Dandadan: Evil Eye, the second film in the series, was released in North American theaters on June 6th, surpassing the box office totals of the previous film in the franchise, First Encounters. Box Office Mojo revealed Evil Eye opened eighth at the USA box office, earning over 3 million USD. Evil Eye earned over three times more money at theaters than First Encounters, which only earned $1 million at the opening weekend. Both Dandadan motion pictures are compilation films that cover the first three episodes of their respective seasons. First Encounters features the first three episodes of Season 1, whereas Evil Eye covers the first three episodes of Season 2.
Both films launched before the premiere of their respective seasons, serving as prologues. Evil Eye‘s greater success at the box office can be attributed to the anime premiering on Netflix after First Encounter was released in theaters. Even though the Dandadan was gaining plenty of momentum before its October 4th, 2024, premiere, it was still a new and untested brand when First Encounters opened. The series has grown in status, becoming one of Netflix’s most-watched shows on the platform in the second half of 2024. Evil Eye‘s larger box office totals highlight how much the brand has grown since becoming available to stream.
[RELATED – Dandadan Season 2 Releases New Look & Voice Cast for Cursed House]
Dandadan is one of GKIDS’ Biggest Brands
Dandadan: Evil is part of a growing trend where companies are becoming aware of anime’s popularity. Anime is expected to continue rising, with 2025 set to become the biggest year for the medium yet, with companies like Netflix, Amazon, and even Disney set to invest heavily. Several anime hits, specifically Demon Slayer – The Movie: Mugen Train, have led to corporations giving theatrical releases for anime films that wouldn’t have had theatrical openings over a decade ago. While Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Hulu stream the Dandadan anime in the United States, GKIDS Films handles the theatrical releases for First Encounter and Evil Eye.
Dandadan is a supernatural action romance comedy series based on the manga of the same name, starring a pair of high schoolers investigating supernatural events with the aid of their classmates and family. The boy, nicknamed Okarun, is possessed by a spirit that transforms him into a superhuman being. The second season and the Evil Eye film continue the first season’s cliffhanger ending, with Momo trapped in a hot spring with a group of men. Meanwhile, Okarun and his compatriot Jiji discover a hidden room in the latter’s home, filled with talismans.
Dandadan Season 2 is scheduled to premiere in July 2025. Netflix has shared several new trailers for the second season, including new footage with the English Dub. Footage for Evil Eye shows Jiji becoming possessed by a malicious entity, leading to a major action set piece against the Evil Eye spirit. Trailers for the Evil Eye film highlight the fight between Okaru and the possessed Jiji. The Cursed House Arc will follow the Evil Eye arc, featuring the protagonists discovering a new evil lurking underneath a haunted building.
H/T: Box Office Mojo
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