I haven't seen the Eastwood film.

The remake (set in the late-19th century Japan during the Meiji period) has gotten some good reviews, though, and will probably be an awards contender at the Japan Academy Awards this year.

Here is Variety's review:


Though it doesn't pack the emotional punch of Clint Eastwood's original, Lee Sang-il's 'Unforgiven' remake is stunningly shot and never less than entertaining.

http://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/ve ... 200610919/

We are now light years beyond the term irony.

Although it does actually sound interesting.

Toho Cinemas Weekend Admissions [9/14-15]
Admissions (%-change last-Wknd) - Film (Week in Release)

81,398 (NEW) - Ataru: The First Love & The Last Kill (NEW)
57,785 (-11%) - The Wind Rises (Week 9)
37,193 (PREVIEWS) [36% 3D] - Despicable Me 2 (PREVIEWS)
36,271 (NEW) [45% 3D] - The Wolverine: Samurai (NEW)
20,362 (NEW) - Unforgiven (NEW)
13,512 (NEW) - Eagle Talon 4 (NEW)
8,328 (-49%) [68% 4D] - Sadako 3D Part 2 (Week 3)
7,186 (-37%) - The After-Dinner Mysteries (Week 7)
7,126 (-49%) [46% 3D] - Space Pirate Captain Harlock (Week 2)
6,039 (-55%) [29% 3D] - Man of Steel (Week 3)
5,699 (-30%) - Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (Week 3)
5,351 (-46%) [54% 3D] - Star Trek Into Darkness (Week 4)
5,225 (-44%) - Monsters University (Week 11)
4,278 (-50%) - Side Effects (Week 2)　
4,134 (NEW) - Code Geass: Akito the Exiled 2 (NEW)
2,671 (-51%) - Gatchaman (Week 4)
2,455 (-42%) - A Boy Called H (Week 6)
1,841 (-29%) - White House Down (Week 5)
1,583 (-02%) - Pacific Rim (Week 6)
1,450 (-42%) - The Lone Ranger (Week 7)
989 (NEW) - Hyde Park on Hudson (NEW)
(Toho Cinemas represent ~20% of the nation's theaters/screens)

Notes: Despicable Me 2 (Previews), Eagle Talon 4 and Code Geass are primarily Toho Cinemas exclusives.

That's really good for Ataru, despite dropping 40% on Sunday at Toho due to it's stage greetings and with Saturday being a discount ticket day. It probably broke 350,000 admissions and ¥400 million ($4 million) for the weekend, which would likely result in it reaching ¥3 billion ($30 million).

The Wind Rises may also stay be above ¥400 million ($4 million) again in it's ninth-weekend or end up very close to the mark. We could see a scenario of Ataru winning the weekend in admissions, but ranking 2nd in gross.

So-so for The Wolverine. I'm guessing maybe 170,000 admissions for just over ¥200 million ($2.1 million) for the weekend, and maybe ¥250 million ($2.6 million) since Friday based on Toho Cinemas results. A bit underwhelming, though it would be better than the last Wolverine and X-Men film.

With Monday being a Holiday, don't expect any figures to be released until Tuesday (unless Fox releases them for The Wolverine).

Weekend Ranking [9/14-15]



1 (-) Ataru: The First Love & The Last Kill (Toho) DEBUT
2 (1) The Wind Rises (Toho) Week 9
3 (-) The Wolverine (Fox) DEBUT
4 (-) Unforgiven (Warner Bros.) DEBUT
5 (5) Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (Aniplex) Week 3
6 (3) Man of Steel (Warner Bros.) Week 3
7 (2) Space Pirate Captain Harlock (Toei) Week 2
8 (4) Sadako 3D Part 2 (Kadokawa Pictures) Week 3
9 (-) Takanashi Rikka • Kai Gekijo-ban Chunibyo demo Koi ga Shitai! (Shochiku) DEBUT
10 (-) Code Geass: Akito the Exiled 2 (Showgate) DEBUT

Ataru: The First Love & The Last Kill finally dethrones The Wind Rises's reign atop the box-office to debut in first place. Playing on 304 screens, the popular drama debuted to ¥355,291,000 ($3.6 million) and 289,558 admissions over the weekend frame. A good opening, though not as strong as it's opening day and overall weekend signs were indicating. It will be on target for a ¥2.5 billion ($25 million+) total.

The Wind Rises falls to second place after enjoying 8-consecutive weeks atop the box-office. No weekend data is available, but it only dropped 8.5% week-to-week, and has now earned ¥10.62 billion ($109 million) and 8.57 million admissions after nine weeks in release.

The Wolverine opens in third place, grossing ¥184,272,800 ($1.9 million) and 138,277 admissions on 655 screens. It's a mediocre start, but is 5% ahead of Wolverine: Origins debut and 14% better than X-Men: First Class. Those two films failed to reach the ¥1 billion ($11 million) mark, so hopefully the new film can get there.

