After two days of sneak previews, the film topped the weekend box office, according to Box Office Vietnam. By midday 20/7, "Detective Conan: The Scarlet Alibi" had earned 11 billion VND for the day, far surpassing other films like "The Smurfs" (655 million VND) and "Superman" (350 million VND). The film is predicted to surpass the record of "Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire," which generated nearly 120 billion VND last year in Vietnam.

The film's international success confirms the enduring appeal of the franchise. In Japan, it earned over 101 million USD, the highest grossing film so far this year. In China, it debuted at the end of June, surpassing Brad Pitt's "F1" to lead the box office, eventually earning 40 million USD - the highest in the series.

This installment marks the return of the Nagano police trio, centered around officer Yamato Kansuke, who lost an eye in a severe avalanche. Ten months later, he reunites with detective Mori Kogoro and Conan as they investigate a mysterious assassination. The seemingly unrelated cases share several clues, including Yamato's hazy memories of the past accident.

The film is directed by Katsuya Shigehara, who also directed "Detective Conan: The Iron Submarine." The screenplay is by Takeharu Sakurai, a longtime contributor to the Conan series.

Detective Conan in the new film. Photo: Provided by the film crew

Debuting in 1997, the Detective Conan film series has maintained an annual release schedule, becoming a long-standing animation brand. Last year, "Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire" topped the Japanese box office and ranked among the top 10 highest-grossing Japanese films in history.

The first volume of the Detective Conan manga was published in 1994, and the author has not yet announced the conclusion. On NHK last year, artist Gosho Aoyama said he had considered releasing the final installment but abandoned the idea because many readers still anticipated new chapters. He stated that he would only stop when the work felt more tiring than enjoyable. The artist said, "Currently, the joy outweighs the hardship. I want to work until I die."

Tam Ky