Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO is offically a worldwide hit! The film, which hit theaters around the world last week, has taken the top spot at the global box office, debuting to $32 million in 31 markets.
The latest entry in the Dragon Ball Super series marks the widest theatrical release ever for an anime film, and is the first film to be distributed globally by Crunchyroll, in partnership with Sony Pictures. In addition to the previously reported $20.1 million box office count from the United States and Canada, Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO also brought in an impressive $12 million from around the world. Here’s the breakdown:
- United States and Canada: $20.1 million
- Australia: $535,000
- New Zealand: $117,000
- Mexico: $3.7 million
- Argentina: $1.5 million
- Peru: $1.2 million
- Chile: $675,000
- United Kingdom: $800,000
- Netherlands: $150,000
- Middle East: $420,000
The film follows the Dragon Ball Super anime series, as well as the events of the blockbuster Dragon Ball Super: Broly feature film, which hit theaters in 2018. The film went on to gross over $115 million worldwide. To date, Crunchyroll has nine of the top 20 highest-grossing anime releases in United States box office history (some were distributed under the Funimation brand at the time).
Crunchyroll received newly translated comments from the Dragon Ball series creator himself, Akira Toriyama-sensei. Here’s what he had to say:
I finally got to see the completed movie.
To put it shortly, it’s an amazing anime movie!
Of course, to have the original creator say that may not be the most convincing argument, but I couldn’t help but get excited when I was watching it! I’m an old man, and yet I got excited.
Considering how they’ve gone to universe and other such large-scale stages, I thought I’d return to my roots and have the story take place on Earth in a small area.
Not only that, but the enemy is the Red Ribbon Army, an enemy that wasn’t very impactful back when I originally created the series.
Plus, Goku and Vegeta aren’t even the main characters.
I believe I managed to make the story interesting, but I was constantly worried that perhaps I’d made it a little too subdued.
And then came Director Kodama and the talented animation staff.
They took a relatively small-scale story—compared to the recent Dragon Ball world—and with their unparalleled sense and latest visuals, made it an unprecedented and amazing movie!
Especially in the last half, the battles after the downpour scene gave me goosebumps with the visual layout and expert expression… I was getting tingles at the spectacle and my adrenaline was constantly pumping!
Piccolo is amazing! Gohan is amazing! Gamma 1 and Gamma 2 and everyone are amazing!
I’m usually very calm when it comes to my own works, but I couldn’t help but think that.
I’ve never had this happen before.
It made be feel thankful for all the work I put in, deliberating with my editor and everything.
This is all thanks to Director Kodama, the animation staff, all the staff that supported them, the voice actors, and the editors at Shueisha who worked tirelessly to make this the best movie possible.
I feel nothing but gratitude. Personally, I am as pleased as I could ever be.
If anyone out there is hesitating going to see this thinking, “Dragon Ball, hmm?” Please, just take me at my word and go see it. I’m sure that by the time you leave the movie theater, you’ll be feeling pumped!
Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO is in theaters now. For ticketing info, global release dates and more, head here.
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Nicholas Friedman is Senior Manager of Editorial at Crunchyroll and Editor-in-chief of English Crunchyroll News. You can find him yelling about Nintendo DS games or TRON: Legacy on Twitter at @NMFreed.
