Disney Estimate: $6.7m/$193.7m

23 billion Yen at 11th weekend?



Spirited Away truly was a box office juggernaut.

I'm kinda more impressed by Frozen's 11th weekend being 60% bigger than SA's.

That's the benefit of it being released in mid-July. The beginning of Summer Vacation (mid-July through Late-August) and Obon Festival (mid-August) make up the strongest six-weeks at the box-office.

Frozen has been beating Spirited Away's weekend gross since week 7, but it's been lacking the weekday support to reach its total so far. But still, it's the second biggest 11-week total at ~¥19.80 billion and ahead of Titanic (¥19.31 billion) after 11 weeks. No one thought we'd be including any film in the same sentence as Spirited Away or Titanic in perhaps ever, but here we are!

It's also interesting to point out that both Spirited Away and Titanic added nearly the same to their totals after week 11:

Week 11 Total + Post-Week 11 Gross = Final Total - Film
¥23.6 billion ($193.6 million) + ¥6.8 billion ($50 million) = ¥30.4 billion ($244.0 million) - Spirited Away
¥19.3 billion ($156.4 million) + ¥6.9 billion ($56 million) = ¥26.2 billion ($212.0 million) - Titanic

If Frozen does the same, although its weekends are outpacing them, it'll look like this:

¥19.8 billion ($194.1 million) + ¥6.8 billion ($67 million) = ¥26.6 billion ($261.0 million) - Frozen

unless disney nukes it and releases dvd early in japan, i think its making more than 30B Yen. its barely dropping(or increasing). The fact that its 11th weekend is not that far away from its OW shows it has lots of stea.

It's weird how it's remaining so popular. For the rest of the world, the Frozen train has passed long ago.

That is because it opened 4 months after domestic. Plus the market is leggy and frozen is having the greatest run since spirited away.

Yes, I know all of those things, but Japan also has the Internet and is connected like everyone else, yet it still remains popular there. Aren't they aware of other films? or that it's now Summer? I mean, Frozen is not a Summer film at all.

Very strange.

I guess Frozen offered something slightly different than what's usually on the table for the people in Japan. A computer-generated warm-hearted musical. Not another manga-inspired movie or other perennial anime series. Something different yet still within their comfort zone. Also, people from Japan are typically (I am generalizing here) averse to using the digital medium to watch movies. They would stick to the traditional way of watching movies - by going to a cinema.

The Japanese still prefer the physical market vs. the expanding digital market for their entertainment. They're very... "material" in this sense. The overwhelming majority of DVD sales, CDs/singles, video games, etc. are bought from stores rather than online via downloads/torrents and such.

Illegal downloads or bootlegs of movies, music, etc. is also a non-issue in Japan, unlike probably most other countries. This, along with much higher price tags, has helped Japan become the #1 country in the music industry for example.

And while it is May, the school year in Japan just began last month (April-April) with May-July typically being very busy months for both students and those in the workforce. So it's not really "Summer". May and June are two of weakest months at the box-office with few interesting movies being released. Schools don't let out until almost the end of July.

Weekend Ranking [05/24-25]

01 (01) Frozen (Disney) Week 11
02 (--) A Bolt from the Blue (Toho) DEBUT
03 (02) Thermae Romae II (Toho) Week 5
04 (04) The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Sony) Week 5
05 (06) Detective Conan: The Sniper from Another Dimension (Toho) Week 6
06 (05) Ushijima the Loan Shark 2 (Toho) Week 2
07 (09) Crayon Shin-chan: Serious Battle! Robot Dad Strikes (Toho) Week 6
08 (03) Mobile Suit Gundam UC: Episode 7 - Over the Rainbow (Shochiku) Week 2
09 (07) Wood Job! (Toho) Week 3
10 (08) Partners the Movie 3 (Toei) Week 5

>Frozen makes it 11-in-a-row dropping 13% in its 11th weekend, earning ¥700,339,600 ($6.9 million) with 517,926 admissions. It has become the fourth Highest-Grossing Film of All-Time with a total of ¥19.85 billion ($194.6 million) and 15.59 million admissions.

The only other film with a higher 11-week total is Spirited Away, so it's safe to say Frozen will be clearing ¥25 billion ($250 million) and likely overtake Titanic's ¥26.2 billion total. In admissions, Frozen is on track to possibly 20 million, which will make it the most-attended film imported-release, and only the second film to sell 20 million tickets after Spirited Away.