And in fourth place, the Clint Eastwood remake of Unforgiven, debuted on 327 screens to ¥143,682,900 ($1.5 million) and 128,843 admissions. The film will likely have long legs so it's tough to project a total right now, but more than ¥1 billion ($11 million) is fairly likely.

And very surprisingly, Takanashi Rikka and Code Geass managed to debut in the Top 10 despite playing very limited on only 27 and 36 screens, respectively. No weekend figures have been released for the two films yet, however.

2013 Opening Weekends
2-Day Weekend Gross / Admissions :: Film [Screen Count]

¥1.372 billion ($16.7 million) / 1,140,081 :: One Piece Film Z [300] *All-Time Domestic Admissions Record*
¥1 billion ↨
¥960.9 million ($9.8 million) / 747,451 :: The Wind Rises [454]
¥847.4 million ($8.5 million) / 614,969 :: Monsters University [661]
¥750 million ↨
¥683.9 million ($7.3 million) / 561,098 :: Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods [312]
¥671.6 million ($6.9 million) / 565,914 :: Detective Conan: Private Eye in the Distant Sea [344]
¥667.3 million ($7.2 million) / 597,899 :: Doraemon: Nobita's Secret Gadget Museum [353]
¥500 million ↨
¥486.3 million ($5.0 million) / 464,839 :: Pokemon Best Wishes: ExtremeSpeed Genesect - Mewtwo Awakens [345]
¥464.9 million ($4.8 million) / 363,451 :: Midsummer Formula [415]
¥456.8 million ($5.5 million) / 357,976 :: Hunter X Hunter: The Phantom Rouge [257]
¥454.6 million ($5.4 million) / 398,754 :: 007: Skyfall [578]
¥445.6 million ($4.5 million) / 330,385 :: Fast and Furious 6 [610]
¥414.7 million ($4.3 million) / 273,766 :: Iron Man 3 [535]
¥402.4 million ($4.4 million) / 318,514 :: A Good Day to Die Hard [643]
¥400.5 million ($4.3 million) / 305,743 :: Platinum Data [310]
¥400 million ↨
¥398.8 million ($4.1 million) / 322,162 :: The After-Dinner Mysteries [306]
¥355.3 million ($3.6 million) / 289,558 :: Ataru: The First Love & The Last Kill [304] DEBUT
¥349.7 million ($3.5 million) / 307,701 :: Oblivion [365]
¥339.7 million ($3.7 million) / 267,276 :: Wreck-It Ralph [416]
¥330.6 million ($3.5 million) / 236,910 :: World War Z [644]
¥329.8 million ($3.7 million) / 219,536 :: Life of Pi [713]
¥326.2 million ($3.6 million) / 229,584 :: Ted [253]
¥317.9 million ($3.6 million) / 241,095 :: Strawberry Night [311]
¥300.2 million ($3.1 million) / 236,082 :: The Lone Ranger [518]
¥300 million ↨
¥295.4 million ($3.4 million) / 229,295 :: Les Miserables [360]
¥281.9 million ($2.9 million) / 221,469 :: Gintama: The Final Chapter [127]
¥281.6 million ($3.3 million) / 244,870 :: Kamen Rider X Kamen Rider Wizard & Fourze [298]
¥269.9 million ($2.9 million) / 184,281 :: Oz: The Great and Powerful [582]
¥268.3 million ($2.8 million) / 212,322 :: Man of Steel [610]
¥251.8 million ($2.6 million) / 215,560 :: Kamen Rider Wizard in Magic Land [303]
¥233.5 million ($2.4 million) / 201,006 :: Kamen Rider X Super Sentai X Space Sherrif: Super Hero Z [289]
¥227.8 million ($2.7 million) / 187,422 :: Jack Reacher [321]
¥225.3 million ($2.3 million) / 199,993 :: Crayon Shin-chan: Gourmet Survival Class [324]
¥225.3 million ($2.7 million) / 188,378 :: Today, I Started Loving You [301]
¥220.5 million ($2.6 million) / 146,315 :: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey [878]
¥216.8 million ($2.3 million) / 164,178 :: Library Wars [311]
¥211.2 million ($2.4 million) / 169,600 :: Aibou Series: X-Day [198]
¥209.6 million ($2.4 million) / 194,902 :: Tokyo Family [317]
¥208.1 million ($2.2 million) / 134,056 :: Pacific Rim [596]
¥207.8 million ($2.1 million) / 142,246 :: G.I. Joe: Retaliation [628]
¥206.4 million ($2.3 million) / 166,049 :: Brain Man [302]
¥206.3 million ($2.3 million) / 175,438 :: Humanoid Monster, Bem [331]
¥200.5 million ($2.1 million) / 158,406 :: After Earth [571]
¥200 million ↨
¥198.2 million ($2.1 million) / 161,225 :: Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day [64]
¥197.1 million ($2.1 million) / 134,262 :: Star Trek Into Darkness [693]
¥196.6 million ($2.1 million) / 175,930 :: Pretty Cure All Stars: New Stage 2 [174]
¥190.2 million ($2.0 million) / 156,286 :: White House Down [444]
¥186.9 million ($1.9 million) / 145,148 :: Shield of Straw [325]
¥184.3 million ($1.9 million) / 138,277 :: The Wolverine [655] DEBUT
¥183.2 million ($1.9 million) / 157,964 :: Emperor [301]
¥173.5 million ($1.9 million) / 172,222 :: Inazuma Eleven GO: Ultimate Bonds [270]
¥162.9 million ($1.7 million) / 137,546 :: Lincoln [331]
¥161.8 million ($1.7 million) / 113,172 :: The Great Gatsby [571]
¥160.6 million ($1.7 million) / 113,835 :: Sadako 3D Part 2 [232]
¥156.3 million ($1.7 million) / 129,920 :: Flight [321]
¥154.7 million ($1.5 million) / 117,032 :: Phone Call to a Bar 2 [304]
¥154.6 million ($1.6 million) / 119,092 :: To Cry 100 Times [223]
¥153.4 million ($1.5 million) / 118,885 :: The Complex [162]
¥147.0 million ($1.6 million) / 131,959 :: A Boy Called H [307]
¥143.7 million ($1.5 million) / 128,843 :: Unforgiven [327] DEBUT
¥137.1 million ($1.6 million) / 138,287 :: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters vs. Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger [175]
¥133.9 million ($1.4 million) / 90,692 :: Space Pirate Captain Harlock [578]
¥126.1 million ($1.3 million) / 107,368 :: Miracle Apples [305]
¥124.4 million ($1.2 million) / 98,076 :: Prefecture Government's Hospitality Division [293]
¥119.9 million ($1.4 million) / 92,646 :: Looper [201]
¥115.7 million ($1.2 million) / 90,318 :: Gatchaman [307]
¥114.7 million ($1.3 million) / 94,122 :: Taken 2 [288]
¥113.7 million ($1.2 million) / 93,065 :: We Knit Ship [237]
¥111.8 million ($1.2 million) / 80,903 :: Frankenweenie [489]
¥108.0 million ($1.1 million) / 96,165 :: Real [270]
¥100.8 million ($1.1 million) / 69,177 :: A Certain Magical Index [30]
¥100 million ↑

