by Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie -Walpurgisnacht: Rising- has reached another major box-office milestone in Japan. The latest film in the acclaimed Madoka Magica franchise has surpassed ¥1.8 billion in box-office revenue and 1 million admissions less than three weeks after its theatrical release.
Released in Japan on August 28, 2026, the movie recorded 1,093,178 admissions and ¥1,838,113,160 in box-office revenue during its first 17 days, from August 28 through September 13.
The film’s strong theatrical performance comes after a 13-year wait for a completely new Madoka Magica movie following Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion, which opened in 2013. Since the official spoiler restriction was lifted on September 12, discussions, theories, character analysis, and reactions to the film’s major developments have also spread rapidly across social media.
Walpurgisnacht: Rising Crosses ¥1.8 Billion
According to the latest box-office figures, Walpurgisnacht: Rising attracted more than 1.09 million moviegoers and earned approximately ¥1.838 billion in its first 17 days.
The film had already made a powerful start at the Japanese box office. During its first three days, it earned ¥939,647,100 from 534,722 admissions, placing it at No. 1 in the Japanese weekend box-office rankings.
The movie then crossed the ¥1 billion mark in only four days. By its 10th day, it had reached approximately 900,000 admissions and ¥1.53 billion in revenue.
That makes the ¥1.8 billion milestone particularly significant because the film has continued to attract audiences beyond its huge opening period.
It is worth noting that box-office comparisons between movies from different years should be treated carefully because ticket prices, theater counts, premium formats, and release conditions can differ. Nevertheless, the figures demonstrate the substantial theatrical demand for the latest Madoka Magica film.
What Is Walpurgisnacht: Rising About?
For newcomers, Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a dark fantasy magical-girl franchise that originally began with the 2011 television anime.
At first glance, the series appears to follow familiar magical-girl conventions: young girls receive magical powers, make contracts, and fight supernatural enemies. However, the original series gradually revealed a much darker story involving wishes, despair, fate, and the consequences of becoming a magical girl.
The original television anime was followed by compilation films and then 2013’s Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion.
Walpurgisnacht: Rising serves as a direct sequel to Rebellion rather than being a remake or a compilation of previous material. The film reunites the central creative team, with Akiyuki Shinbo as chief director, Gen Urobuchi handling the screenplay, Ume Aoki credited for the original character designs, and SHAFT producing the animation.
For viewers who have not watched the earlier entries, it is strongly recommended to experience the 2011 series and Rebellion first, because the new movie builds heavily on their characters, relationships, and mythology.
A 13-Year Wait Finally Ends.
One of the biggest reasons for the enormous interest surrounding Walpurgisnacht: Rising is the length of time fans had to wait.
Rebellion was released in 2013, meaning approximately 13 years passed before audiences received another completely new theatrical installment in the main story.
The new film was originally announced in 2021 and subsequently went through multiple changes to its release schedule before finally reaching Japanese theaters on August 28, 2026.
That lengthy wait helped turn the release into a major event for longtime fans. Opening-day screenings, special screenings, stage appearances, live-viewing events, and promotional campaigns helped build anticipation around the movie’s arrival.
The Spoiler Ban Has Now Been Lifted
Another unusual part of the film’s release was its official spoiler policy.
Fans were asked to avoid revealing major story developments on social media until September 12 at midnight Japan time. This meant that viewers who watched the movie immediately after release had to be extremely careful about discussing what they had seen.
For nearly two weeks, social media was filled with deliberately vague reactions from moviegoers who wanted to express their excitement without ruining the experience for others.
Once September 12 arrived, however, the situation changed dramatically. Fans were finally able to openly discuss the movie’s characters, twists, ending, symbolism, and theories.
The lifting of the spoiler restriction also coincided with a major promotional push from the official side, including new visual material and information connected to the mysterious character introduced in the film.
New Character “Was” Becomes a Major Topic
One of the most talked-about developments following the spoiler-policy change is the reveal surrounding the mysterious unnamed upperclassman, also referred to as Was.
The character’s appearance and connection to the existing cast have generated extensive discussion among fans. Her design is particularly notable because of her resemblance to Homura Akemi, one of the franchise’s central characters.
The September 12 promotional material also introduced additional information about the character, including the casting of Maaya Sakamoto.
Rather than simply being another supporting character, Was has become one of the major subjects of post-release discussion, with viewers examining her role and relationship to the film’s broader mythology.
