Note: Remember that December releases (and often late-Nov. releases if they earn enough into December) count towards the following year, 2024, so those films are excluded. I did add Kitarou Tanjou though, but since it's becoming very leggy, it might get bumped to 2024. I'll post the Top Grossing Films: 2024 in the first week of 2024 so we have more films on it.

Top Grossing Films: 2023
Gross ¥ ($) / Admissions [Days In Release] - Film (Distributor)

¥15.73 billion ($117.4 million) / 10.88 million [F] - The First Slam Dunk (Toei)
¥15 billion ↨
¥14.01 billion ($101.9 million) / 9.83 million [E] - The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Toho-Towa)
¥13.83 billion ($102.1 million) / 9.79 million [E] - Detective Conan: The Black Iron Submarine (Toho)
¥10 billion ↨
¥8.61 billion ($60.0 million) / 5.78 million [150] - The Boy and the Heron (Toho)
¥5.56 billion ($39.3 million) / 3.89 million [E] - Kingdom III: Flame of Destiny (Toho, Sony)
¥5.41 billion ($38.5 million) / 3.56 million [E] - Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 (Towa Pictures)
¥5 billion ↨
¥4.74 billion ($32.6 million) / 3.50 million [87] - Don't Call It Mystery: The Movie (Toho)
¥4.50 billion ($33.0 million) / 3.40 million [E] - Tokyo MER: Mobile Emergency Room (Toho)
¥4.34 billion ($32.5 million) / 3.65 million [F] - Doraemon: Nobita's Sky Utopia (Toho)
¥4.31 billion ($33.0 million) / 2.37 million [F] - Avatar: The Way of Water (Disney)
¥4.16 billion ($30.9 million) / 2.95 million [F] - Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Swordsmith Village (Toho, Aniplex)
¥4.15 billion ($28.5 million) / 2.70 million [38] - Godzilla Minus One (Toho)
¥3.79 billion ($27.2 million) / 2.51 million [E] - Fast X (Toho-Towa)
¥3.38 billion ($24.0 million) / 2.32 million [E] - The Little Mermaid (Disney)
¥3 billion ↨
¥2.83 billion ($19.9 million) / 1.62 million [E] - IDOLiSH7 Movie: LIVE 4bit - BEYOND THE PERiOD (Bandai Namco, Toei)
¥2.80 billion ($21.1 million) / 2.13 million [F] - My Happy Marriage (Toho)
¥2.69 billion ($19.8 million) / 2.00 million [E] - Tokyo Revengers 2: Bloody Halloween Part 1 - Destiny (Warner Bros.)
¥2.69 billion ($18.5 million) / 2.11 million [E] - Elemental (Disney)
¥2.67 billion ($20.1 million) / 2.03 million [F] - Fragments of the Last Will (Toho)
¥2.59 billion ($18.3 million) / 1.79 million [E] - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Disney)
¥2.45 billion ($18.3 million) / 1.89 million [E] - The Legend & Butterfly (Toei)
¥2.44 billion ($18.5 million) / 1.85 million [F] - Dr. Coto's Clinic (Toho)
¥2.43 billion ($18.1 million) / 1.02 million [F] - BTS: Yet to Come to Cinemas (Avex Entertainment)
¥2.43 billion ($16.8 million) / 2.01 million [E] - Crayon Shin-chan: Super-Powered Climactic Battle: Soaring Hand-Rolled Sushi (Toho)
¥2.33 billion ($17.3 million) / 1.59 million [E] - Shin Kamen Rider (Toei)
¥2.31 billion ($16.4 million) / 1.73 million [E] - Tokyo Revengers 2: Bloody Halloween Part 2 - Decisive Battle (Warner Bros.)
¥2.17 billion ($14.9 million) / 1.47 million [E] - The Haunted Mansion (Disney)
¥2.12 billion ($14.8 million) / 1.54 million [E] - Monster (Toho, Gaga)
¥2 billion ↨
¥1.79 billion ($12.6 million) / 0.89 million [F] - Samurai Beyond Admiration Record to the World's Best (Asmik Ace, JSports)
¥1.46 billion ($10.0 million) / 0.93 million [E] - Meg 2: The Trench (Warner Bros.)
¥1.45 billion ($10.0 million) / 1.18 million [E] - Pretty Cure All Stars F (Toei)
¥1.34 billion ($9.2 million) / 0.98 million [E] - The Silent Service (Toho)
¥1.32 billion ($9.4 million) / 0.85 million [F] - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Disney)
¥1.29 billion ($9.0 million) / 0.86 million [F] - Blue Giant (Toho Video Division)
¥1.28 billion ($8.8 million) / 0.84 million [E] - Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Toho Video Division)
¥1.25 billion ($8.9 million) / 0.89 million [E] - Rohan Kishibe Goes to the Louvre (Asmik Ace)
¥1.24 billion ($9.1 million) / 0.91 million [E] - Phases of the Moon (Shochiku)
¥1.19 billion ($8.2 million) / 0.86 million [66] - Analog (Toho, Asmik Ace)
¥1.15 billion ($7.9 million) / 0.81 million [24] - Kitarou Tanjou: GeGeGe no Nazo (Toei)
¥1.11 billion ($7.7 million) / 0.73 million [E] - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony)
¥1.09 billion ($8.1 million) / 0.62 million [F] - Titanic 25th Anniversary (Disney)
¥1.08 billion ($8.3 million) / 0.84 million [F] - Ichikei's Crow (Toho)
¥1.04 billion ($7.1 million) / 0.85 million [E] - Mother, Is That You? (Shochiku)
¥1.04 billion ($7.1 million) / 0.69 million [E] - City Hunter: Angel's Tears (Toho-Towa)
¥1.03 billion ($7.0 million) / 0.67 million [E] - John Wick: Chapter 4 (Pony Canyon)
¥1.00 billion ($7.7 million) / 0.80 million [E] - Lonely Castle in the Mirror (Shochiku)
¥1.00 billion ($7.1 million) / 0.71 million [E] - And Yet, You Are Too Sweet (Shochiku)
¥1 billion ↑

