Amin Abbas

VOX Cinemas, the dedicated cinema arm of Majid Al Futtaim, announced that it will release Jujutsu Kaisen 0 across the MENA region on 19 May as part of its exclusive distribution deal with ODEX, the leading Japanese animation film distributor in South-East Asia. The much-anticipated anime film has enjoyed critical acclaim and commercial success in Japan and international markets where it has been released.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 has recently become the 15th highest-grossing film in Japan of all time. The movie is the highest-earning film at the Japanese box office from the 2021 calendar year, after surpassing Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time.

“Japanese animation is experiencing an unprecedented rise in popularity. Last year, we distributed Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – the Movie: Mugen Train, which broke box office records to become the highest-grossing anime film ever and opened up a world of new possibilities for the anime industry,” said Toni El Massih, Managing Director of VOX Cinemas. He added, “While previously considered niche, anime has moved into the mainstream and amassed a huge following across the region. VOX Cinemas looks forward to bringing Jujutsu Kaisen 0 to the big screen as part of our ongoing partnership with ODEX and, we are confident that its performance across MENA will mirror that of Japan and the US.”

Go Wei Ho, Managing Director, ODEX Private Limited, Singapore added, “With a box office of more than USD$100 million, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, is currently in the top 20 grossing films in Japan. We are proud to continue our partnership with VOX Cinemas and, are confident that Jujutsu Kaisen 0 will bring forth another landmark box office record in MENA.”

In May last year, VOX Cinemas signed an exclusive deal with ODEX to release six titles theatrically across eight territories including box office sensation Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – the Movie: Mugen Train.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 follows Yuta Okkotsu, a nervous high school student, who enrolls in the mysterious Tokyo Jujutsu High School under the guidance of Satoru Gojo after being haunted by the curse of his childhood friend. Directed by Sunhoo Park, the film is based on Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (JUMP COMICS / Shueisha), a prequel manga to the smash hit supernatural adventure series from Gege Akutami.

VOX Cinemas also operates a large regional film distribution business and produces content. Towards the end of 2021, it distributed Al Kameen (The Ambush), the largest-ever Arabic feature film production in the GCC, which smashed box office records and became the highest-grossing Arabic language movie ever in the United Arab Emirates. Last year, VOX Cinemas also distributed the Saudi Japanese anime The Journey in partnership with Manga Productions.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 releases on 19 May across theatres in United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan in Japanese dub with Arabic and English subs.