Because the movie’s story contains many layers and deliberately leaves room for interpretation, fans have been comparing scenes, dialogue, visual motifs, and earlier entries in the franchise while developing their own theories.
New “Now Showing” PV Adds Even More Discussion
Following the end of the spoiler restriction, a new “Now Showing” promotional video was released.
Unlike the pre-release trailers designed to protect the movie’s surprises, the new material openly uses footage from the theatrical film and therefore contains significant spoilers.
The new PV and key visual were unveiled during Aniplex One Focus on September 12, giving viewers who had already watched the movie additional material to analyze.
The release immediately became another talking point among fans, particularly because the new footage gives viewers additional context for characters and scenes that were previously kept hidden.
For anyone who has not yet seen the movie, however, watching the latest PV is best avoided.
Fourth-Week Theater Bonus Also Announced
The theatrical campaign is continuing as the film enters its fourth week.
A new special postcard featuring a latest illustration by original character designer Ume Aoki is scheduled to be distributed from September 18 through September 25, while supplies last. The bonus is available to moviegoers on a first-come basis, with one postcard distributed per viewing under the campaign conditions.
This follows earlier weekly visitor bonuses that encouraged fans to return to theaters and collect different artwork.
The continued release of new promotional artwork and visitor bonuses has helped keep the movie in the spotlight even after its initial opening period.
Dolby Cinema Screenings Begin September 18
Another major theatrical update is the expansion to Dolby Cinema.
Dolby Cinema screenings of Walpurgisnacht: Rising begin at selected Japanese theaters on September 18, 2026. The format combines Dolby Vision picture technology with Dolby Atmos sound, offering a more immersive presentation for viewers.
This is particularly relevant to Madoka Magica, a franchise known for its unusual visual compositions, dramatic lighting, abstract spaces, magical effects, and highly atmospheric sound design.
The Dolby Cinema screenings therefore give existing fans another opportunity to experience the film on the big screen in a premium format.
Why the Film Is Important for Madoka Magica Fans
The success of Walpurgisnacht: Rising is not simply about another anime movie performing well at the Japanese box office.
The Madoka Magica franchise has maintained a dedicated audience for more than 15 years. The original television series premiered in 2011 and quickly became known for combining magical-girl imagery with darker themes and complex storytelling.
Rebellion then changed the status quo of the story in 2013, leaving audiences with numerous questions about Madoka, Homura, the Law of Cycles, and the future of their world.
Walpurgisnacht: Rising finally returns to that storyline.
As a result, viewers are not only watching the film as a standalone theatrical release. Many are also revisiting the original series and Rebellion, comparing details across the franchise and discussing how the new movie changes or expands previously established ideas.
Fans Are Now Sharing Theories Across Social Media
With the spoiler restriction lifted, social media discussions have become considerably more detailed.
Fans are discussing the identities and motivations of newly introduced characters, the significance of specific locations, recurring visual motifs, the meaning of certain conversations, and connections between the new film and earlier entries.
Some viewers have also returned to the theater for repeat screenings, hoping to notice details that may have been missed during the first viewing.
That kind of discussion is particularly fitting for Madoka Magica, a series that has historically encouraged viewers to rewatch episodes and films, compare interpretations, and debate unanswered questions.
Importantly, many of the theories circulating online are fan interpretations rather than officially confirmed explanations. Newcomers should therefore distinguish between information directly established by the movie or official materials and theories created by the fan community.
A Strong Theatrical Run for a Long-Awaited Sequel
With more than 1 million admissions and approximately ¥1.84 billion in revenue in 17 days, Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie -Walpurgisnacht: Rising- has established itself as one of the major anime theatrical releases of 2026 in Japan.
The movie’s rapid start, continued attendance, spoiler-policy change, new character information, additional promotional material, weekly theater bonuses, and upcoming Dolby Cinema screenings have all contributed to keeping the film in the conversation.
For longtime fans, the biggest story is simple: after waiting around 13 years since Rebellion, they finally have a new chapter of the main Madoka Magica story to discuss.
For newcomers, the franchise offers a much larger story behind the current box-office success. Watching the original 2011 anime and Rebellion first provides important context for understanding why Madoka Kaname, Homura Akemi, and the world they inhabit remain so important to anime fans.
As Walpurgisnacht: Rising continues its Japanese theatrical run, attention will now turn to its longer-term box-office performance and how audiences continue to interpret the film following the end of the spoiler restriction.