Legend:
¥15 billion (Phenomenon) / ¥10 billion+ (Uber-Blockbuster) / ¥5 billion+ (Blockbuster) / ¥3 billion+ (Hit) / ¥2 billion+ (Respectable) / ¥1 billion+ (Commercial Success)

I'm still of the "Miyazaki / Studio Ghibli" is a brand of the past mind. It's why I was saying that ¥10 billion, and especially more, wasn't a lock or likely before it opened. I think we saw the early signs this beginning with The Wind Rises in 2013. It only got above ¥10 billion because they decided to actively market it in the middle of its run as Miyazaki's final film "for real this time" that provided enough of a boost to get it above the mark.

A very well respected and renowned brand, obviously, but not one that commands today's audiences like it did fifteen or twenty years ago. Films based on TV anime are either matching or exceeding his biggest films in the market now. None of his films have any major records left in Japan, I don't think. It's a much different market today than it was five or ten years ago (and especially any further back in modern times).

If Miyazaki didn't want to make another film, I'm not sure Studio Ghibli would have even released another film theatrically like this one. It's been nine years since they closed their film production department, much of their staff and animators moved on to found Studio Ponoc, so Studio Ghibli isn't much of a film studio now and hasn't been for nearly a decade.

And I think all this plays a role in The Boy and the Heron underperforming. You can contribute the mixed WOM to it too, and maybe the strategy to not market it before its release hurt it (although the opening was very strong, on par with his biggest openings, so that kinda counters that idea to me), but it's still finished low enough that I feel it's more than just mixed WOM.

Feels more of just a shift in the market and a generational change that began close to ten years ago, when TV anime films like Detective Conan or One Piece first began to rise above their previous decades-long results, when new franchises like Yo-Kai Watch could explode out of nowhere, that we now see in full effect today (TV anime films bigger than ever and topping years and breaking records, new franchises exploding in popularity more frequently, etc.) than anything.

_____

I wouldn't compare Shin Kamen Rider to this because even if it was a decline from Shin Ultraman, and obviously Shin Godzilla, it still became the highest-grossing Kamen Rider film in its 50 year history. The Kamen Rider franchise, at least the films, have also been on a decline for the better part of a decade now (at least 5 years), so to get this result for a film in a franchise on the decline is a good achievement.

Toho bought the distributor rights to Universal films a while back, so they would have released it originally under their subsidiaries Toho-Towa or Towa Pictures that handle imported films from both Universal and Paramount (they also own the distributor rights to their films).

And yes, they decided not to release it themselves so it went up for auction where a small, independent distributor (Bitters End) won the distribution rights with plans to release it theatrically in 2024.

A Spring 2024 (March, perhaps) would be ideal for the reason you stated, award season wrapping up. Many Fall/Winter award films in the US get released in the Spring in Japan because of this too. If Oppenheimer is able to win Best Picture or Best Director at the Oscars, it can help attract some more moviegoers to it (at least winning the big awards has provided a boost for films in the past).

I will caution expecting anything big here though. There's the controversy, of course, that is going to be some degree of a hindrance, but Bitters End is also a small distributor so the release will likely be relatively small. It's a tricky one to predict though, I just wouldn't expect like... I don't know, $20-30 million or more.

