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While there have been plenty of Pokémon movies over the franchise’s 20 plus years of existence, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is the series’ first real attempt at a big budget blockbuster for a global audience. The early trailers and marketing generated some positive buzz, but it was going up against strong competition, coming out just two weeks after Avengers: Endgame, a film that stands a chance of literally claiming the biggest box office earnings ever. Regardless, Pikachu and company fared surprisingly well.
While Marvel’s latest crossover maintained the number one spot, Detective Pikachu wasn’t that far behind, claiming second place with its $58 million take coming up about $5 million short of the top spot. The film also fared well around the world with its international total coming to about $103 million, including $41 million from the increasingly important Chinese market and about $10 million from Pokémon’s place of birth, Japan.
With an opening of more than $160 million around the world, things are looking good for the series’ first effort at a live action movie. Of course, the second week drop-off often proves just as important as it gives some clue as to the film’s staying power. Endgame will be entering its fourth week in theaters but will almost certainly remain a powerful competitor, so it will be interesting to see how Pokémon: Detective Pikachu fares.
Source: Siliconera
