¥2.5 billion at the box office and 1.48 million admissions in 48 days. Breaking a five-year silence, the second chapter of "Hathaway's Flash" passed its predecessor's lifetime total in under a month. It did so with an unusual gamble attached: Western artists SZA and Guns N' Roses on the theme songs. A domestic hit, and a May opening in North American theaters. Here's the global strategy behind it.

The Numbers Behind the Momentum

"Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Witch of Circe" has piled up box-office records since opening in Japan on January 30, 2026. Screening on 431 screens nationwide including IMAX, it took in ¥840 million (about $5.4 million) with 510,000 admissions over its opening three-day weekend, a start running at 162% of the first film's pace (2021).

The momentum held: ¥1 billion by day five, and by day 11, ¥1.532 billion and 914,106 admissions, roughly 70% of the first film's ¥2.23 billion lifetime total.

By day 22 (February 20) it stood at ¥2,012,920,440 and 1,206,852 admissions. Crossing ¥2 billion made it the fifth Gundam film to do so, after 1982's "Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space," the first "Hathaway," 2024's "SEED FREEDOM" and 2025's "GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-."

By day 29 (February 27) it had reached ¥2,240,747,860 and 1,343,651 admissions, clearing the first film's ¥2.23 billion lifetime figure. At day 48 (March 18) the tally stood at ¥2,502,648,920 and 1,489,165 admissions, per Kogyo Tsushinsha.

Five Years On: A Changed Landscape for Gundam Films

The first chapter of "Hathaway's Flash" opened in June 2021. Released during the pandemic, it earned ¥2.23 billion, a strong figure for a Gundam film at the time. But the market changed sharply afterward.

"Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM," released in January 2024, set a series record for a Gundam theatrical film with over ¥5 billion and more than 3 million admissions, far surpassing the roughly ¥2.3 billion long held by 1982's "Encounters in Space."

Then in 2025, "Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-" ran as an advance theatrical screening and took in over ¥3.3 billion, unusual for what was essentially a preview of a TV series. "Witch of Circe" arrived as the market for Gundam films was expanding.

Hathaway, Gigi, and Kenneth

The "Hathaway's Flash" series adapts Yoshiyuki Tomino's novels of the same name (published 1989-1990) and is planned as a trilogy. It is set in Universal Century 0105, twelve years after "Char's Rebellion."

The protagonist, Hathaway Noa, is the son of Bright Noa, captain of the original Gundam's ship, yet leads the anti-Earth Federation movement "Mafty," directing a resistance campaign that assassinates government officials. In the second chapter, a mysterious girl named Gigi Andalucia reawakens an old trauma in Hathaway, and, unsettled by her words, he presses ahead with plans to strike the Adelaide Conference.

Meanwhile, Federation officer Kenneth Sleg draws up an operation to wipe out Mafty. With a secret deal offered by Hundley Yoksan of the criminal police force in the mix, the story weaves human drama into intricate political maneuvering. Gigi, too, sets off for Hong Kong for her own "role," and the three characters' motives intertwine.

On social media, many describe the psychological interplay beneath the dialogue as too dense to absorb in a single viewing, praising the near-live-action visuals, and repeat viewings have been common.

The Unusual Gamble of Western Theme Songs

One of the film's most talked-about elements is its choice of Western artists for the theme songs.

The opening theme is "Snooze" by American R&B singer-songwriter SZA. SZA's 2022 album "SOS" was a major hit, and "Snooze" won the Grammy for Best R&B Song, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and charting for more than 70 weeks. Director Shukou Murase said he was drawn to the song early in production, describing how the image of Hathaway's opening "became infused" with it.

The ending theme is Guns N' Roses' rock anthem "Sweet Child O' Mine" (1987). Kept under wraps until opening day, the reveal drew a big response: downloads of the song jumped 12,166% week over week, streams rose 410%, and it climbed to No. 18 on the overall iTunes song ranking.

Japanese anime films typically feature original theme songs written by J-pop artists, so using existing Western hits outright is highly unusual. Reactions are mixed, but the choice signals the creators' intent to reach overseas viewers who don't know Gundam.

The score, once again, is by Hiroyuki Sawano. Insert songs include "ENDROLL," a duet by Yohei Kawakami of [Alexandros] and SennaRin, and "CIRCE" performed by SennaRin, creating a mix of Western and Japanese music.

The Other Gamble: North America

At New York Comic Con in October 2025, Bandai Namco Filmworks announced a U.S. theatrical release for "Witch of Circe." The date was confirmed on March 24, 2026, and the film opened across the United States on May 15, about three and a half months after Japan.

The first film went to Netflix worldwide roughly a week after its Japanese opening and never got a North American theatrical run. Theaters first, streaming later. That reversal is the change worth noting.

Behind this is the recent acceleration of Gundam's global push. The 2024 "SEED FREEDOM" had a North American theatrical run distributed by GKIDS. In 2025, "GQuuuuuuX" achieved Gundam's first North American IMAX screening, and the TV series streamed worldwide on Amazon Prime Video.

After Yokohama, a full-scale Nu Gundam statue has been built in Fukuoka, and, together with the Freedom Gundam statue in Shanghai, experiential content is spreading worldwide. An integrated IP strategy combining film, plastic models, attractions, and games is underway.

Gundam's Expanding Economic Sphere

Gundam is less an anime franchise than an economic sphere in its own right. In the IP-level figures Bandai Namco Holdings disclosed in May 2026, "Mobile Suit Gundam" recorded ¥254.3 billion in the fiscal year ending March 2026, an all-time high. That is up 65.6% from ¥153.5 billion the year before, an increase of roughly ¥100 billion. It also put Gundam ahead of "ONE PIECE" at ¥139.3 billion and "DRAGON BALL" at ¥138 billion, alone at the top of the company's IP table.

At its core are "Gunpla" (Gundam plastic models). Since going on sale in 1980, cumulative shipments have topped 800 million units, sold in more than 70 countries and regions. Four decades have built a structure in which a hit on screen shows up almost immediately in model sales.

With "Witch of Circe," an HG (High Grade) kit of the film's original mobile suit, the TX-ff104 Aluzeus, has been announced. Bandai Namco attributes the year's jump not to any single film but to "GQuuuuuuX" landing alongside its GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE PAVILION at the Osaka-Kansai Expo.

Western theme songs, a North American theatrical run, IP revenue climbing 65.6% in a year. Each is a sign of Gundam looking for exits outside its domestic fandom. The trilogy closes with the next chapter.

How are robot anime like Gundam, or long-running sci-fi franchises, received where you live? And what do you make of building a film around existing Western hits rather than a commissioned theme song?

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