Welcome back, Corpse! I hope all is well with you and I missed your insightful coverage of Japanese box office.

Questions about two subjects:
1) Do you think The Boy and the Heron should be considered the new standard for Miyazaki-helmed Studio Ghibli films in terms of box office performances? Or did it benefit from the novelty factor of there not having been a Miyazaki film in decade? On the other hand, might the unique promotional campaign have hurt its potential?

2) Miyazaki isn't the only one to disappoint this year. Hideaki Anno suffered at box office as well. Shin Kamen Rider's ¥2.33 billion ($17.3 million) gross and 1.59 million admissions looks a little tepid next to the ¥4.44 billion ($34.2 million) gross and 2.99 million admissions of Shin Ultraman (2022) or ¥8.25 billion ($79.2 million) and 5.69 million admissions of Shin Godzilla (2016). And a huge drop from his last Evangelion movie. What do you think went wrong here? A far less enthusiastic reception or did Shin Kamen Rider play more like a comic book movie than a monster movie? A budget hasn't been officially reported. But do you think it turned a profit?

@Corpse. There is a talk about Oppenheimer releasing in Japan through a local distributor(not Universal) in 2024. I know in Japan the box office year starts in December of previous year. So we should hopefully get a date in the near future. Other option is to wait for academy awards and then release it in spring which is also a good date.

One Piece Film Red's 5 week re-release back in October nabbed it three additional weeks in the Top 5, so it's been updated.

Nothing new has been added to the chart since August (the last update).

Most Overall Weeks in the Top 5 (1998-):

40 (36-Consecutive; 1 from 2012 re-release & 2 from 2023 re-release) - Titanic (1997)
30 (24-Consecutive & 6 from 2020 re-release) - Spirited Away (2001)*
29 (22-Consecutive) - Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (2020)^^
25 (19-Consecutive & 6 from 2020 re-release) - Princess Mononoke (1997)*
23 (23-Consecutive) - Parasite (2020)^
23 (16-Consecutive & 1 from 2020 re-release) - Your Name. (2016)*
22 (17-Consecutive & 3 from 2023 re-release) - One Piece Film Red (2022)
21 (17-Consecutive) - The First Slam Dunk (2022)
18 (18-Consecutive) - Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
18 (18-Consecutive) - Frozen (2014)
18 (18-Consecutive) - Armageddon (1998)
16 (16-Consecutive) - Avatar (2009)
16 (16-Consecutive) - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
16 (16-Consecutive) - Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
15 (11-Consecutive) - Weathering With You (2019)
15 (15-Consecutive) - Deep Impact (1998)
14 (10-Consecutive) - Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time (2021)^^
14 (13-Consecutive) - Bayside Shakedown (1998)
13 (13-Consecutive) - Suzume (2022)
13 (13-Consecutive) - Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (2021)
13 (13-Consecutive) - Not Quite Dead (2020)^
13 (13-Consecutive) - The Last Samurai (2003)
13 (13-Consecutive) - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
13 (13-Consecutive) - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
13 (13-Consecutive) - The Matrix (1999)
12 (12-Consecutive) - The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
12 (12-Consecutive) - Zootopia (2016)
12 (12-Consecutive) - Big Hero 6 (2014)
12 (12-Consecutive) - The Eternal Zero (2013)
12 (12-Consecutive) - The Wind Rises (2013)
12 (12-Consecutive) - Finding Nemo (2003)
12 (12-Consecutive) - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! (2003)

*:Re-released during Spring or Summer 2020 in response to Covid-19.
^: Run in the Top 5 bolstered by numerous delays in Spring & Summer 2020 in response to Covid-19.
^^: Run in the Top 5 bolstered by several delays in Spring 2021 in response to targeted SOEs.

The First Slam Dunk added 1 more week in the Top 10 (non-consecutive) thanks to its final week expansion back in August, so it's been updated.

One Piece Film Red's 5 week re-release that began in October were all in the top 10 and added five more to its total, so it's been updated.

The Super Mario Bros. movie added 2 more weeks (also consecutive) in the Top 10 since the last time I updated in August and has been updated too.

Nothing new since August (last update) has been added to the list.

