That's one hell of a feat considering it's only been released in 84 theaters. Still this should come as little surprise to those familiar with the Evangelion phenomenon of the 90's. Here's a brief write up on it.

Nikkatsu switched to the nearby Milano theater with 1,046 seats, but still had standing-room-only crowds for all seven opening day screenings. The two-day total for the Milano was 12,500 admissions and $130,434. Other theaters around the country averaged $26,086.

Produced by toon house Gainax, the pic is based on the first six episodes of a cult hit TV toon series from a decade ago that has been shown and sold on DVD widely abroad. Prior to release, Nikkatsu kept the story top secret, fueling fan interest.

Source: VarietyAsiaOnline