Pixar’s Coco Is Already a Massive Success in Mexico, on a Record-Breaking Pace

Good news for Disney-Pixar, whose next animated feature film Coco has debuted in Mexico to rave reviews and huge box office numbers for the Mexican market. In its opening weekend, Coco took a healthy $9.3 million in Mexico, but the second weekend is even more impressive—Coco actually increased its gross during its second week in release to $10.4 million, implying phenomenal word of mouth and repeat viewings. After 10 days in theaters, Coco’s tally in Mexico now stands at $27.6 million, which is more than any other animated film has ever earned in the country in only 10 days.

Those numbers put Coco on a good pace to become the highest-grossing animated feature in the history of the Mexican market, although it still has a ways to go. Coincidentally, the film in first place is another Pixar vehicle, Toy Story 3, which was also directed by Coco’s director, longtime Pixar leader Lee Unkrich. That film earned $59.4 million back in 2010.

The success of Coco seemingly implies a couple of things. First, it shows that the Mexican audience was enticed by an American family film that revolves around Mexican folklore, but it would also seemingly imply that Coco has passed any kind of cultural sensitivity/appropriation test that would have been set before it by Mexican audiences. It will be interesting to see if American audiences have the same response when Coco opens in the U.S. and abroad on Nov. 22. As of yet, it doesn’t seem like the film’s marketing machine has swung into full force in the U.S., so if you’re not familiar with the concept, check out the premise of Coco below:

Despite his family’s generation-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz, a deceased Mexican music and film star. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel and his dog Dante find themselves in the Land of the Dead. Along the way, they meet charming trickster Hector and together they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history, and the reason why they forbid music.

You can also check out the latest trailer for Coco below.