Most Overall Weekends in the Top 10 (1998-):

44 (2 from 2012 re-release & 2 from 2023 re-release) - Titanic (1997)
39 (7 from 2020 re-release) - Spirited Away (2001)*
33 - Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (2020)^^
31 (2 from 2020 re-release) - Your Name. (2016)*
31 (7 from 2020 re-release) - Princess Mononoke (1997)*
29 - The First Slam Dunk (2022)
29 (5 from 2023 re-release) - One Piece Film Red (2022)
24 - Parasite (2020)^
21 - Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
21 - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
20 - Armageddon (1998)
19 - Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
19 - Frozen (2014)
18 - Suzume (2022)
18 (2 from 2022 re-release) - Avatar (2009)
18 - Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (2021)
18 - Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time (2021)^^
18 - Weathering With You (2019)^
18 - Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer (2018)
18 - Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
18 - Bayside Shakedown (1998)
17 (1 from 2020 re-release) - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)*
16 - The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
16 - Midsommar (2020)^
16 - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! (2003)
16 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
15 - Loved Like a Flower Bouquet (2021)^^
15 - In This Corner of the World (2016)
15 - Crying Out Love in the Center of the World (2004)
15 - Monsters Inc. (2002)
15 - The Green Mile (2000)
15 - Deep Impact (1998)
14 - Not Quite Dead (2020)^
14 - The Eternal Zero (2013)
14 - The Wind Rises (2013)
14 - Ponyo (2008)
14 - The Last Samurai (2003)
14 - The Matrix (1999)
13 - Belle (2021)
13 (2 from 2020 re-release) - Shin Godzilla (2016)*
13 - Frozen II (2019)
13 - Big Hero 6 (2014)
13 - Les Miserables (2012)
13 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2004)
13 - Finding Nemo (2003)
13 - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2003)
13 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2002)
13 - Mission: Impossible II (2000)
12 - RRR (2022)
12 - Birds of Prey (2020)^
12 - Fukushima 50 (2020)^
12 - Beauty and the Beast (2017)
12 - Zootopia (2016)
12 - Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
12 - Stand By Me, Doraemon (2014)
12 - Alice in Wonderland (2010)
12 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
12 - Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
12 - Saving Private Ryan (1998)

*:Re-released during Spring or Summer 2020 in response to Covid-19.
^: Run in the Top 10 bolstered by numerous delays in Spring & Summer 2020 in response to Covid-19.
^^: Run in the Top 10 bolstered by several delays in Spring 2021 in response to targeted SOEs.


Most-Consecutive Weekends in the Top 10 (1998-)

40 - Titanic [Dec. 20-21 to Sept. 19-20] (1997-1998)
32 - Demon Slayer: Mugen Train [Oct. 16-17 to May 22-23] (2020-2021)^^
29 - Your Name. [Aug. 27-28 to Mar. 11-12] (2016-2017)
26 - Spirited Away [July 21-22 to Jan. 12-13] (2001-2002)
24 - The First Slam Dunk [Dec. 03-04 to May 12-14] (2022-2023)
24 - Parasite [Jan. 11-12 to June 20-21] (2020)^
24 - Princess Mononoke [July 12-13 to Dec. 20-21] (1997)
21 - Top Gun: Maverick [May 28-29 to Oct. 15-16] (2022)
21 - Howl's Moving Castle [Nov. 20-21 to Apr. 09-10] (2004-2005)
20 - One Piece Film Red [Aug. 06-07 to Dec. 17-18] (2022)
20 - Armageddon [Dec. 12-13 to Apr. 24-25] (1998-1999)
19 - Bohemian Rhapsody [Nov. 10-11 to Mar. 16-17] (2018-2019)
19 - Frozen [Mar. 15-16 to July 19-20] (2014)
18 - Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace [July 10-11 to Nov. 06-07] (1999)
18 - Bayside Shakedown [Oct. 31-Nov. 01 to Feb. 27-28] (1998-1999)
17 - Suzume [Nov. 12-13 to Mar. 03-05] (2022-2023)
17 - Jujutsu Kaisen 0 [Dec. 25-26 to Apr. 16-17] (2021-2022)
16 - The Super Mario Bros. Movie [Apr. 28-30 to Aug. 11-13] (2023)
16 - Midsommar [Feb. 22-23 to June 06-07] (2020)^
16 - Avatar [Dec. 26-27 to Apr. 10-11] (2009-2010)
16 - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! [July 19-20 to Nov. 01-02] (2003)
16 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone [Dec. 01-02 to Mar. 16-17] (2001-2002)
16 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets [Nov. 23-24 to Mar. 08-09] (2002-2003)
15 - Loved Like a Flower Bouquet [Jan. 30-21 to May 08-09] (2021)^^
15 - Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer [Apr. 14-15 to July 21-22] (2018)
15 - Crying Out Love in the Center of the World [May 08-09 to Aug. 14-15] (2004)
15 - Monsters Inc. [Mar. 02-03 to July 08-09] (2002)
15 - The Green Mile [Mar. 25-26 to July 01-02] (2000)
15 - Deep Impact [June 20-21 to Sept. 26-27] (1998)
14 - The Wind Rises [July 20-21 to Oct. 19-20] (2013)
14 - Ponyo [July 18-19 to Oct. 18-19] (2008)
14 - The Last Samurai [Dec. 06-07 to Mar. 06-07] (2003-2004)
14 - The Matrix [Sept. 11-12 to Dec. 11-12] (1999)
13 - Belle [July 17-18 to Oct. 09-10] (2021)
13 - Not Quite Dead [Mar. 21-22 to June 13-14] (2020)^
13 - Frozen II [Nov. 23-24 to Feb. 15-16] (2019-2020)
13 - Weathering With You [July 20-21 to Oct. 12-13] (2019)
13 - Big Hero 6 [Dec. 20-21 to Mar. 14-15] (2014-2015)
13 - The Eternal Zero [Dec. 21-22 to Mar. 15-16] (2013-2014)
13 - Les Miserables [Dec. 22-23 to Mar. 16-17] (2012-2013)
13 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King [Feb. 14-15 to May 08-09] (2004)
13 - Finding Nemo [Dec. 06-07 to Feb. 28-29] (2003-2004)
13 - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers [Feb. 22-23 to May 17-18] (2003)
13 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring [Mar. 02-03 to May 25-26] (2002)
13 - Mission: Impossible II [July 08-09 to Sept. 30-Oct. 01] (2000)
12 - Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time [Mar. 13-14 to May 29-30] (2021)^^
12 - Birds of Prey [Mar. 21-22 to June 06-07] (2020)^
12 - Beauty and the Beast [Apr. 22-23 to July 08-09] (2017)
12 - Zootopia [Apr. 23-24 to July 07-08] (2016)
12 - Star Wars: The Force Awakens [Dec. 19-20 to Mar. 05-06] (2015-2016)
12 - Stand By Me, Doraemon [Aug. 09-10 to Oct. 25-26] (2014)
12 - Alice in Wonderland [Apr. 17-18 to July 03-04] (2010)
12 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban [June 26-27 to Sept. 11-12] (2004)
12 - Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones [July 13-14 to Sept. 28-29] (2002)
12 - Saving Private Ryan [Sept. 26-27 to Dec. 12-13] (1998)

