27th Detective Conan Film Screened at Anime Expo — Breaks Japan's Biggest Box Office Record of the Year
The 27th film of the Detective Conan series made its North American premiere at Anime Expo 2024 shortly after its release in Japan last April. The film, titled 'Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Pentagram' (not to be confused with the Japanese spin-off Hannin no Hanzawa-san), became the highest-grossing film of 2024 in Japan and also the most successful installment of the series that has been ongoing for over 30 years.
Created by Gosho Aoyama, the Detective Conan (internationally known as Case Closed) manga has been published since 1994 and has sold over 270 million copies worldwide. The anime adaptation has been airing continuously since 1996. Despite being the 27th film of such a long-running series, The Million-dollar Pentagram achieved great success by becoming the highest-grossing not only of 2024 but also among all 27 films of the series. The film earned over 15.5 billion yen in Japan, topping the year's box office in the country.
The film follows the miniature form of famous detective Shinichi Kudo, Conan Edogawa, as he chases a treasure hunt and a mysterious swordsman this time. Offering a more action-oriented story compared to previous films, the production managed to impress both long-time fans and new viewers. Additionally, the deeply developed backgrounds of the characters and the series' classic 'whodunit' puzzles are carefully preserved in this film.
The special screening at Anime Expo was an important part of the film's international launch. A special message from Aoyama was also read at the event. The production company TMS Entertainment announced that the film will be released in many countries worldwide with a wider theatrical distribution in the coming months. Fans, especially in North America and Europe, are eagerly awaiting the release of this successful film in their countries.
This record proves once again how big a global phenomenon the Detective Conan series has become. The manga continues to be published with weekly chapters, and the anime is still ongoing. It is known that the 28th film has already been announced and is expected to be released in Japan in summer 2025. It seems that Conan's adventures will continue to fill theaters for many years to come.