>A Bolt from the Blue opened on 300 screens and grossed ¥179,853,900 ($1.7 million) with 130,898 admissions. A pretty solid debut that should get it to ¥1 billion ($10 million).

Top 100 Highest-Grossing Films of All-Time

01 ¥30.40 billion - Spirited Away (2001)
02 ¥26.20 billion - Titanic (1997)
03 ¥20.30 billion - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
04 ¥19.85 billion - Frozen (2014) [73 days in release]
05 ¥19.60 billion - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
06 ¥19.30 billion - Princess Mononoke (1997)
07 ¥17.35 billion - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! (2003)
08 ¥17.30 billion - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
09 ¥15.60 billion - Avatar (2009)
10 ¥15.50 billion - Ponyo (2008)
11 ¥13.70 billion - The Last Samurai (2003)
12 ¥13.50 billion - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
12 ¥13.50 billion - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
14 ¥13.40 billion - Armageddon (1998)
15 ¥12.85 billion - Jurassic Park (1993)
16 ¥12.70 billion - Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
17 ¥12.02 billion - The Wind Rises (2013)
18 ¥11.80 billion - Alice in Wonderland (2010)
19 ¥11.00 billion - Antarctica (1983)
19 ¥11.00 billion - The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
19 ¥11.00 billion - Finding Nemo (2003)
19 ¥11.00 billion - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
23 ¥10.90 billion - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
24 ¥10.80 billion - Toy Story 3 (2010)
25 ¥10.65 billion - Independence Day (1996)
26 ¥10.32 billion - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2004)
27 ¥10.10 billion - Bayside Shakedown (1998)
28 ¥10.02 billion - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
29 ¥9.70 billion - Mission: Impossible II (2000)
29 ¥9.70 billion - A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
31 ¥9.67 billion - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)
32 ¥9.50 billion - Back to the Future Part 2 (1989)
32 ¥9.50 billion - Jurassic Park: The Lost World (1997)
33 ¥9.40 billion - The Adventures of Milo and Otis (1986)
33 ¥9.40 billion - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
36 ¥9.37 billion - Monsters, Inc. (2002)
37 ¥9.35 billion - Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
38 ¥9.25 billion - Arrietty (2010)
39 ¥9.20 billion - Heaven and Earth (1990)
40 ¥9.17 billion - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
41 ¥9.07 billion - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2002)
42 ¥9.05 billion - The Da Vinci Code (2006)
43 ¥9.00 billion - Jaws (1975)
44 ¥8.96 billion - Monsters University (2013)
45 ¥8.87 billion - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
46 ¥8.79 billion - Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
47 ¥8.70 billion - The Matrix (1999)
47 ¥8.70 billion - The Eternal Zero (2013) [23 weeks in release]
49 ¥8.55 billion - Rookies (2009)
50 ¥8.50 billion - Crying Out Love in the Center of the World (2004)
51 ¥8.20 billion - Back to the Future Part 3 (1990)
51 ¥8.20 billion - Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
51 ¥8.20 billion - The Silk Road (1988)
54 ¥8.15 billion - Hero (2007)
55 ¥8.10 billion - Deep Impact (1998)
56 ¥8.04 billion - Umizaru: The Last Message (2010)
57 ¥8.00 billion - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
58 ¥7.90 billion - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2003)
59 ¥7.75 billion - Boys Over Flowers: Final (2008)
60 ¥7.68 billion - The Sixth Sense (1999)
61 ¥7.65 billion - Tales from Earthsea (2006)
62 ¥7.54 billion - Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back (1998)
63 ¥7.50 billion - Spider-Man (2002)
64 ¥7.40 billion - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
65 ¥7.33 billion - Umizaru: Brave Hearts (2012)
66 ¥7.31 billion - Bayside Shakedown: Set the Guys Loose! (2010)
67 ¥7.20 billion - Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)
68 ¥7.12 billion - Spider-Man 3 (2007)
69 ¥7.10 billion - Umizaru: Limit of Love (2006)
70 ¥7.03 billion - Speed (1994)
71 ¥7.00 billion - Ghostbusters (1984)
71 ¥7.00 billion - Ocean's Eleven (2002)
73 ¥6.88 billion - Pearl Harbor (2001)
74 ¥6.87 billion - One Piece Film Z (2012)
75 ¥6.86 billion - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe (2006)
75 ¥6.86 billion - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)
77 ¥6.80 billion - Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
78 ¥6.70 billion - Spider-Man 2 (2004)
78 ¥6.70 billion - Top Gun (1986)
78 ¥6.70 billion - The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
81 ¥6.50 billion - Mission: Impossible (1996)
81 ¥6.50 billion - The Green Mile (2000)
83 ¥6.46 billion - The Cat Returns (2002)
83 ¥6.46 billion - Departures (2008)
85 ¥6.45 billion - Forrest Gump (1995)
86 ¥6.40 billion - Pokemon: Revelation Lugia (1999)
87 ¥6.22 billion - The Towering Inferno (1975)
88 ¥6.17 billion - Phantom Ghost of New York (1990)
89 ¥6.10 billion - Bodyguard (1992)
90 ¥6.09 billion - Back to the Future (1985)
91 ¥6.08 billion - The Ecstasy Hotel (2006)
92 ¥6.00 billion - War of the Worlds (2005)
93 ¥5.98 billion - Thermae Romae (2012)
94 ¥5.97 billion - Bayside Shakdown: Final (2012)
95 ¥5.95 billion - Cliffhanger (1993)
96 ¥5.89 billion - Les Miserables (2012)
97 ¥5.83 billion - True Lies (1994)
98 ¥5.71 billion - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
99 ¥5.67 billion - Flashdance (1983)
100 ¥5.55 billion - Red Cliff: Part II (2009)
:101-150:

Spoiler: show

101 ¥5.50 billion - Mission: Impossible (1996)
102 ¥5.45 billion - Men in Black (1998)
103 ¥5.42 billion - Home Alone (1991)
104 ¥5.38 billion - Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
105 ¥5.37 billion - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
106 ¥5.35 billion - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
107 ¥5.34 billion - Gremlins (1985)
107 ¥5.34 billion - The Sinking of Japan (2006)
109 ¥5.31 billion - Rain Man (1989)
110 ¥5.30 billion - Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
110 ¥5.30 billion - Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo (2012)
112 ¥5.26 billion - The Incredibles (2004)
113 ¥5.24 billion - Minority Report (2003)
114 ¥5.20 billion - Michael Jackson's This Is It (2009)
114 ¥5.20 billion - Death Note: The Last Name (2006)
114 ¥5.20 billion - The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
117 ¥5.15 billion - Mission: Impossible III (2006)
118 ¥5.13 billion - Jurassic Park III (2001)
119 ¥5.10 billion - Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
120 ¥5.09 billion - Yamato (2005)
121 ¥5.05 billion - Red Cliff: Part I (2008)
122 ¥5.02 billion - Pokemon Diamond & Pearl: The Rise of Darkrai (2007)
123 ¥5.00 billion - Up (2009)
124 ¥4.95 billion - Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
124 ¥4.95 billion - Godzilla (1998)
126 ¥4.92 billion - Suspect X (2008)
127 ¥4.90 billion - Dinosaur (2000)
128 ¥4.88 billion - The Burmese Harp (1985)
129 ¥4.85 billion - Pretty Woman (1991)
129 ¥4.85 billion - Pokemon: Spell of the Unown (2000)
131 ¥4.80 billion - One Piece Film Strong World (2009)
131 ¥4.80 billion - Pokemon Diamond & Pearl: Giratina and the Sky Warrior (2008)
131 ¥4.80 billion - Be With You (2004)
134 ¥4.75 billion - Rocky IV (1986)
135 ¥4.70 billion - Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
136 ¥4.67 billion - Pokemon Diamond & Pearl: Arceus and the Jewel of Life (2009).
137 ¥4.65 billion - Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
138 ¥4.60 billion - Hannibal (2001)
139 ¥4.59 billion - Detective Story (1983)
140 ¥4.56 billion - Always: Sunset on Third Street 2 (2007)
141 ¥4.50 billion - Pokemon Advanced: Jirachi Wishmaker (2003)
141 ¥4.50 billion - Planet of the Apes (2001)
143 ¥4.46 billion - From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
144 ¥4.45 billion - Porco Rosso (1992)
145 ¥4.44 billion - Partners the Movie 2 (2008)
146 ¥4.41 billion - 20th Century Boys: The Last Chapter (2009)
147 ¥4.40 billion - Kagemusha (1980)
148 ¥4.38 billion - Pokemon Advanced: Destiny Deoxys (2004)
149 ¥4.37 billion - Journey to the West (2007)
150 ¥4.33 billion - Pokemon Best Wishes: Black - Victini and Reshiram/White Victini and Zekrom (2011)

Newest Entries

So now that Frozen has beaten Howl's Moving Castle, I discovered that the latter's ¥22.0 billion total that Toho reports included the 2005 Summer re-release via cinemapia. And Howl's ¥19.6 billion total is being reported without the re-release, so all my charts will have the updated total for the film, too. It was always a bit of a mystery about whether or not the re-release (or expansion) happened before or after it left theaters, so we have an answer to this finally.