^: Run in the Top 10 bolstered by numerous delays in Spring & Summer 2020 in response to Covid-19.
^^: Run in the Top 10 bolstered by several delays in Spring 2021 in response to targeted SOEs.

Haven't done estimates in a while now, so take that into account (haha), but I'm thinking it earned ¥400-450 million ($2.8-3 million) it its debut.

Doesn't compare to 2005's film with Depp and Burton in their primes, of course, but I'd consider it a solid start for Wonka. And the holidays are coming up soon too, so legs should be good.

As long as legs deliver, it could earn ¥2.5-3 billion ($17-21 million) with this start.

Keep in mind, and I'll keep mentioning this, that the exchange rate has been horrendous (20-30 years lows) for a year and a half now (almost two years), so using USD results for comparisons is not a good way to judge a film's performance. A potential sub-$20m total looks poor, but its JPY gross and admissions would be good/respectable. That'd normally be a $25/30 million result.

O mentioned tourism is way up in Japan, and well, that's largely why. It's cheaper to travel there today than it has been since the early 1990s.

The USD is so strong vs the JPY, and prices in Japan have barely increased on items since the 1990s, that you can buy a lot more stuff there with your money now than you can in the US (or even Europe, etc.). You can get a PS5 for $50/60 less in Japan (was around $100 less but Sony raised the price a little this year), and a Switch for $90 less in Japan for example. New video games are also $10-15 less in Japan right now too. Just using video games as an example of how the exchange rate is affecting things, but it applies to pretty much everything. Movie ticket prices are higher in the US than Japan now in USD too due to the exchange rate.

Love to see the updates Corpse! How's Wonka opening here? I saw one tweet saying its daily performance has been impressive but I don't know how much that is just appeasing Timothee stans on Twitter, heh.

Even if WOM was mixed, it probably should have gotten to ¥10 billion after its opening weekend. There were a lot of films released in July/August, but aside from it, only two others (Kingdom 3, MI7) got above ¥5 billion and probably had little/no crossover with Heron. It should have still been an easy first choice for casual moviegoers during the six busiest weeks of the year (mid-July to late-Aug).

