Ranbir Kapoor's Animal to release in Japan, will race Dhurandhar in run to ₹1000 crore

Ranbir Kapoor and Sandeep Reddy Vanga's blockbuster Animal is releasing in Japan in 2026.

It’s official! Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal is coming back to the theatres, two years after its original release. However, this time, the release is limited to Japan, a country that has experienced a resurgence in Indian films. The makers of Animal announced on social media on Wednesday that the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer will get a wide release in Japan in February 2026.

Ranbir Kapoor on the poster of Animal's Japan release announcement.

Animal to release in Japan

Bhadrakali Films, one of the producers of Animal, took to Twitter (now X) on Wednesday morning with a poster of Animal’s Japanese release. The caption read: “Kono otoko wa Darenimo Tomerarenai🔥The most talked-about, debated, and unforgettable cinematic experience is coming to Japan.🪓”

The caption concluded with the film's release date. “Animal releases in Japanese theatres on February 13, 2026.” Animal, which originally released in December 2023, was a mega box office success, earning ₹553 crore net in India and ₹915 crore gross worldwide. It ended its original run as the 9th-highest-grossing Indian film ever. Now, with its Japanese release next year, it has a chance to aim for that ₹1000-crore mark.

Can Animal overtake Dhurandhar?

As the news of Animal’s release in Japan arrives, the film is set to lose its spot as the 9th-highest-grossing Indian film of all time to Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar. The Aditya Dhar film is expected to surpass Animal’s worldwide haul later today (December 24) and reach the ₹1000-crore mark by Saturday. Dhurandhar is expected to end its run with a worldwide revenue of between ₹1000 and ₹ 1100 crore.

But the makers of Animal would now hope the film can reclaim that spot and reach the ₹1000 crore mark with its Japan box office collections. In the recent years, Indian films have done well in Japan. RRR earned ¥2.4 billion (Over ₹150 crore) there, while KGF Chapter 2 grossed ¥1.1 billion ( ₹70 crore). If Animal can emulate these two films, it can reach close to or even surpass the ₹1000 crore mark. This would make it the 8th Indian film to reach the mark (assuming Dhurandhar will get there). However, it may struggle to beat Dhurandhar again, unless it has a phenomenal run like RRR there.

All about Animal

Animal starred Ranbir, Anil Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol, and Triptii Dimri in key roles. The film was a controversial one with criticism for its excessive violence and misogynistic tones. But director Vanga defended it, saying it was all part of creative liberty.