Japanese anime film Demon Slayer: Mugen Train trumps Mortal Kombat at US box office

Japanese anime film Demon Slayer: Mugen Train has regained the first spot as it earned $6.4 million at the box office during the weekend.

Briefly, Mortal Kombat was number one on the US box office, however, so far it has gained $6.2 million, trailing at second number. Along with the theatrical release, the movie released simultaneously on HBO Max.

The Japanese animated film has made history at the US box office with its $19.5 million debut. This is the biggest opening for any foreign-language film in the US.

With $368 million box office collection in Japan, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train is the highest-grossing movie ever. It is also the highest-grossing Japanese film globally with a collection of $423 million, according to Vanity Fair. 

Directed by Haruo Sotozaki, the anime film initially released in Japan on 16 October last year. In Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, five demon slayers investigate the disappearance of 40 people on a mysterious train. The demon slayers succumb to a spell-induced dream state.

On the other hand, Mortal Kombat is based on a video game of the same name and is a martial arts fantasy film. It has been directed by Simon McQuoid and is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Both films released in the US on 23 April. 

The box-office collections of both films are promising given the fact that they have released during the pandemic. However, the theatrical performance of the two films raises doubts if the upcoming films like Black Widow, F9, and A Quiet Place Part II will premiere as expected.