But I'm not going to say Miyazaki can never have another film get ¥10 billion+. Maybe this film just wasn't what Japanese audience were wanting and didn't give it a pass despite it being his first film in ten years and (likely) his final film. He's also about to turn 83 and Heron was ten years between releases. If he begins working on a new film in the next year or two, yeah, he could make another film before he turns 90 perhaps, but there's a real clock to consider here now.

Also have to factor in failing to turn a profit in Japan. It was the most expensive film ever in Japan, and while no exact budget was released, it's north of ¥5 billion since we know that was the previous record. After taking the 50% theatrical share out, it's earned ¥4.3 billion before that's reduced further by Toho's 20% distributor share down to ¥3.4 billion. So that's probably a ¥2-2.5 billion loss assuming a ¥5.5-6 billion budget.

Of course, they can make up that loss by money earned from selling the distribution rights internationally, and it's looking to do quite well in the US for example, so that helps. There's still not much money to really be made on this movie in the end though, I don't think. Not enough to fund another ¥5 billion+ project on its own anyway, so money will need to come from elsewhere.

Mission: Impossible Box-Office History (1996-):

OPENINGS:
¥1.390 billion ($12.8 million) / N/A - Mission: Impossible II (2000)
¥1.087 billion ($7.7 million) / 698,169 - Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning - Part 1 (2023)*
¥720.1 million ($6.3 million) / 528,245 - Mission: Impossible III (2006)
¥639.0 million ($5.7 million) / 450,315 - Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
¥573.5 million ($4.6 million) / 427,281 - Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
¥573.2 million ($7.3 million) / 437,751 - Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
¥545.0 million ($4.9 million) / N/A - Mission: Impossible (1996)

2-Day (Past-2022) / *3-Day (2023-Present)

TOTALS:
¥9.70 billion ($94.1 million) / 7.62 million - Mission: Impossible II (2000)
¥6.50 billion ($53.9 million) / 5.20 million - Mission: Impossible (1996)
¥5.41 billion ($36.5 million) / 3.56 million - Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning - Part 1 (2023) *Final Est.*
¥5.38 billion ($70.5 million) / 4.24 million - Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
¥5.15 billion ($46.5 million) / 4.17 million - Mission: Impossible III (2006)
¥5.14 billion ($42.3 million) / 3.91 million - Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
¥4.72 billion ($42.5 million) / 3.40 million - Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

(And no, that USD total isn't a typo! LOL. The USD is nearly twice as strong as the JPY today, well, since early 2022, really, than it was back in 2010-2012. MI7 grossed more than MI4, but its USD total is barely half.)

I really think Boy and the Heron faltered more due to mixed WOM rather than Japanese audiences moving past Miyazaki. If his next film is a return to previous style in the vein of Howl or Spirited Away 10B seems pretty easy to achieve

Yeah, more or less.

A Miyazaki film missing ¥10 billion can be considered somewhat disappointing though, but it's also not too surprising either. I was iffy predicting as much before it opened, but then its opening was quite strong and was plenty to get it to ¥10 billion. But its legs, namely its second weekend drop, were a bit rough and it's going to finish over ¥1 billion shy of the mark.

But again, it's not *that* surprising and hard to call it a disappointment at the same time.

It's been nine years since we've had a Studio Ghibli film (ten since Miyazaki's last), and the market has changed quite a lot in that time, especially in how animation films perform. Disney/Pixar has really declined while Illumination has overtaken them in Western animation, and the quality of anime films based on anime/manga has improved greatly and their numbers have grown considerably.

Miyazaki and Ghibli are sort of "relics" of the past, I'd say. Don't want that to sound like I'm throwing them out or something, it's just that the market has changed and they haven't really been apart of it for about a decade now. Expecting the type of box office figures he put up 15, 20+ years ago in 2023 was going to be unlikely.

Speed being above Spider-Man 1 and 3 is the best part of that chart.

So if we compared Miyazaki to Nolan, the Boy and the Heron would be an Interstellar solid performance but nothing special.

Recent releases still playing or that added to their gross since August highlighted.

