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 COVID-19 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.