¥10 Billion Club
01 :: ¥30.40 - Spirited Away (2001)
02 :: ¥26.20 - Titanic (1997)
03 :: ¥22.00 - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
04 :: ¥20.30 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
05 :: ¥19.30 - Princess Mononoke (1997)
06 :: ¥17.35 - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! (2003)
07 :: ¥17.30 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
08 :: ¥15.60 - Avatar (2009)
09 :: ¥15.50 - Ponyo (2008)
10 :: ¥13.70 - The Last Samurai (2003)
11 :: ¥13.50 - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
11 :: ¥13.50 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
13 :: ¥13.40 - Armageddon (1998)
14 :: ¥12.85 - Jurassic Park (1993)
15 :: ¥12.70 - Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
16 :: ¥11.80 - Alice in Wonderland (2010)
17 :: ¥11.00 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
17 :: ¥11.00 - Finding Nemo (2003)
17 :: ¥11.00 - The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
17 :: ¥11.00 - Antarctic Story (1983)
21 :: ¥10.90 - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
22 :: ¥10.80 - Toy Story 3 (2010)
23 :: ¥10.65 - Independence Day (1996)
24 :: ¥10.62 [after a ¥850 million week (-09%)] - The Wind Rises (2013) [58 days in release]
25 :: ¥10.32 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2004)
26 :: ¥10.10 - Bayside Shakedown (1998)
27 :: ¥10.02 - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

The Wind Rises will pass Independence Day, Toy Story 3, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, and the four-way tie between The Matrix Reloaded, Finding Nemo, Antarctic Story and Harry Potter 4 to be the sole 17th film on this list by the end of this week.

$100 Million Club
01 :: $244.0 - Spirited Away (2001)
02 :: $212.0 - Titanic (1997)
03 :: $207.0 - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
04 :: $188.7 - Avatar (2009)
05 :: $165.5 - Princess Mononoke (1997)
06 :: $164.5 - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! (2003)
07 :: $163.7 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
08 :: $156.0 - Ponyo (2008)
09 :: $147.8 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
10 :: $142.8 - Alice in Wonderland (2010)
11 :: $130.7 - Toy Story 3 (2010)
12 :: $126.7 - The Last Samurai (2003)
13 :: $125.3 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)
14 :: $125.1 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
15 :: $117.6 - Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
16 :: $114.9 - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
17 :: $111.9 - Arrietty (2010)
18 :: $108.7 [after a $8.5 million week (-09%)] - The Wind Rises (2013) [58 days in release]
19 :: $102.4 - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
20 :: $102.4 - Finding Nemo (2003)
21 :: $100.2 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2004)
22 :: $100.0 - Armageddon (1998)

The Wind Rises will climb the USD list much slower than the other two due to the stronger yen (it would be over $130 million already if released in 2011/2012), but will still pass Arrietty and maybe Pirates of the Caribbean 4 this week.

Most-Attended Films of All-Time
01 :: 23.50 million - Spirited Away (2001)
02 :: 19.50 million - Tokyo Olympiad (1965)
03 :: 16.83 million - Titanic (1997)
04 :: 16.20 million - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
05 :: 15.00 million - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
06 :: 14.20 million - Princess Mononoke (1997)
07 :: 14.00 million - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
08 :: 13.00 million - Emperor Meiji and the Great Russo-Japanese War (1958)
09 :: 12.87 million - Ponyo (2008)
10 :: 12.60 million - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! (2003)
11 :: 12.55 million - Godzilla Vs. King Kong (1962)
12 :: 12.10 million - The Last Samurai (2003)
13 :: 11.00 million - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
14 :: 10.69 million - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
15 :: 10.10 million - Avatar (2009)
16 :: 9.61 million - Godzilla (1954)
17 :: 9.00 million - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
18 :: 8.90 million - Armageddon (1998)
19 :: 8.80 million - The Sinking of Japan (1973)
20 :: 8.60 million - Finding Nemo (2003)
21 :: 8.57 million [after a 690,000 admission week (-07%)] - The Wind Rises (2013) [58 days in release]
22 :: 8.55 million - Jurassic Park (1993)
23 :: 8.40 million - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
24 :: 8.34 million - The Return of Godzilla (1955)
25 :: 8.30 million - Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
26 :: 8.00 million - Antarctic Story (1983)
27 :: 8.00 million - The Da Vinci Code (2006))

The Wind Rises should surpass 9 million admissions and Finding Nemo, Sinking of Japan, Armageddon, and Harry Potter 4 before the end of this week. From there, the quest for 10 million+ admissions begins.

Saidai Blockbuster Showdown [2003-]
9th-Weekend Gross (%-change) - Film - 9-Week Total (%-change)

¥10 Billion+ Films
¥419.3 million (+21%) - The Last Samurai - ¥10.47 billion (+05%)
¥404.7 million (-20%) - Avatar - ¥11.87 billion (+08%)
¥361.7 million (-23%) - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge - ¥15.21 billion (+06%)
¥343.5 million (-45%) - Howl's Moving Castle - ¥15.76 billion (+04%)
¥324.9 million (-29%) - The Wind Rises - ¥10.62 billion (+09%)
¥259.9 million (-31%) - Ponyo - ¥13.88 bllion (+03%)
¥214.9 million (-11%) - Finding Nemo - ¥10.29 billion (+03%)
¥201.2 million (-51%) - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - ¥11.93 billion (+03%)
¥171.1 million (-27%) - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - ¥9.13 billion (+05%)
¥150.2 million (-32%) - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - ¥10.35 billion (+03%)
¥136.6 million (-46%) - Toy Story 3 - ¥10.36 billion (+04%)
¥130.9 million (-31%) - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - ¥10.31 billion (+04%)
¥98.5 million (-47%) - Alice in Wonderland - ¥11.38 billion (+02%)
¥97.9 million (-33%) - The Matrix Reloaded - ¥10.17 billion (+05%)
¥97.7 million (-23%) - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - ¥9.54 billion (+02%)

¥9 Billion+ Films
¥104.7 million (-31%) - Arrietty - ¥8.65 billion (+03%)
¥101.9 million (-32%) - Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - ¥8.69 billion (+03%)
¥79.3 million (-22%) - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - ¥9.04 billion (+02%)
¥73.2 million (-37%) - The Da Vinci Code - ¥8.39 billion (+02%)
¥72.1 million (-35%) - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - ¥9.36 billion (+02%)

The weekly showdown between The Wind Rises and The Last Samurai is the most important to watch, as it's the film The Wind Rises needs to beat (¥13.70 billion) in the end to enter the Top 10 of All-Time.

And honestly, I think this may be the last time in a very, very long time any film has a chance at making the Top 10 All-Time. The Avatar sequels will need to increase over the original in admissions to have a chance (since 3D shares have dropped over half since 2010/2011), and that's not likely. Same for Finding Dory, especially Dory, with 3D share for kid/family films going below 30% this year.

Avatar (2009) and Ponyo (2008) were the last films to enter the Top 10 All-Time, and one was the follow-up to Titanic that ignited the short 3D craze, and the other being Miyazaki's previous film who just retired. You have to go back to 2004 before finding another film make the Top 10 All-Time.

2013 Top Grossing Films
Total Gross / Admissions :: Film :: Days in Release :: Distributor

¥10.62 billion ($108.7 million) / 8.57 million :: The Wind Rises :: 58 :: Toho
¥10 billion ↨
¥8.89 billion ($90.5 million) / 6.99 million :: Monsters University :: 72 :: Disney
¥6.85 billion ($76.9 million) / 5.67 million :: One Piece Film Z :: Final Estimate :: Toei
¥6.11 billion ($67.7 million) / 4.96 million :: Les Miserables :: Final Estimate :: Toho-Towa
¥5 billion ↨
¥4.21 billion ($46.2 million) / 3.09 million :: Ted :: Final Estimate :: Toho-Towa
¥4 billion ↨
¥3.96 billion ($43.2 million) / 3.64 million :: Doraemon: Nobita's Secret Gagdet Museum :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥3.61 billion ($36.9 million) / 3.01 million :: Detective Conan: Private Eye in the Distant Sea :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥3.26 billion ($33.9 million) / 2.67 million :: Midsummer Formula :: 79 :: Toho
¥3.11 billion ($32.2 million) / 2.68 million :: The After-Dinner Mysteries :: 44 :: Toho
¥3.07 billion ($31.8 million) / 2.95 million :: Pokemon Wishes: ExtremeSpeed Genesect - Mewtwo Awakens :: 65 :: Toho
¥3.00 billion ($31.0 million) / 2.35 million :: Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods :: Final Estimate :: Toei
¥3 billion ↨
¥2.93 billion ($31.6 million) / 2.40 million :: Wreck-It Ralph :: Final Estimate :: Disney
¥2.82 billion ($32.4 million) / 2.21 million :: 007: Skyfall :: Final Estimate :: Sony
¥2.64 billion ($28.3 million) / 2.12 million :: Platinum Data :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥2.60 billion ($26.7 million) / 1.77 million :: Iron Man 3 :: Tracking Ends :: Disney
¥2.15 billion ($23.9 million) / 1.73 million :: Strawberry Night :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥2.07 billion ($21.4 million) / 1.61 million :: The Lone Ranger :: 45 :: Disney
¥2.03 billion ($22.3 million) / 1.49 million :: A Good Day to Die Hard :: Final Estimate :: Fox
¥2 billion ↨
¥1.98 billion ($20.4 million) / 1.52 million :: Fast and Furious 6 :: Tracking Ends :: Toho-Towa
¥1.94 billion ($20.1 million) / 1.40 million :: World War Z :: 37 :: Toho-Towa
¥1.84 billion ($21.3 million) / 1.28 million :: Life of Pi :: Final Estimate :: Fox
¥1.81 billion ($19.0 million) / 1.44 million :: Shield of Straw :: Final Estimate :: Warner Bros.
¥1.77 billion ($20.2 million) / 1.46 million :: Today, I Started Loving You :: Final Total :: Toho
¥1.75 billion ($18.9 million) / 1.25 million :: Oz: The Great and Powerful :: Final Estimate :: Disney
¥1.71 billion ($18.0 million) / 1.38 million :: Library Wars :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥1.64 billion ($18.9 million) / 1.16 million :: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey :: Tracking Ends :: Warner Bros.
¥1.55 billion ($16.9 million) / 1.42 million :: Tokyo Family :: Final Estimate :: Shochiku
¥1.53 billion ($15.6 million) / 1.24 million :: Gintama: The Final Chapter :: Tracking Ends :: Warner Bros.
¥1.47 billion ($15.2 million) / 1.01 million :: Pacific Rim :: 38 :: Warner Bros.
¥1.45 billion ($15.0 million) / 1.32 million :: A Boy Called H :: 37 :: Toho
¥1.40 billion ($14.9 million) / 1.13 million :: Oblivion :: Tracking Ends :: Toho-Towa
¥1.30 billion ($13.3 million) / 1.13 million :: Crayon Shin-chan: Gourmet Survival Class :: Final Estimates:: Toho
¥1.25 billion ($13.9 million) / 0.99 million :: Brain Man :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥1.21 billion ($13.5 million) / 1.02 million :: Hunter X Hunter: The Phantom Rouge :: Final Total :: Toho
¥1.20 billion ($12.6 million) / 1.03 million :: Kamen Rider Wizard in Magic Land :: Tracking Ends :: Toei
¥1.18 billion ($12.9 million) / 1.02 million :: Aibou Series: X-Day :: Final Estimate :: Toei
¥1.17 billion ($13.3 million) / 0.99 million :: Humanoid Monster, Bem :: Final Total :: Toho
¥1.14 billion ($13.0 million) / 1.03 million :: Kamen Rider X Kamen Rider Fourze & Wizard :: Final Total :: Toei
¥1.14 billion ($11.9 million) / 1.01 million :: Emperor :: Tracking Ends :: Shochiku
¥1.12 billion ($11.6 million) / 0.89 million :: The Great Gatsby :: Tracking Ends :: Warner Bros.
¥1.07 billion ($11.3 million) / 0.87 million :: Jack Reacher :: Tracking Ends :: Paramount
¥1.05 billion ($11.0 million) / 0.98 million :: Pretty Cure All Stars: New Stage 2 :: Final Estimate :: Toei
¥1.02 billion ($10.8 million) / 0.83 million :: The Complex :: Tracking Ends :: Shochiku
¥1 billion ↑

*[The Wind Rises is looking at ¥13-14 billion ($135-145 million); 10.5-11.5 million admissions at it's current pace]

*[MU is still on track for over ¥9 billion, will probably finish with ¥9.1 billion ($92/93 million); 7.2 million admissions - almost on par with it's predecessor, and nearly the same admissions as Toy Story 3, too. Very impressive performance.]

*[Midsummer Formula and After-Dinner Mysteries are in a close battle for top-grossing live-action film. The latter will win in admissions, but gross isn't clear yet. Both are going for ¥3.3 billion ($34-35 million)]

*[Pokemon has almost completed it's run and will top out at ¥3.1 billion ($32 million) or slightly over. They'll probably keep it in release long enough to reach 3 million admissions. Generation 6 (X/Y) beginning on Oct. 12th should give it the needed boost]

*[The Lone Ranger nears his final weeks in release, and has made Japan his best market overseas unless it does well when it opens in China next month]

*[World War Z is also really slowing down, but should have enough left to craw to ¥2 billion ($21 million) and 1.5 million admissions]

Looking at WWZ, Lone Ranger, DH5 and FF6 I don't think Skyfall made as much in Japan. Anyways its great that WWZ will pass FF6 in Japan.

At the same point in time (Post-Respect for the Aged Day),

2013 Vs. 2012 [Top 12 Films Comparison]
Total Gross / Admissions :: Film :: Days in Release :: Distributor

2013
01 :: ¥10.62 billion ($108.7 million) / 8.57 million :: The Wind Rises :: 58 :: Toho
02 :: ¥8.89 billion ($90.5 million) / 6.99 million :: Monsters University :: 72 :: Disney
03 :: ¥6.85 billion ($76.9 million) / 5.67 million :: One Piece Film Z :: Final Estimate :: Toei
04 :: ¥6.11 billion ($67.7 million) / 4.96 million :: Les Miserables :: Final Estimate :: Toho-Towa
05 :: ¥4.21 billion ($46.2 million) / 3.09 million :: Ted :: Final Estimate :: Toho-Towa
06 :: ¥3.96 billion ($43.2 million) / 3.64 million :: Doraemon: Nobita's Secret Gagdet Museum :: Final Estimate :: Toho
07 :: ¥3.61 billion ($36.9 million) / 3.01 million :: Detective Conan: Private Eye in the Distant Sea :: Final Estimate :: Toho
08 :: ¥3.26 billion ($33.9 million) / 2.67 million :: Midsummer Formula :: 79 :: Toho
09 :: ¥3.11 billion ($32.2 million) / 2.68 million :: The After-Dinner Mysteries :: 44 :: Toho
10 :: ¥3.07 billion ($31.8 million) / 2.95 million :: Pokemon BW: ExtremeSpeed Genesect - Mewtwo Awakens :: 65 :: Toho
11 :: ¥3.00 billion ($31.0 million) / 2.35 million :: Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods :: Final Estimate :: Toei
12 :: ¥2.93 billion ($31.6 million) / 2.40 million :: Wreck-It Ralph :: Final Estimate :: Disney
Total: ¥59.6 billion ($630.6 million), +21.6% (+0.1%) / 49.0 million admissions, +26.3%


2012
01 :: ¥7.16 billion ($91.0 million) / 5.65 million :: Umizaru: Brave Hearts :: 66 :: Toho
02 :: ¥5.94 billion ($76.0 million) / 4.67 million :: Thermae Romae :: Final Estimate :: Toho
03 :: ¥5.38 billion ($70.5 million) / 4.24 million :: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol :: Final Total :: Paramount
04 :: ¥3.99 billion ($50.8 million) / 3.29 million :: The Wolf Children Ame and Yuki :: 58 :: Toho
05 :: ¥3.59 billion ($45.4 million) / 3.32 million :: Doraemon: Nobita and the Island of Miracles :: Final Estimate :: Toho
06 :: ¥3.48 billion ($44.4 million) / 3.33 million :: Pokemon BW: Kyurem Vs. The Sacred Swordsman :: 65 :: Toho
07 :: ¥3.40 billion ($43.3 million) / 2.66 million :: ALWAYS: Sunset on Third Street '64 :: Final Estimate :: Toho
08 :: ¥3.35 billion ($42.5 million) / 2.23 million :: The Avengers :: 34 :: Disney
09 :: ¥3.28 billion ($42.3 million) / 2.74 million :: Detective Conan: The Eleventh Striker :: Final Estimate :: Toho
10 :: ¥3.16 billion ($40.9 million) / 2.12 million :: Men in Black 3 :: Tracking Ends :: Toho-Towa
11 :: ¥3.13 billion ($40.8 million) / 2.39 million :: Kaibutsu-Kun: The Movie :: Final Total :: Toho
12 :: ¥3.11 billion ($39.5 million) / 2.12 million :: The Amazing Spider-Man :: Tracking Ends :: Sony
Total: ¥49.0 billion ($627.4 million) / 38.8 million admissions

Updated with latest numbers:

Biggest Film Franchises (Revenue)
01. ¥96.57 billion ($903 million) :: Harry Potter [8 Films], 2001-2011
02. ¥71.72 billion ($671 million) :: Doraemon [34 Films], 1980-
03. ¥71.56 billion ($692 million) :: Pokemon [16 Films], 1998-
04. ¥44.62 billion ($467 million) :: Detective Conan [17 Films], 1997-
05. ¥40.73 billion ($412 million) :: Bayside Shakedown [4 Films], 1998-2012
06. ¥40.04 billion ($323 million) :: Star Wars [6 Films], 1978-
07. ¥36.65 billion ($361 million) :: Pirates of the Caribbean [4 Films], 2003-
08. ¥27.48 billion ($253 million) :: Jurassic Park [3 Films], 1993-
09. ¥27.29 billion ($236 million) :: The Lord of the Rings [3 Films], 2002-2004
10. ¥26.40 billion ($231 million) :: The Matrix [3 Films], 1999-2003

Biggest Film Franchises (Admissions)
01. 101.81 million :: Doraemon [34 Films], 1980-
02. 99.25 million :: Godzilla [28 Films], 1954-2004
03. 80.80 million :: Otoko wa Tsurai yo [48 Films], 1969-1995
04. 77.35 million :: Harry Potter [8 Films], 2001-2011
05. 66.69 million :: Pokemon [16 Films], 1998-
06. 37.31 million :: Detective Conan [17 Films], 1997-
07. 32.10 million :: Star Wars [6 Films], 1978-
08. 30.92 million :: Bayside Shakedown [4 Films], 1998-2012
09. 27.11 million :: Pirates of the Caribbean [4 Films], 2003-
10. 20.22 million :: The Lord of the Rings [3 Films], 2002-2004

Upcoming Top Franchise Films: Doraemon 35 (March 2014), Detective Conan 18 (April 2014), Jurassic World (Summer 2014), Pokemon 17 (July 2014), Doraemon 36 (March 2015), Detective Conan 19 (April 2015), Star Wars: Episode VII (Summer 2015), Pokemon 18 (July 2015), Pirates of the Caribbean 5 (TBD)

It's nice to witness the one of the greatest runs in Japan box office history as "The Wind Rises" continues to climb up numerous all-time charts. I don't want to belittle "Ataru: The First Love & The Last Kill" (and other films), but it would be great if "The Wind Rises" manage to get back to #1 this weekend.

Weekend Forecast [9/21-22]



1 (-) Despicable Me 2 (Toho-Towa) ¥320 million ($3.3 million) DEBUT
2 (2) The Wind Rises (Toho) ¥240 million ($2.5 million) Week 10
3 (1) Ataru: The First Love & The Last Kill (Toho) ¥230 million ($2.4 million) Week 2
4 (-) Elysium (Sony) ¥180 million ($1.9 million) DEBUT
5 (3) The Wolverine (Fox) ¥110 million ($1.2 million) Week 2
6 (4) Unforgiven (Warner Bros.) ¥100 million ($1.1 million) Week 2
7 (5) Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (Aniplex) ¥50 million ($510,000) Week 4
8 (-) The Devil's Path (Nikkatsu) ¥45 million ($460,000) DEBUT
9 (7) Sadako 3D Part 2 (Kadokawa Pictures) ¥40 million ($410,000) Week 4
10 (6) Man of Steel (Warner Bros.) ¥35 million ($360,000) Week 4

Despicable Me 2 did very well last week with it's preview screenings (earning over ¥300 million ($3.1 million) over the holiday weekend frame), is receiving a much wider release than it's predecessor, and has the strongest pre-sales of any film in release. And it helps that the original film was a breakout (by non Disney/Pixar imported-animation standards) and DVD rentals were good. The market is also pretty barren of any films that would appeal to young children now. It should win the weekend pretty easily.

Elysium is bound to do typical sci-fi/action film numbers. There's not much of a market for these types of films anymore like there was in the early 2000s.

The Devil's Path is only opening on 78 screens, but there seems to be a lot of interest in the film so I think it'll debut in the top 10. I sort of want to place it higher.

Most-Consecutive Weeks in the Top 10 [1998-]
26 - Spirited Away (2001)
21 - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
20 - Armageddon (1998)
18 - Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
18 - Bayside Shakedown (1998)
16 - Avatar (2009)
16 - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! (2003)
16 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
16 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
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 - Ponyo (2008)
14 - The Last Samurai (2003)
14 - The Matrix (1999)
13 - Les Miserables (2012)
13 - The Lord of the Rings: 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 - M:I-2 (2000)
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)

Looking at the upcoming schedule, The Wind Rises should land somewhere around 16-18 weeks. Monsters University unfortunately just missed 12 weeks thanks to its harsher post-Summer drops.

Best Multipliers (Wide-Releases) [2001-]
30.37 - Spirited Away (2001)
26.13 - Avatar (2009)
23.21 - Departures (2008)
20.68 - Les Miserabes (2012) [Final Estimate]
16.44 - The Cat Returns (2002)
15.69 - Monsters, Inc. (2002)
15.25 - The Last Samurai (2003)
14.98 - Ponyo (2008)
14.84 - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
14.81 - Always: Sunset on Third Street (2005)
14.25 - Confessions (2010)
13.96 - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! (2003)
13.83 - Thermae Romae (2012)
13.64 - Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World (2004)
13.09 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
12.98 - Summer Wars (2009)
12.85 - Ted (2013) [Final Estimate]
12.51 - The Phantom of the Opera (2005)
12.48 - Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
12.24 - Finding Nemo (2003)
11.56 - The Wolf Children Ame and Yuki (2012)
11.51 - From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
11.34 - SP: The Motion Picture 2 (2011)
11.05 - The Wind Rises (2013) [After 9 Weeks in Release]
11.05 - Toy Story 3 (2010)
10.71 - The Ecstasy Hotel (2006)
10.49 - Monsters University (2013) [After 11 Weeks in Release]
10.34 - Arrietty (2010)
10.22 - Letters from Iwo Jima (2007)
10.06 - Michael Jackson's This Is It (2009)

This one is harder to project since The Wind Rises will be playing for a long time, but 13-15 is the vague range. Monsters University is nearing the end of it's run, but will make a run at 11.

Also, A Boy Called H which opened last month was at 9.93 last weekend. It'll undoubtedly be over 10 this weekend.

Jurassic World wont be released next year, also
What's your estimate for Despicable Me 2 entire run?

Well, if it opens to ¥300 million ($3 million), it might reach ¥2 billion ($20 million) with it's previews from last week included in the total.

Why don't you include the Hobbit as part of the LOTR franchise? I don't think it's any less part of the franchise than the Star Wars prequels are to the originals.

I actually forgot it. The last time I updated this (before the other day) was back in the Spring before The Hobbit's run had a final estimate.

All fixed now.

Biggest Film Franchises (Revenue)
01. ¥96.57 billion ($903 million) :: Harry Potter [8 Films], 2001-2011
02. ¥71.72 billion ($671 million) :: Doraemon [34 Films], 1980-
03. ¥71.56 billion ($692 million) :: Pokemon [16 Films], 1998-
04. ¥44.62 billion ($467 million) :: Detective Conan [17 Films], 1997-
05. ¥40.73 billion ($412 million) :: Bayside Shakedown [4 Films], 1998-2012
06. ¥40.04 billion ($323 million) :: Star Wars [6 Films], 1978-
07. ¥36.65 billion ($361 million) :: Pirates of the Caribbean [4 Films], 2003-
08. ¥28.93 billion ($255 million) :: The Lord of the Rings [4 Films], 2002-
09. ¥27.48 billion ($253 million) :: Jurassic Park [3 Films], 1993-
10. ¥26.40 billion ($231 million) :: The Matrix [3 Films], 1999-2003

Biggest Film Franchises (Admissions)
01. 101.81 million :: Doraemon [34 Films], 1980-
02. 99.25 million :: Godzilla [28 Films], 1954-2004
03. 80.80 million :: Otoko wa Tsurai yo [48 Films], 1969-1995
04. 77.35 million :: Harry Potter [8 Films], 2001-2011
05. 66.69 million :: Pokemon [16 Films], 1998-
06. 37.31 million :: Detective Conan [17 Films], 1997-
07. 32.10 million :: Star Wars [6 Films], 1978-
08. 30.92 million :: Bayside Shakedown [4 Films], 1998-2012
09. 27.11 million :: Pirates of the Caribbean [4 Films], 2003-
10. 21.38 million :: The Lord of the Rings [4 Films], 2002

Upcoming Top Franchise Films:
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Feb. 28, 2014),
Doraemon: New Nobita's Great Demon - Peko and the Exploration Party (Mar. 8, 2014),
Detective Conan: The Silver Bullet of Truth (April 2014),
Pokemon X/Y (July 2014),
The Hobbit: There and Back Again (Spring 2015),
Doraemon 36 (March 2015),
Detective Conan 19 (April 2015),
Jurassic World (Summer 2015),
Star Wars: Episode VII (Summer 2015),
Pokemon 18 (July 2015),
Pirates of the Caribbean 5 (TBD)

It would be about $3 million for the opening weekend itself. It had 3 days worth of previews last weekend, over a Holiday frame, that earned $3.3 million. Previews aren't included in opening weekends in Japan if they occurred over a previous weekend.

It's a solid start in line with expectations, and should earn around ¥2 billion ($20 million or so), looking at a 60-70% increase of the first film.

Harry Potter was just huge for an 8 movie franchise. Japanese stan hard for HP!

Not to diminish how successful Harry Potter was, but it largely owes it's aggregated figures to the first two films (which rank 4th and 7th on the All-Time charts). Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets combined represent nearly 40% of the franchises total gross and admissions.

And also, Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets when combined again, earned more than all four films in Lord of the Rings (including The Hobbit), all four films of Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Jurassic Park and Matrix franchises.

Disappointing for Japan!

That's actally a very good number, or you just wanted DM2 to flop in Japan?