Top 100 Highest-Grossing Films of All-Time

001. ¥40.43 billion ($386.1 million) - Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (2020)
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002. ¥31.68 billion ($261.2 million) - Spirited Away (2001)*
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003. ¥27.77 billion ($226.1 million) - Titanic (1997)*
004. ¥25.50 billion ($249.6 million) - Frozen (2014)
005. ¥25.17 billion ($237.6 million) - Your Name. (2016)*
006. ¥20.33 billion ($148.2 million) - One Piece Film Red (2022)* *Final*
007. ¥20.30 billion ($163.7 million) - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
008. ¥20.18 billion ($173.7 million) - Princess Mononoke (1997)*
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009. ¥19.60 billion ($190.0 million) - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
010. ¥17.35 billion ($164.5 million) - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! (2003)
011. ¥17.30 billion ($147.8 million) - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
012. ¥15.90 billion ($169.5 million) - Avatar (2009)*
013. ¥15.73 billion ($117.4 million) - The First Slam Dunk (2022) *Final*
014. ¥15.50 billion ($156.0 million) - Ponyo (2008)
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015. ¥14.86 billion ($108.9 million) - Suzume (2022)
016. ¥14.23 billion ($132.0 million) - Weathering With You (2019)*
017. ¥14.01 billion ($101.9 million) - The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) *Final*
018. ¥13.83 billion ($102.1 million) - Detective Conan: The Black Iron Submarine (2023) *Final*
019. ¥13.80 billion ($122.7 million) - Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (2021)
020. ¥13.74 billion ($102.7 million) - Top Gun: Maverick (2022) *79 Weeks in Release*
021. ¥13.70 billion ($126.7 million) - The Last Samurai (2003)
022. ¥13.51 billion ($120.2 million) - Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)*
023. ¥13.50 billion ($125.1 million) - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
023. ¥13.50 billion ($66.9 million) - E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
023. ¥13.50 billion ($100.0 million) - Armageddon (1998)
026. ¥13.37 billion ($122.4 million) - Frozen II (2019)
027. ¥12.85 billion ($120.6 million) - Jurassic Park (1993)
028. ¥12.70 billion ($117.6 million) - Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
029. ¥12.40 billion ($109.7 million) - Beauty and the Beast (2017)
030. ¥12.16 billion ($112.0 million) - Aladdin (2019)
031. ¥12.02 billion ($123.5 million) - The Wind Rises (2013)
032. ¥11.80 billion ($142.8 million) - Alice in Wonderland (2010)
033. ¥11.63 billion ($96.3 million) - Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
034. ¥11.00 billion ($46.0 million) - Antarctica (1983)
034. ¥11.00 billion ($88.0 million) - The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
034. ¥11.00 billion ($102.4 million) - Finding Nemo (2003)
034. ¥11.00 billion ($90.5 million) - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
038. ¥10.90 billion ($102.4 million) - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
039. ¥10.80 billion ($130.7 million) - Toy Story 3 (2010)
040. ¥10.65 billion ($92.7 million) - Independence Day (1996)
041. ¥10.32 billion ($100.2 million) - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2004)
042. ¥10.28 billion ($94.0 million) - Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time (2021)
043. ¥10.10 billion ($85.0 million) - Bayside Shakedown (1998)
044. ¥10.09 billion ($94.3 million) - Toy Story 4 (2019)
045. ¥10.02 billion ($82.3 million) - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
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046. ¥9.80 billion ($63.0 million) - The Adventures of Milo and Otis (1986)
047. ¥9.78 billion ($76.4 million) - Detective Conan: The Bride of Halloween (2022)
048. ¥9.70 billion ($94.1 million) - Mission: Impossible II (2000)
049. ¥9.67 billion ($125.3 million) - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011)
050. ¥9.66 billion ($77.7 million) - A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
051. ¥9.53 billion ($77.9 million) - Jurassic World (2015)
052. ¥9.50 billion ($66.0 million) - Back to the Future Part II (1989)
052. ¥9.50 billion ($85.6 million) - Jurassic Park: The Lost World (1997)
054. ¥9.40 billion ($80.6 million) - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
055. ¥9.37 billion ($85.5 million) - Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire (2019)
055. ¥9.37 billion ($76.8 million) - Monsters, Inc. (2002)
057. ¥9.35 billion ($78.2 million) - Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
058. ¥9.30 billion ($83.6 million) - Code Blue (2018)
059. ¥9.25 billion ($111.9 million) - Arrietty (2010)
060. ¥9.20 billion ($59.0 million) - Heaven and Earth (1990)
061. ¥9.18 billion ($83.6 million) - Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer (2018)
061. ¥9.18 billion ($77.7 million) - Big Hero 6 (2014)
063. ¥9.17 billion ($83.4 million) - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
064. ¥9.07 billion ($69.2 million) - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2002)
065. ¥9.05 billion ($79.5 million) - The Da Vinci Code (2006)
066. ¥9.00 billion ($30.0 million) - Jaws (1975)
067. ¥8.96 billion ($91.3 million) - Monsters University (2013)
068. ¥8.87 billion ($114.9 million) - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
069. ¥8.79 billion ($49.6 million) - Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
070. ¥8.76 billion ($85.1 million) - The Eternal Zero (2013)
071. ¥8.70 billion ($62.0 million) - The Matrix (1999)
072. ¥8.60 billion ($59.8 million) - The Boy and the Heron (2023) *21 Weeks in Release*
073. ¥8.55 billion ($94.5 million) - Rookies (2009)
074. ¥8.50 billion ($76.5 million) - Crying Out Love in the Center of the World (2004)
075. ¥8.38 billion ($80.2 million) - Stand By Me, Doraemon (2014)
076. ¥8.25 billion ($79.2 million) - Shin Godzilla (2016)
077. ¥8.20 billion ($54.0 million) - Back to the Future Part III (1990)
077. ¥8.20 billion ($67.9 million) - Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
077. ¥8.20 billion ($61.2 million) - The Silk Road (1988)
080. ¥8.15 billion ($74.6 million) - Hero (2007)
081. ¥8.10 billion ($56.7 million) - Deep Impact (1998)
082. ¥8.07 billion ($72.3 million) - Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
083. ¥8.04 billion ($97.2 million) - Umizaru: The Last Message (2010)
084. ¥8.00 billion ($84.3 million) - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
085. ¥7.90 billion ($66.0 million) - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2003)
086. ¥7.84 billion ($65.3 million) - Tales from Earthsea (2006)*
087. ¥7.80 billion ($66.2 million) - Yo-Kai Watch: It's the Secret of Birth, Nyan! (2014)
088. ¥7.75 billion ($72.0 million) - Boys Over Flowers: Final (2008)
089. ¥7.68 billion ($73.8 million) - The Sixth Sense (1999)
090. ¥7.65 billion ($70.5 million) - Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet (2021)
091. ¥7.63 billion ($70.6 million) - Zootopia (2016)
092. ¥7.51 billion ($66.3 million) - Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
093. ¥7.50 billion ($59.2 million) - Spider-Man (2002)
094. ¥7.40 billion ($49.4 million) - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
095. ¥7.34 billion ($64.8 million) - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
096. ¥7.33 billion ($93.6 million) - Umizaru: Brave Hearts (2012)
097. ¥7.32 billion ($66.9 million) - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
098. ¥7.31 billion ($88.4 million) - Bayside Shakedown: Set the Guys Loose! (2010)
098. ¥7.31 billion ($66.1 million) - Despicable Me 3 (2017)
100. ¥7.24 billion ($64.8 million) - Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back (1998)
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Bonus 25 (101-125)