Also, no re-release grosses are included in any of the films' totals just to be clear. No local source includes them, so I'm not either. And re-releases are very rare anyway, and in the few cases of them happening, like Titanic 3D or Star Wars Episode I - 3D, and the many Disney 3D re-releases, they all bombed and failed to come near even ¥1 billion (and only the Titanic and Star Wars managed just over half that) and don't really effect the list at all.

The only change I see on the list if re-release grosses were included would be Finding Nemo breaking that 4-way tie in 19th. Everything else should remain in the same position.

I love that "The Wind Rises" is in the top 20 of the most attended films.

I still haven't seen it. It wasn't released in any nearby theaters around here and I don't want to see a poor quality version online somewhere.

It's being released on Blu-ray/DVD in Japan this July, so maybe if I find it for a reasonable price I'll buy it then.

Frozen topped ¥20 billion on Tuesday, its 75th day in release.

After 75 days, the film has earned ¥20,030,746,300 ($196.6 million) on 15,742,141 admissions. It's only the fourth film to ever exceed the ¥20 billion mark, the others being Spirited Away (¥30.4 billion), Titanic (¥26.2 billion) and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (¥20.3 billion), the latter of which it'll overtake in by the weekend.

Frozen is also the second fastest film to have reached ¥20 billion, behind only Spirited Away which took 61 days.


Fastest to ¥1 billion (3 Days or Less)

Fastest to ¥3 billion (10 Days or Less)

Fastest to ¥5 billion (25 Days or Less)

Fastest to ¥10 billion (90 Days or Less)

Fastest to ¥15 billion (All)

Fastest to ¥20 billion (All)

Fastest to ¥30 billion (All)


*Not enough data on Titanic (except for when it hit ¥20 billion), Star Wars Episode I, Bayside Shakedown, Armageddon or anything before 1998 (Jurassic Park, E.T., Antarctica and Independence Day) to be included.

Upcoming Release Schedule [June/July]
Major Studio & Notable Films

June 04th
The Way Way Back (Fox)

June 06th
The Grand Budapest Hotel (Fox)
2013 Police Story (Broad Media Studios)

June 07th
Pompeii (Gaga)
Need for Speed (Disney)
Persona the Movie 3: Midsummer Knight's Dream (Aniplex)
Jossy's (King Records)

June 13th
Noah (Paramount)

June 14th
Climbing to Spring (Toho)
My Husband (Nikkatsu)

June 20th
300: Rise of an Empire (Warner Bros.)

June 21st
Mission Impossible: Samurai (Shochiku)
Saint Seiya: Legend of Sanctuary (Toei)
City of Love & Hope (Uzamasa)

June 27th
Thirst (Gaga)

June 28th
Transcendence (Shochiku)
The Grudge: The Beginning of the End (Showgate)
Ghost in the Shell - Arise - Border 3: Ghost Tears (Toho Video Division)
Old Boy (Broad Media Studios)

________________________________________________

July 04th
Edge of Tomorrow (Warner Bros.)

July 05th
Maleficent (Disney)
Anpanman: The Apple Boy and Everyone's Wishes! (Tokyo Theaters, Co.)

July 11th
Divergent (Kadokawa)
Miss Granny (CJ Entertainment)
Fading Gigolo (Gaga)

July 12th
Say, "I Love You" (Shochiku)

July 19th (Umi no Hi Weekend / Summer Vacation Begins)
Memories of Marnie (Toho) *Studio Ghibli*
Pokemon XY: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction (Toho)
Kamen Rider Gaim the Movie: The Great Soccer Match! The Golden Fruit Cup! (Toei)
Planes: Fire & Rescue (Disney)

July 25th
Godzilla (Toho)

July 26th
Eight Ranger 2 (Toho)
Time Trip App (Toei)
Still the Water (Asmik Ace)

No XM/HTTYD2/DOTPOTA/TF4?

I'm not sure if any of the other movies in that time are "big" enough to reach Japan, then again, I don't know what the Japanese like, so maybe they might want to see like Jersey Boys or Earth to Echo or something. I assume movies like Neighbours/West/22JS/Tammy have no crossover appeal?