million?
Box Office Mojo's tracker snapshot lists $295,150,433 worldwide. Later trade reporting put the worldwide total above $300 million, making it one of only five anime films to cross that mark.
The difference reflects cutoff date, currency conversion, and reporting lags for Japan and China. Readers comparing domestic and international shares should use same-date figures from the same tracker.