Note: Most films released before 1998 have estimated USD ($) totals.

*=re-release earnings included.

Some notes since the last update back in August:

-The Super Mario Bros. Movie ended up winning the very close battle with Detective Conan: The Black Iron Submarine that took a half year to decide, both films doing stellar numbers. Super Mario became the second highest grossing imported animated film ever, and Detective Conan shattered its franchise record.

-The Boy and the Heron is barely earning anything now, and while its gross isn't "bad", it's certainly an underwhelming way for Miyazaki and likely Studio Ghibli to go out on. It's his lowest grossing film by a wide margin since Porco Rosso in 1994. Japan's interests in animation has simply moved past Studio Ghibli, and this result represents that shift.

-Indiana Jones: The Dial of Destiny, Elemental and Haunted Mansion got Disney three ¥2 billion earners for the year, which isn't too bad for the latter and at least an improvement on their post-pandemic animated films for Elemental, but it's poor for Indiana Jones. And ultimately these numbers just aren't cutting it, they're still down a lot compared to pre-pandemic Disney.

-Crayon Shin-chan: Super-Powered Climactic Battle: Soaring Hand-Rolled Sushi, the 31st film in the long-running franchise and first 3D entry, became the highest grossing film in the franchise.

-Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 did very well in Japan, becoming the third highest grossing film in the franchise only behind the first two films.

-Kingdom III: Flame of Destiny exceeding ¥5 billion makes this the first domestic live-action franchise to have three (or more) films achieve blockbuster status since Bayside Shakedown and Umizaru both achieved the feat together in 2010.

-Godzilla Minus One will end up knocking Avatar: The Way of Water out of the yearly top 10, which makes it the fourth consecutive year now that Disney has missed the yearly top 10. And Godzilla Minus One is doing very well. It doesn't compare to 2016's Shin Godzilla, but it's going to get pretty close to ¥5 billion which is a great result and a needed victory for director Takashi Yamazaki (one of Japan's more prolific directors today) after a couple disappointments in recent years.

-And for non 2023 releases, One Piece Film Red was re-released in the Fall where it took second place (first in admissions) in its first week after over a year since its debut in August 2022. The re-released allowed it to exceed ¥20 billion and surpass Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Princess Mononoke on the All-Time Chart.