Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: How the Nymph Circle Captivates Fans in This Long-Running Franchise
The latest installment in the beloved sci-fi franchise Gundam made a notable debut, grossing $810,000 across 894 screens. Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery Of Nymph Circle, the first film in the series distributed directly in North America by Bandai Namco Filmworks, highlights the increasing significance of anime at the domestic box office.
Originating in the 1970s, Gundam has transitioned multiple times from television to film. This weekend’s earnings reflect a performance comparable to a previous release from GKids, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX – Beginning, which opened to $882,000 in February 2025, ultimately accruing a domestic total of $1.2 million. Both titles resonated strongly in Japan, with GQuuuuuuX surpassing $24 million.
The Sorcery Of Nymph Circle achieved an impressive $14.7 million in Japan after its January release. This weekend, Canadian viewership contributed over 11% to the opening gross, with AMC Empire in New York noted as the leading venue. The film is currently Certified Fresh with an audience score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
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The Gundam franchise has been a trailblazer in the “mecha” genre, focusing on mechanical suits and giant piloted robots. The narrative unfolds in the year U.C.0105, twelve years after Char’s Rebellion. According to the official synopsis, ‘Mafty’ has started to resist the oppressive Federation government by targeting its ministers for assassination. The movement’s leader is Hathaway Noa, the son of Bright Noa, who fought alongside Amuro Ray during the One Year War. Little does he know, a girl named Gigi Andalusia, possessing mysterious abilities, will force him to confront past traumas as he prepares for an air raid on the Adelaide conference, driven to achieve Mafty’s mission and resolve his own history.
The film is adapted from the second installment of the Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash trilogy written by Yoshiyuki Tomino, originally published between 1989 and 1990. Directed by Shukou Murase and produced by Bandai Namco Filmworks’ Sunrise Animation Studios, it features Kensho Ono as the voice of Hathaway.
Additionally, a live-action Gundam adaptation is currently in development.
Moderate release: Vertical is predicting an opening of $483,000 for Olivier Assayas’ The Wizard Of The Kremlin, which screened in 582 theaters. The film, featuring Jude Law as Vladimir Putin and Paul Dano as his advisor, is performing well in upscale, politically-oriented markets in the U.S. and Canada. Key venues include AMC Empire, Angelika Film Center, AMC Georgetown, AMC Mercado in San Francisco, and TIFF Lightbox in Toronto.
Limited: The dark comedy Forge, from Utopia’s Circle Collective, premiered to $27,000 in an exclusive run at the Landmark Nuart. This directorial debut by Jing Ai Ng features a Q&A session with the cast, including stars Andie Ju and Brandon Soo Hoo, who portray art-forger siblings in Miami. The film will expand to New York’s Quad Cinema next week.
Magic Hour, a romantic drama from Greenwich Entertainment, opened to an estimated $10,000 in an exclusive showing at NYC’s IFC Center, ranking #1 in the venue for the weekend. Directed by Katie Aselton, who stars alongside Daveed Diggs, the film will expand to the Nuart in LA and Santa Barbara next weekend.
Silent Friend, from 1-2 Special, anticipates a total of $41,700 from 18 theaters in its second week, bringing its cumulative total to $123,000. The film had a strong debut, earning $74,000 from two NYC locations last weekend. Directed by Ildikó Enyedi, it explores lives entwined around a majestic ginkgo tree in a medieval German university town and will expand to cities including Austin, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Portland, Seattle, Sacramento, and San Diego next week.
