Neon Genesis Evangelion Returns to Top 10 Box Office 28 Years Later

The iconic anime film, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth, has made a triumphant return to Japanese theaters. As part of the Evangelion franchise’s 30th anniversary celebration, the film began its re-release in 90 theaters across Japan last Friday. The response has been overwhelming, with the film selling 72,653 tickets and grossing 118,838,800 yen (approximately USD 786,000) over the extended October 10-13 weekend. This impressive performance secured the film the 10th spot in Japan’s box office rankings for the weekend of October 10-12, based on total yen earned. In terms of ticket sales, it ranked 11th.

The Tsuki-Ichi Eva Evangelion 30th Movie Fest.2025-2026 event is a grand celebration that will screen one film from the Evangelion franchise each month from October 2025 to February 2026. October will feature two films: Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth from October 10-16, followed by The End of Evangelion from October 24-30. The lineup continues with Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone from November 14-20, Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance from December 12-18, Evangelion: 3.333 You Can (Not) Redo from January 9-15 (alongside a theatrical version of Evangelion: 3.0 [-46h] and a motion comic version of the Evangelion 3.0 (-120 min.) manga), and concludes with Evangelion: 3.0+1.01: Thrice Upon A Time from December 13-19.

Due to the film’s resounding success, several theaters have extended its run beyond the initial October 16 date.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth is a unique film that partially compiles the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series, which debuted in Japan in March 1997. The “Death” segment of the film retells and condenses the series’ story, featuring retouched and added scenes, along with linking segments showcasing the main characters in a string quartet. The “Rebirth” segment overlaps with the beginning of The End of Evangelion, though some scenes were edited or redrawn for the latter film. Notably, the “Death” segment has three edit versions, with the third and final “Death (True)²” version being shown in the current anniversary screenings.

News Source: Animenewsnetwork.com