Makoto Shinkai's "The Journey of Bell Buds" has grossed $680,000 in North American previews

Makoto Shinkai's film "The Journey of Bell Buds" took in $680,000 at the North American box office during previews at 2,028 theaters on Thursday, Sony Pictures revealed Friday.

Makoto Shinkai's previous Weathering With You animated film earned $3,039,961 in two days during fan previews in January 2020. The film earned $1,586,217 during Wednesday previews and $1,445,534 during Thursday's run, ranking second at the U.S. box office over the two-day period.

"The Journey of Bell Bud" premiered in North America on Friday, with the North American distribution company Crunchyroll. The company and Sony Pictures, Wild Bunch International and Eurozoom are responsible for the global release of the film outside of Asia, including in Latin America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. The film is scheduled to be released in 199 countries and regions.

The film debuted at the top of the Japanese box office on November 11, selling 1.33 million tickets and earning 1.88 billion yen in the first three days of its release. As of today, "Suzuya's Journey" has become the 14th highest-grossing film in Japanese history and the 8th highest-grossing animated film, second only to Hayao Miyazaki's "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea".