JAPAN BOX OFFICE | Demon Slayer breaks all time record for OW

[Tower]

(C)2018 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC., GRAVITY PICTURES FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY, AND APELLES ENTERTAINMENT, INC

Weekend Estimates (09/08-09)
01 (---) ¥230,000,000 ($2.1 million), 0, ¥300,000,000 ($2.7 million), The Meg (Warner Bros.) NEW
02 (01) ¥217,000,000 ($1.9 million), -36%, ¥1,925,000,000 ($17.2 million), Killing for the Prosecutors (Toho) WK3
03 (03) ¥192,000,000 ($1.7 million), -38%, ¥2,800,000,000 ($25.2 million), Gintama 2 (Warner Bros.) WK4
04 (02) ¥187,000,000 ($1.7 million), -42%, ¥805,000,000 ($7.2 million), Ant-Man and the Wasp (Disney) WK2
05 (04) ¥125,000,000 ($1.1 million), -43%, ¥8,585,000,000 ($77.1 million), Code Blue (Toho) WK7
06 (06) ¥111,000,000 ($1.0 million), -33%, ¥1,870,000,000 ($16.8 million), One Cut of the Dead (Asmik Ace) WK12
07 (07) ¥100,000,000 ($905,000), -35%, ¥425,000,000 ($3.8 million), Sunny: Strong Mind, Strong Love (Toho) WK2
08 (05) ¥x92,000,000 ($830,000), -46%, ¥4,625,000,000 ($41.9 million), Incredibles 2 (Disney) WK6
09 (08) ¥x79,000,000 ($715,000), -42%, ¥4,450,000,000 ($40.3 million), Mission: Impossible - Fallout (Toho-Towa) WK6
10 (---) ¥x75,000,000 ($680,000), 0, ¥100,000,000 ($905,000), Kasane (Toho) NEW

Weekend drops are a little on the harsher side this weekend since last Saturday was boosted slightly from being the first of the month (national discount day). However, it's difficult to estimate how much of an impact discount days have on individual films, so the drops this weekend could differ more than usual when actuals come in (for the better, I believe). 

>The Meg makes, perhaps, a surprising debut atop the box-office. The debut isn't anything spectacular, but it's pretty solid given the lack of star power, seemingly lack of confidence from Warner Bros. (given the theater count), and average reviews. If the weekend estimate is accurate, it'll probably gross around ¥1.2 billion ($11 million) or so. Not bad.

>Gintama 2 continues to perform well, and became Warner Bros.'s highest-grossing film in Japan this year, surpassing Ready Player One. It should finish around ¥3.5 billion ($31/32 million), retaining over 90% of the original film's audience -- a notable feat considering sequels to domestic live-action films, especially those based on manga/anime, tend to experience large drop-offs.

>Code Blue experienced a bit of a post-summer decline over the past week, and its drop this weekend is poor, but it's still going to surpass Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer to become the #1 film of 2018. It should claim the crown next weekend, and after the upcoming Silver Week holiday frame, will still likely reach the ¥9 billion ($80 million+) milestone.

>The crawl to the ¥5 billion blockbuster milestone begins for Incredibles 2 and Mission: Impossible - Fallout, and their sixth-weekend drops, if accurate, is making it more difficult. If Silver Week wasn't coming up soon (Sept. 17th-24th), I might be predicting both films may actually fall short of the mark, but the holiday week (the last major holiday frame until New Year) should still get both films there.

[Olive]

The Meg 289M/370M yen

[Tower]

Weekend Forecast (09/15-16)
01 (---) ¥225,000,000 ($2.0 million), 0, ¥310,000,000 ($2.8 million), Christopher Robin (Disney) NEW
02 (01) ¥173,000,000 ($1.5 million), -40%, ¥780,000,000 ($7.0 million), The Meg (Warner Bros.) WK2
03 (---) ¥150,000,000 ($1.3 million), 0, ¥215,000,000 ($1.9 million), The Predator (Fox) NEW
04 (03) ¥142,000,000 ($1.3 million), -23%, ¥3,125,000,000 ($28.2 million), Gintama 2 (Warner Bros.) WK5
05 (02) ¥129,000,000 ($1.1 million), -37%, ¥2,300,000,000 ($20.6 million), Killing for the Prosecutors (Toho) WK4
06 (---) ¥125,000,000 ($1.1 million), 0, ¥170,000,000 ($1.5 million), Hibiki (Toho) NEW
07 (04) ¥x96,000,000 ($855,000), -45%, ¥1,030,000,000 ($9.3 million), Ant-Man and the Wasp (Disney) WK3
08 (05) ¥x88,000,000 ($785,000), -30%, ¥2,100,000,000 ($18.9 million), One Cut of the Dead (Asmik Ace) WK13
09 (06) ¥x79,000,000 ($705,000), -35%, ¥8,805,000,000 ($79.1 million), Code Blue (Toho) WK8
10 (07) ¥x68,000,000 ($605,000), -32%, ¥635,000,000 ($5.7 million), Sunny: Strong Mind, Strong Love (Toho) WK3
11 (09) ¥x56,000,000 ($500,000), -33%, ¥275,000,000 ($2.5 million), Kasane (Toho) WK2
12 (08) ¥x49,000,000 ($435,000), -45%, ¥4,705,000,000 ($42.6 million), Incredibles 2 (Disney) WK7
13 (10) ¥x42,000,000 ($375,000), -44%, ¥4,560,000,000 ($41.2 million), Mission: Impossible - Fallout (Toho-Towa) WK7

Unfortunately, this weekend is going to be the weakest pre-Silver Week Weekend in recent years. This weekend has been growing in popularity, only behind the big three (New Year, Golden Week, and Obon Festival), and usually has at least one major tentpole, but none are here this year.

>Christoper Robin came out on top by a comfortable margin on Friday, and its Saturday pre-sales suggest it'll debut at #1 over the weekend without much trouble. Its debut is unlikely to be particularly impressive (needs to come in closer to ¥300 million), but it will be good enough for perhaps ¥1.5 billion (about $15 million) after the holiday boost. Japan will be competing with the United Kingdom to become the films' #1 overseas market.

>The Predator has so-so pre-sales, but I expect it'll be pretty frontloaded and largely disappoint. It could manage a second place debut, but this is a misfire from Fox.

>Code Blue enters its eighth weekend of release, and has become the highest-grossing film of 2018. It also became the most attended film of 2018 last Sunday. 

I've expanded the Top 10 so that Incredibles 2 and Mission: Impossible - Fallout can be tracked, so we can determine if either film will be able to reach the ¥5 billion blockbuster milestone. This upcoming week will be their final chance to gross any meaningful numbers.

And as mentioned, Silver Week begins this week, beginning on Monday and ending next Monday (09/17-24), with holidays falling on Monday (17th), Sunday (23rd), and Monday (24th) this year. Since this year didn't receive any big openers, hopefully the holdovers can benefit and see some strong holds (or increases) to make up some potential loss in earnings from the awful weather/disasters this past July/August.

[TalismanRing]

Good for CR.  I think it will have to do $20m+ to beat the UK since it's already at $16m+ there before this w/e

[salvador-232]

Incredibles 2 really fell off a cliff after summer. It could still end up below Coco. 

[Tower]

(C)2018 Disney Enterprises, Inc

Weekend Estimates (09/15-16)
01 (---) ¥300,000,000 ($2.7 million), 0, ¥385,000,000 ($3.4 million), Christopher Robin (Disney) NEW
02 (01) ¥179,000,000 ($1.6 million), -38%, ¥785,000,000 ($7.1 million), The Meg (Warner Bros.) WK2
03 (---) ¥150,000,000 ($1.3 million), 0, ¥215,000,000 ($1.9 million), The Predator (Fox) NEW
04 (03) ¥148,000,000 ($1.3 million), -20%, ¥3,125,000,000 ($28.2 million), Gintama 2 (Warner Bros.) WK5
05 (02) ¥143,000,000 ($1.3 million), -30%, ¥2,315,000,000 ($20.7 million), Killing for the Prosecutors (Toho) WK4
06 (---) ¥110,000,000 ($1.0 million), 0, ¥155,000,000 ($1.4 million), Hibiki (Toho) NEW
07 (04) ¥x99,000,000 ($885,000), -43%, ¥1,030,000,000 ($9.3 million), Ant-Man and the Wasp (Disney) WK3
08 (05) ¥x98,000,000 ($875,000), -22%, ¥2,110,000,000 ($19.0 million), One Cut of the Dead (Asmik Ace) WK13
09 (06) ¥x83,000,000 ($740,000), -32%, ¥8,810,000,000 ($79.2 million), Code Blue (Toho) WK8
10 (07) ¥x64,000,000 ($570,000), -35%, ¥630,000,000 ($5.7 million), Sunny: Strong Mind, Strong Love (Toho) WK3
11 (---) ¥x60,000,000 ($535,000), 0, ¥60,000,000 ($535,000), Real Girl 3D (Warner Bros.) NEW
12 (09) ¥x54,000,000 ($480,000), -37%, ¥275,000,000 ($2.5 million), Kasane (Toho) WK2
13 (08) ¥x51,000,000 ($455,000), -43%, ¥4,710,000,000 ($42.7 million), Incredibles 2 (Disney) WK7
14 (10) ¥x47,000,000 ($420,000), -36%, ¥4,565,000,000 ($41.3 million), Mission: Impossible - Fallout (Toho-Towa) WK7

>Christoper Robin debuts atop the box-office, and seems to have delivered a pretty impressive opening based on estimates. Its Friday was a little weak, but it was strong over the weekend frame and achieved a solid Sunday increase, too. I have little doubt that it'll reach ¥1.5 billion (~$15 million), and it should be able to earn around ¥2 billion (~$20 million), likely making Japan its highest-grossing overseas market (at least until, or if, it's released in China).

>The Predator is a disappointment, to no one's surprise, really. Fox giving the film a day-and-date release almost guaranteed it would underperform. It may have even debuted as low as fifth-place, depending on the weekend actuals (films ranked #3-5 are very close). It'll finish around ¥700 million ($6 million) or so. 

>Code Blue entered its eighth weekend of release, and became the highest-grossing film of 2018. It also became the most attended film of 2018 last Sunday. This is the first time (barring some phenomenal breakout to come) since 2012 that a domestic live-action film has topped the year in the market. 

>As I mentioned on Friday, I've expanded the Top 10 so that I can include Incredibles 2 and Mission: Impossible - Fallout, so that we can track them and determine if either film will be able to reach the ¥5 billion blockbuster milestone. This upcoming week will be their final chance to gross any meaningful numbers.

Silver Week begins tomorrow (Monday) and ends next Monday (09/17-24), with holidays falling on Monday (17th), Sunday (23rd), and Monday (24th) this year. Since this year's Silver Week didn't receive any big openers (Christopher Robin did open well, though), the holdovers will be aiming to benefit and hopefully experience strong holds (or increases) to make up some potential loss in earnings from the awful weather/disasters this past July/August.

[titanic2187]

Corpse provided the extra list other than box office number for all observers to know more Japanese entertainment industry

Japan Box Office: All Time TV Ratings

Highest Household Ratings (Film, TV, Anime)

Movies (First Broadcast Ratings Only):
46.9% - Spirited Away (Jan., 2003)
35.1% - Princess Mononoke (Jan., 1999)
32.9% - Howl's Moving Castle (July, 2006)
30.8% - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (June, 2004)
29.8% - Ponyo (Feb., 2010)
28.4% - Free and Easy 4 (Feb., 1994)
28.3% - Free and Easy 6 (Dec., 1994)
27.7% - Free and Easy 2 (Jan., 1995)
27.1% - Free and Easy 5 (Sept., 1994)
26.9% - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (Oct., 1987)
26.7% - Shall We Dance? (Feb., 1999) *NOT the Hollywood Remake*
26.3% - Your Name. (Jan., 2018)
26.1% - Titanic (June, 2003)
26.1% - Free and Easy 8 (Oct., 1997)
25.3% - Rambo (Oct., 1985)
25.1% - The Matrix (June, 2003)
24.4% - Kiki's Delivery Service (Oct., 1990)
24.2% - Rambo: First Blood Part II (Apr., 1989)
24.1% - Free and Easy 3 (July, 1994)
21.4% - My Neighbor Totoro (Apr., 1989)
20.9% - Grave of the Fireflies (Aug., 1989)
20.9% - Porco Rosso (Oct., 1993)

Dramas/Comedies (Season Averages Only):
34.3% - Hero Season 1 (2001)
31.9% - Asunaro Hakusho (1993)
31.8% - Beautiful Life (2000)
30.9% - Hero Special 1 (2006)
30.8% - Love Generation (1997)
29.1% - Long Vacation (1996)
29.0% - Hanzawa Naoki (2013)
28.5% - GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka (1998)
28.1% - Under One Roof Season 1 (1993)
27.8% - Gokusen Season 2 (2005)
26.6% - Under One Roof Season 2 (1997)
26.5% - Beach Boys (1997)
25.9% - Bayside Shakedown Special 3 (1998)
25.4% - Bayside Shakedown Special 1 (1997)
25.2% - Kaseifu no Mita (2011)
25.1% - Pride (2004)
Highest Rated Episodes (40%+): 
42.2% - Season Finale of Hanzawa Naoki (2013)
41.3% - Season Finale of Beautiful Life (2000)
40.0% - Season Finale of Kaseifu no Mita (2011)

Anime (By Decade; One Anime Series' Highest-Rated Episode Per Decade):
1960s
40.3% - Astro-Boy 
36.7% - Little Ghost Q-Taro 
35.6% - Perman 
33.7% - Popeye 
31.9% - Adventures of the Monkey King 
31.8% - Harris' Whirlwind 
27.1% - Adventure on the Gaboten Island
27.0% - Monster 
25.3% - Eat-man

1970s
39.4% - Sazae-san 
36.7% - Star of the Giants 
34.5% - The Gusty Frog 
32.5% - Lupin the III 
30.4% - Mazinger Z 
30.1% - Dogs of Flanders 

1980s 
38.6% - Sazae-san 
36.9% - Dr. Slump
33.6% - Japanese Folk Tales 
31.9% - Touch
31.6% - Tomorrow's Joe 
31.2% - Doraemon
29.6% - Curious George 
29.5% - Dragon Ball
28.2% - Star of the Giants
28.0% - Ninja Hattori

1990s
39.9% - Chibi Maruko-chan 
36.4% - Sazae-san 
28.2% - Crayon Shin-chan 
27.5% - Dragon Ball Z
25.7% - Kiteretsu Encyclopedia
24.7% - Yu Yu Hakusho 
24.3% - Doraemon 
23.7% - Tsuyoshi Shikkari Shinasai: Taisen Puzzle-dama
23.4% - Detective Conan 

2000s
28.1% - Sazae-san 
22.1% - Detective Conan 
21.0% - Chibi Maruko-chan 
18.1% - Kochi-kame 
17.9% - Inuyasha 
17.2% - One Piece 
16.9% - Doraemon 
16.8% - Kindaichi Case Files 
16.4% - Crayon Shin-chan 
14.9% - Pokemon 

2010s
24.7% - Sazae-san 
17.0% - Chibi Maruko-chan 
13.9% - One Piece 
13.1% - Doraemon 
12.6% - Detective Conan 
12.5% - Crayon Shin-chan 
12.3% - Dragon Ball Kai

[Tower]

(C)2018 Disney Enterprises, Inc

Weekend Actuals (09/15-16)
01 (---) ¥332,290,000 ($3.0 million), 0, ¥578,950,000 ($5.2 million), Christopher Robin (Disney) NEW
02 (01) ¥189,011,400 ($1.7 million), -35%, ¥898,107,100 ($8.0 million), The Meg (Warner Bros.) WK2
03 (---) ¥161,000,000 ($1.4 million), 0, ¥286,381,700 ($2.6 million), The Predator (Fox) NEW
04 (03) ¥145,515,800 ($1.3 million), -21%, ¥3,199,126,000 ($28.9 million), Gintama 2 (Warner Bros.) WK5
05 (02) ¥145,361,000 ($1.3 million), -29%, ¥2,399,420,000 ($21.4 million), Killing for the Prosecutors (Toho) WK4
06 (---) ¥106,141,000 ($949,000), 0, ¥215,171,000 ($1.9 million), Hibiki (Toho) NEW
07 (05) ¥x98,995,280 ($885,000), -22%, ¥2,169,607,050 ($19.5 million), One Cut of the Dead (Asmik Ace) WK13
08 (04) ¥x98,745,000 ($883,000), -43%, ¥1,083,701,500 ($9.8 million), Ant-Man and the Wasp (Disney) WK3
09 (06) ¥x83,498,300 ($747,000), -32%, ¥8,871,632,900 ($79.7 million), Code Blue (Toho) WK8
10 (07) ¥x68,258,600 ($611,000), -32%, ¥684,319,900 ($6.1 million), Sunny: Strong Mind, Strong Love (Toho) WK3
11 (---) ¥x65,000,000 ($581,000), 0, ¥106,141,000 ($949,000), Real Girl 3D (Warner Bros.) NEW
12 (09) ¥x58,448,100 ($522,000), -32%, ¥291,687,800 ($2.6 million), Kasane (Toho) WK2
13 (08) ¥x49,513,900 ($443,000), -44%, ¥4,736,565,500 ($43.0 million), Incredibles 2 (Disney) WK7
14 (10) ¥x45,861,100 ($410,000), -37%, ¥4,590,487,900 ($41.5 million), Mission: Impossible - Fallout (Toho-Towa) WK7

Note: Cumulative totals are as of Monday (September 17th).

>Christoper Robin debuts atop the box-office, delivering quite an impressive start, selling 244,758 admissions over the weekend frame across 501 screens; and selling 440,921 over the long four-day holiday weekend. Its debut is low compared to other Silver Week openers, but it's good regardless and will likely result in a total around ¥2 billion (~$20 million), making Japan its #1 international market unless a China release is on the horizon. 

>The Meg delivered a solid second weekend hold, and is on track for a total around ¥1.5 billion (~$15 million); definitely not bad considering this is the type of film that could have disappointed in the market.

>The Predator debuts in a disappointing third place, only selling 109,922 admissions over the weekend frame on 435 screens; and selling 202,803 admissions over the long four-day holiday weekend. The opening weekend is 34% below 2010's Predators. This isn't surprising given the day-and-date release, and only expect a finish around ¥750 million ($6/7 million). 

>Gintama 2 continues to do very well for itself, and is very likely now to exceed the ¥3.5 billion ($32 million) milestone. The original film grossed ¥3.84 billion and the sequel is aiming for around ¥3.7 billion ($34 million) or so, which would be a remarkable 96% audience retention for a genre where sequels typically experience harsh drop-offs.

>One Cut of the Dead exceeded ¥2 billion in its thirteenth-weekend of release, and in doing so, has now earned 723 times its budget... This runaway single-shot zombie flick has become one of the most successful releases in recent memory.

>Code Blue enjoyed its eighth-weekend in the Top 10, and became the highest-grossing film of 2018. It's the first live-action domestic film to top a year since 2012's Umizaru: Brave Hearts, and will become only the fourth live-action domestic film to reach the ¥9 billion milestone. Expect a finish around ¥9.2 billion ($83 million).

>Real Girl 3D's weekend figure remains an estimate, and I'll update it when its available.

[Hei25]

Very good for CR, I was sure that Japan won't let it down. I hope it develops big legs.

[TalismanRing]

A shame there won't be a China release especially if he's popular enough to become a resistance meme

 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/christopher-robin-refused-china-release-winnie-pooh-crackdown-1131907

 

Quote

For only the second time this year, a Disney movie has been denied release in China. Christopher Robin, a live-action/CGI family film that stars Ewan McGregor, received a no-go from the country's film authorities.

 

No reason was given for the denial, but a source pinned the blame on China's crackdown on images of the Winnie the Pooh character, which is featured in a central role in Christopher Robin. Last summer, authorities began blocking pictures of Winnie the Pooh on social media given that the character has become a symbol of the resistance in China with foes of the ruling Communist Party, namely Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Bloggers have drawn comparisons between the pudgy bear and Xi, which has put the country's censors in overdrive. In June, Chinese authorities blocked HBO after Last Week Tonight host John Oliver mocked Xi's sensitivity over being compared to Winnie the Pooh.

 

[Tower]

Weekend Forecast (09/22-23)
01 (01) ¥266,000,000 ($2.4 million), -20%, ¥1,075,000,000 ($9.6 million), Christopher Robin (Disney) WK2
02 (---) ¥150,000,000 ($1.3 million), 0, ¥200,000,000 ($1.7 million), Café Funiculi Funicula (Toho) NEW
03 (02) ¥121,000,000 ($1.1 million), -36%, ¥1,135,000,000 ($10.0 million), The Meg (Warner Bros.) WK3
04 (05) ¥x93,000,000 ($825,000), -36%, ¥2,585,000,000 ($23.1 million), Killing for the Prosecutors (Toho) WK5
05 (04) ¥x87,000,000 ($770,000), -40%, ¥3,360,000,000 ($30.3 million), Gintama 2 (Warner Bros.) WK6
06 (03) ¥x85,000,000 ($755,000), -47%, ¥475,000,000 ($4.2 million), The Predator (Fox) WK2
07 (---) ¥x75,000,000 ($665,000), 0, ¥95,000,000 ($840,000), Skyscraper (Toho-Towa) NEW
08 (07) ¥x71,000,000 ($630,000), -28%, ¥2,310,000,000 ($20.8 million), One Cut of the Dead (Asmik Ace) WK14
09 (06) ¥x63,000,000 ($560,000), -43%, ¥350,000,000 ($3.1 million), Hibiki (Toho) WK2
10 (08) ¥x57,000,000 ($505,000), -42%, ¥1,200,000,000 ($10.7 million), Ant-Man and the Wasp (Disney) WK4

Notables (Outside the Top 10):
¥x49,000,000 ($435,000), -40%, ¥8,975,000,000 ($80.6 million), Code Blue (Toho) WK9
¥x30,000,000 ($265,000), -39%, ¥4,780,000,000 ($43.4 million), Incredibles 2 (Disney) WK8
¥x28,000,000 ($250,000), -38%, ¥4,640,000,000 ($41.9 million), Mission: Impossible - Fallout (Toho-Towa) WK8

Not much going on this weekend, and the box-office as a whole will be rather uninteresting until December. There are a few notable releases between now and December, but October and November are two of the weaker months of the year.

>Christopher Robin will claim an easy second weekend atop the box-office, and it's aiming for a very good second weekend hold, as well. My initial ¥2 billion (~$20 million) projection may end up being a tad low in the end.

>Café Funiculi Funicula is a slight wildcard and could come in above the weekend forecast. It had a nice Friday start (it actually came in at #1), but its weekend pre-sales just aren't very good. This one could be skewing toward a much older crowd (seniors), though, who largely purchase their tickets at the theater itself. We'll see.

>Skyscraper is going to bomb. Dwayne Johnson, outside of the Fast and Furious franchise which can't be credit to him, hasn't been able to find an audience in the market.

Note: Sunday is a holiday, Autumn Equinox Day, but since it landed on a Sunday this year, I don't really think it'll provide much of a boost to the box-office. The holiday will also be observed on Monday, however, so most films will still experience some benefit.

[fastclock]

Christopher Robin led for the second weekend in a row. 

Weekend: 184,950 attendance and 256,242,000 won revenue.

Extended weekend (with Monday holiday): 290,0711 people, and income 392,770,000 yen.

Cumulative attendance (until Monday): 910,000 people, revenue exceeded 1.2 billion yen (US$10.6 million).

Higher number of attendance from Christopher Robin's age people.

 

https://eiga.com/ranking/

[Tower]

(C)2018 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Weekend Actuals (09/22-23)
01 (01) ¥256,422,000 ($2.3 million), -23%, ¥1,201,255,600 ($10.7 million), Christopher Robin (Disney) WK2
02 (---) ¥203,190,000 ($1.8 million), 0, ¥374,405,100 ($3.3 million), Café Funiculi Funicula (Toho) NEW
03 (02) ¥118,565,200 ($1.1 million), -37%, ¥1,195,377,200 ($10.6 million), The Meg (Warner Bros.) WK3
04 (04) ¥x85,194,200 ($754,000), -41%, ¥3,405,573,800 ($30.7 million), Gintama 2 (Warner Bros.) WK6
05 (05) ¥x78,484,500 ($695,000), -46%, ¥2,624,081,400 ($23.5 million), Killing for the Prosecutors (Toho) WK5
06 (03) ¥x69,609,100 ($616,000), -57%, ¥455,068,800 ($4.0 million), The Predator (Fox) WK2
07 (07) ¥x69,246,080 ($613,000), -30%, ¥2,309,639,430 ($20.8 million), One Cut of the Dead (Asmik Ace) WK14
08 (---) ¥x65,000,000 ($575,000), 0, ¥105,000,000 ($930,000), Skyscraper (Toho-Towa) NEW
09 (06) ¥x57,355,200 ($508,000), -49%, ¥381,108,400 ($3.4 million), Hibiki (Toho) WK2
10 (08) ¥x49,670,300 ($440,000), -50%, ¥1,211,348,100 ($10.8 million), Ant-Man and the Wasp (Disney) WK4
11 (09) ¥x46,434,200 ($411,000), -44%, ¥9,003,085,600 ($80.8 million), Code Blue (Toho) WK9
12 (10) ¥x40,024,400 ($354,000), -41%, ¥803,140,60 ($7.2 million), Sunny: Strong Mind, Strong Love (Toho) WK4

Note: Cumulative Totals as of Monday (09/24).

>Christopher Robin claims a second-consecutive weekend atop the box-office, delivering a very good second weekend hold following its holiday boosted opening weekend/week. Disney's of the classic characters will likely exceed the ¥2 billion ($20 million) milestone, making Japan its #1 overseas market. 

>Café Funiculi Funicula earned itself a solid second weekend debut, selling 156,208 admissions over the weekend frame across 307 screens; and 294,974 admissions over its long four-day holiday weekend. The film is having its strongest showtimes in the morning, suggesting it's targeting an older demographic, so legs are probably going to be good -- a total over ¥1 billion ($10 million) should be secured, with ¥1.5 billion ($15 million) being a possibility.

>The Meg continues to perform quite well, and is still on track to reach the ¥1.5 billion ($15 million) mark.

>Gintama 2 has finally begun to show signs of slowing down compared to its predecessor now -- after being slightly ahead of it for over five weeks -- and will likely finish below the original film. However, it will probably finish around ¥3.7 billion ($33 million) or so, managing to retain 96/97% of the first film's audience. This is a remarkable achievement for a sequel in the live-action manga genre.

>Skyscraper bombed, unsurprisingly, and unfortunately only its weekend ranking has been revealed, none of its figures. When they're released, I'll update this post.

>Code Blue exceeded the ¥9 billion milestone on Monday, making it only the fourth domestic live-action film to ever reach the mark. It also exceeded 7 million admissions on Monday, making it the 49th overall film to reach the mark, and just fifth domestic live-action film to do so.

[Tower]

Weekend Forecast (09/29-30)
01 (01) ¥184,000,000 ($1.6 million), -28%, ¥1,550,000,000 ($13.8 million), Christopher Robin (Disney) WK3
02 (---) ¥175,000,000 ($1.5 million), 0, ¥175,000,000 ($1.5 million), Natsume's Book of Friends (Aniplex) NEW
03 (---) ¥150,000,000 ($1.3 million), 0, ¥190,000,000 ($1.7 million), Samurai's Promise (Toho) NEW
04 (02) ¥140,000,000 ($1.2 million), -31%, ¥675,000,000 ($6.0 million), Café Funiculi Funicula (Toho) WK2
05 (---) ¥125,000,000 ($1.1 million), 0, ¥155,000,000 ($1.4 million), A Quiet Place (Toho-Towa) NEW
06 (03) ¥x79,000,000 ($695,000), -33%, ¥1,350,000,000 ($11.9 million), The Meg (Warner Bros.) WK4
07 (---) ¥x75,000,000 ($660,000), 0, ¥85,000,000 ($750,000), DTC: Yukemuri Junjou Hen from High & Low (Shochiku) NEW
08 (04) ¥x55,000,000 ($485,000), -35%, ¥3,510,000,000 ($31.6 million), Gintama 2 (Warner Bros.) WK7
09 (07) ¥x54,000,000 ($475,000), -21%, ¥2,450,000,000 ($22.0 million), One Cut of the Dead (Asmik Ace) WK15
10 (05) ¥x45,000,000 ($395,000), -43%, ¥2,725,000,000 ($24.4 million), Killing for the Prosecutors (Toho) WK6
11 (06) ¥x43,000,000 ($380,000), -37%, ¥575,000,000 ($5.1 million), The Predator (Fox) WK3
12 (08) ¥x36,000,000 ($315,000), -47%, ¥200,000,000 ($1.8 million), Skyscraper (Toho-Towa) WK2

Other Notable Holdovers (Below Top 12):
¥x27,000,000 ($240,000), -42%, ¥9,060,000,000 ($81.3 million), Code Blue (Toho) WK10
¥x25,000,000 ($220,000), -50%, ¥1,270,000,000 ($11.4 million), Ant-Man and the Wasp (Disney) WK5
¥x15,000,000 ($130,000), -48%, ¥4,700,000,000 ($42.4 million), Mission: Impossible - Fallout (Toho-Towa) WK9
¥x12,000,000 ($105,000), -59%, ¥4,830,000,000 ($43.8 million), Incredibles 2 (Disney) WK9

Four openers are likely to debut in the Top 10, but none of them are really making much of an impact -- this will be a regular occurrence from now until December, for the most part. Christopher Robin will likely hold off the newcomers and claim a third-consecutive weekend atop the box office.

[Tower]

(C)緑川ゆき・白泉社／夏目友人帳プロジェクト

Weekend Actuals (09/29-30)
01 (---) ¥173,889,460 ($1.5 million), 0, ¥173,889,460 ($1.5 million), Natsume's Book of Friends (Aniplex) NEW
02 (01) ¥154,876,400 ($1.4 million), -39%, ¥1,529,247,400 ($13.6 million), Christopher Robin (Disney) WK3
03 (02) ¥116,685,600 ($1.2 million), -43%, ¥675,641,700 ($6.0 million), Café Funiculi Funicula (Toho) WK2
04 (---) ¥112,085,000 ($1.0 million), 0, ¥150,208,100 ($1.3 million), A Quiet Place (Toho-Towa) NEW
05 (---) ¥108,000,000 ($949,000), 0, ¥154,614,900 ($1.4 million), Samurai's Promise (Toho) NEW
06 (03) ¥x56,209,000 ($493,000), -53%, ¥1,324,938,900 ($11.7 million), The Meg (Warner Bros.) WK4
07 (07) ¥x47,203,390 ($414,000), -32%, ¥2,445,878,190 ($22.0 million), One Cut of the Dead (Asmik Ace) WK15
08 (04) ¥x39,592,800 ($348,000), -54%, ¥3,494,612,300 ($31.5 million), Gintama 2 (Warner Bros.) WK7
09 (---) ¥x35,000,000 ($310,000), 0, ¥45,000,000 ($395,000), DTC: Yukemuri Junjou Hen from High & Low (Shochiku) NEW
10 (05) ¥x34,593,900 ($304,000), -56%, ¥2,720,797,800 ($24.4 million), Killing for the Prosecutors (Toho) WK6

The significant drops this weekend are due to a typhoon that severely slowed business on Sunday, thus affecting the weekend box office. I'd estimate that most films would have held 10-15% better under normal circumstances. That said...

>Natsume's Book of Friends, an animated film based on the manga/anime, managed to debut in the #1 spot over the weekend, selling a solid 118,411 admissions over the weekend frame across just 135 screens. This is a pretty impressive opening, and had the typhoon not stunted the box office, it may have broke the ¥200 million mark. 

>Christopher Robin slips to second place, though continues to hold well and is well on track to exceed the ¥2 billion ($20 million) milestone. Japan will become its #1 overseas market next weekend.

>A Quiet Place enjoyed a good fourth place start, selling 81,717 admissions over the weekend frame on 194 screens; and 111,012 admissions since Friday. This is a perfect example of a delayed release strategy working well in the market, as they tend to do, versus a day-and-date release (see The Predator). Thanks to the strong reviews, WOM, and box office in the US, it was able to gain interest in Japan, and that helped with it receiving a wider release to achieve a good debut.

>A Samurai's Promise bombed, only selling 91,754 admissions over the weekend across 343 screens. Toho gave the film a big push, but audiences clearly weren't interested. It's likely the film may have been affected more than most from the typhoon since it probably skewed older (seniors), but I doubt that's enough to have given it a respectable debut.

>DTC: Yukemuri Junjou Hen from High & Low is an estimated figure based on its weekend admissions ranking. I'll update it once the figure is available.

[Tower]

(C)XFLAG

Weekend Actuals (10/06-07)
01 (---) ¥151,000,000 ($1.3 million), 0, ¥264,884,800 ($2.3 million), Monster Strike: Beyond the Sky (Warner Bros.) NEW
02 (02) ¥143,318,600 ($1.3 million), -08%, ¥1,836,829,500 ($16.3 million), Christopher Robin (Disney) WK4
03 (01) ¥129,553,480 ($1.1 million), 0, ¥434,489,940 ($3.8 million), Natsume's Book of Friends (Aniplex) WK2
04 (---) ¥117,380,800 ($1.0 million), 0, ¥227,000,000 ($2.0 million), Perfect World (Shochuki) NEW
05 (04) ¥104,004,100 ($920,000), -07%, ¥385,995,700 ($3.4 million), A Quiet Place (Toho-Towa) WK2
06 (03) ¥103,210,200 ($913,000), -12%, ¥935,339,400 ($8.3 million), Café Funiculi Funicula (Toho) WK3
07 (05) ¥x83,565,500 ($740,000), -23%, ¥430,538,300 ($3.8 million), Samurai's Promise (Toho) WK2
08 (---) ¥x75,000,000 ($663,000), 0, ¥120,835,000 ($1.1 million), RE: Zero - Memory Snow (Kadokawa Animation) NEW
09 (---) ¥x75,000,000 ($663,000), 0, ¥156,414,500 ($1.4 million), Equalizer 2 (Sony) NEW
10 (07) ¥x71,697,100 ($634,000), +52%, ¥2,606,574,070 ($23.4 million), One Cut of the Dead (Asmik Ace) WK16
11 (06) ¥x43,927,900 ($389,000), -22%, ¥1,422,031,600 ($12.5 million), The Meg (Warner Bros.) WK5
12 (08) ¥x32,390,400 ($287,000), -18%, ¥3,566,060,100 ($32.1 million), Gintama 2 (Warner Bros.) WK8

The strong holds for the holdovers are a result of the typhoon last weekend greatly deflating the box office.

>Monster Strike: Beyond the Sky takes the #1 spot in its debut, opening to 115,000 admissions over the weekend frame across 336 screens; and selling 207,249 admissions over the long four-day holiday weekend (Fri.-Mon.). The film opened well enough, though it does claim the title as the weakest #1 weekend film of 2018 so far.

>Christopher Robin holds very, very well, and will exceed the ¥2 billion milestone in just a few days. Japan is now its second biggest overseas market, and it'll soon overtake the U.K. to become the #1 overseas market.

>Perfect World opens in fourth place, selling 88,989 admissions over the weekend frame on 323 screens; and selling 174,000 admissions over the long four-day holiday weekend (Fri.-Mon.). Nothing worthwhile to talk about here -- it's just your typical mediocre Fall release.

>RE: Zero - Memory Snow and Equalizer 2 ranked in eighth and ninth place, respectively, in weekend admissions, but their weekend grosses are placeholders for now. Their cumulative totals are also their total after the long four-day holiday weekend. I'll update them when the weekend figures are available.

>One Cut of the Dead rounds out the Top 10, and experienced a huge increase in its sixteenth-weekend of release. The indie zombie-comedy has now earned over 860 times its budget, and isn't showing any signs of slowing down just yet. It's probably going to reach ¥3 billion before concluding its phenomenal run, which is insane for a film like this (and it's not even 30 minutes long!).

[Quigley]

6 hours ago, Tower said:

Weekend Actuals (10/06-07)
01 (---) ¥151,000,000 ($1.3 million), 0, ¥264,884,800 ($2.3 million), Monster Strike: Beyond the Sky (Warner Bros.) NEW
02 (02) ¥143,318,600 ($1.3 million), -08%, ¥1,836,829,500 ($16.3 million), Christopher Robin (Disney) WK4
03 (01) ¥129,553,480 ($1.1 million), 0, ¥434,489,940 ($3.8 million), Natsume's Book of Friends (Aniplex) WK2
04 (---) ¥117,380,800 ($1.0 million), 0, ¥227,000,000 ($2.0 million), Perfect World (Shochuki) NEW
05 (04) ¥104,004,100 ($920,000), -07%, ¥385,995,700 ($3.4 million), A Quiet Place (Toho-Towa) WK2
06 (03) ¥103,210,200 ($913,000), -12%, ¥935,339,400 ($8.3 million), Café Funiculi Funicula (Toho) WK3
07 (05) ¥x83,565,500 ($740,000), -23%, ¥430,538,300 ($3.8 million), Samurai's Promise (Toho) WK2
08 (---) ¥x75,000,000 ($663,000), 0, ¥120,835,000 ($1.1 million), RE: Zero - Memory Snow (Kadokawa Animation) NEW
09 (---) ¥x75,000,000 ($663,000), 0, ¥156,414,500 ($1.4 million), Equalizer 2 (Sony) NEW
10 (07) ¥x71,697,100 ($634,000), +52%, ¥2,606,574,070 ($23.4 million), One Cut of the Dead (Asmik Ace) WK16
11 (06) ¥x43,927,900 ($389,000), -22%, ¥1,422,031,600 ($12.5 million), The Meg (Warner Bros.) WK5
12 (08) ¥x32,390,400 ($287,000), -18%, ¥3,566,060,100 ($32.1 million), Gintama 2 (Warner Bros.) WK8

Have 'Incredibles 2' or 'MI:6' surpassed the 5 billion yen milestone yet?

[mmacader]

3 hours ago, Quigley said:

Have 'Incredibles 2' or 'MI:6' surpassed the 5 billion yen milestone yet?

Corpse

2018 - Top Grossing Films
Gross ¥ ($) / Admissions [Days In Release] - Film (Distributor)

¥10 billion ↨
¥9.13 billion ($81.9 million) / 7.11 million [73] - Code Blue (Toho)
¥8.69 billion ($79.4 million) / 6.64 million [E] - Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer (Toho)
¥8.06 billion ($72.2 million) / 5.53 million [E] - Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Toho-Towa)
¥7.50 billion ($66.2 million) / 5.05 million [F] - Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Disney)
¥5.37 billion ($50.0 million) / 4.68 million [F] - Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Toho)
¥5.13 billion ($47.8 million) / 3.67 million [E] - The Greatest Showman (Fox)
¥5 billion ↨
¥4.93 billion ($46.0 million) / 3.93 million [E] - Coco (Disney)
¥4.83 billion ($43.7 million) / 4.02 million [E] - Incredibles 2 (Disney)
¥4.68 billion ($42.2 million) / 3.39 million [E] - Mission: Impossible - Fallout (Toho-Towa)
¥4.31 billion ($39.0 million) / 3.50 million [F] - Shoplifters (Gaga)
¥3.73 billion ($34.0 million) / 2.50 million [F] - Avengers: Infinity War (Disney)
¥3.57 billion ($32.1 million) / 2.77 million [52] - Gintama 2 (Warner Bros.)
¥3.43 billion ($31.8 million) / 2.93 million [F] - The Boss Baby (Toho-Towa)
¥3.21 billion ($28.6 million) / 2.54 million [F] - Destiny: The Tale of Kakamura (Toho)
¥3.00 billion ($27.2 million) / 2.64 million [E] - Pokemon: Everyone's Story (Toho)
¥3 billion ↨
¥2.82 billion ($25.7 million) / 2.24 million [E] - Mirai of the Future (Toho)
¥2.80 billion ($25.0 million) / 2.23 million [F] - The 8-Year Engagement (Shochiku)
¥2.79 billion ($25.0 million) / 2.22 million [44] - Killing for the Prosecutors (Toho)
¥2.61 billion ($23.4 million) / 1.88 million [107] - One Cut of the Dead (Asmik Ace)
¥2.50 billion ($22.8 million) / 1.53 million [E] - Ready Player One (Warner Bros.)
¥2.09 billion ($18.9 million) / 1.50 million [E] - Solo: A Star Wars Story (Disney)
¥2.04 billion ($18.2 million) / 1.82 million [F] - Yo-Kai Watch: Shadowside - Resurrection of the Demon King (Toho)
¥2 billion ↨
¥1.84 billion ($16.3 million) / 1.45 million [24] - Christopher Robin (Disney)
¥1.83 billion ($16.6 million) / 1.55 million [F] - Crayon Shin-chan: Kung-Fu Boys Ramen Rebellion (Toho)
¥1.78 billion ($16.2 million) / 1.18 million [E] - Deadpool 2 (Fox)
¥1.73 billion ($16.1 million) / 1.47 million [F] - Chihayafuru: Conclusion (Toho)
¥1.70 billion ($15.5 million) / 1.40 million [F] - Legend of the Demon Cat (Toho/Kadokawa)
¥1.70 billion ($15.3 million) / 1.22 million [F] - Kingsman: The Golden Circle (Fox)
¥1.70 billion ($15.2 million) / 1.36 million [E] - Recall (Shochiku)
¥1.64 billion ($14.8 million) / 1.25 million [E] - Ocean's 8 (Warner Bros.)
¥1.62 billion ($14.5 million) / 1.28 million [F] - Murder on the Orient Express (Fox)
¥1.60 billion ($14.5 million) / 1.29 million [E] - My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (Toho)
¥1.59 billion ($14.5 million) / 1.27 million [F] - The Crimes That Bind (Toho)
¥1.55 billion ($14.4 million) / 1.03 million [F] - Black Panther (Disney)
¥1.42 billion ($12.5 million) / 0.94 million [31] - The Meg (Warner Bros.)
¥1.38 billion ($12.4 million) / 1.06 million [F] - Laplace's Witch (Toho)
¥1.28 billion ($11.4 million) / 0.90 million [38] - Ant-Man and the Wasp (Disney)
¥1.26 billion ($11.3 million) / 1.06 million [E] - Kamen Hensei Generations FINAL: Build & Ex-Aid With Legend Riders (Toei)
¥1.23 billion ($11.2 million) / 0.90 million [E] - Geostorm (Warner Bros.)
¥1.21 billion ($11.0 million) / 0.97 million [E] - 50 First Kisses (Sony)
¥1.21 billion ($11.0 million) / 0.83 million [E] - Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Sony)
¥1.20 billion ($11.0 million) / 0.97 million [E] - Sakura: Guardian in the North (Toei)
¥1.18 billion ($10.7 million) / 1.00 million [48] - Sensei Kunshu (Toho)
¥1.12 billion ($10.0 million) / 0.87 million [E] - Fullmetal Alchemist (Warner Bros.)
¥1.11 billion ($9.9 million) / 0.89 million [E] - Peter Rabbit (Sony)
¥1.01 billion ($9.5 million) / 0.79 million [E] - Tonight, at the Movies (Warner Bros.)
¥1 billion ↑

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

[KP1025]

A bit unfortunate that both will finish just under ¥5 billion. Both films (and Coco) certainly deserved to do much better in Japan. 

[Tower]

(C)2018 IRH Press

Weekend Actuals (10/13-14)
01 (---) ¥166,697,400 ($1.5 million), 0, ¥220,113,150 ($2.0 million), The Laws of the Universe - Part 1 (Nikkei) NEW
02 (---) ¥x95,000,000 ($848,000), 0, ¥148,862,700 ($1.3 million), Every Day, A Good Day (Tokyo Theaters, Co.) NEW
03 (---) ¥x92,500,000 ($825,000), 0, ¥120,00,000 ($1.1 million), The House with a Clock in Its Walls (Toho-Towa) NEW
04 (02) ¥x89,963,700 ($803,000), -37%, ¥2,088,984,600 ($18.6 million), Christopher Robin (Disney) WK5
05 (03) ¥x72,106,400 ($644,000), -44%, ¥622,235,540 ($5.5 million), Natsume's Book of Friends (Aniplex) WK3
06 (05) ¥x68,390,700 ($611,000), -35%, ¥385,995,700 ($3.4 million), A Quiet Place (Toho-Towa) WK3
07 (06) ¥x66,304,100 ($592,000), -36%, ¥1,140,611,400 ($10.1 million), Café Funiculi Funicula (Toho) WK4
08 (04) ¥x61,836,600 ($552,000), -47%, ¥371,038,200 ($3.3 million), Perfect World (Shochuki) WK2
09 (01) ¥x54,070,900 ($482,000), -64%, ¥364,672,100 ($3.1 million), Monster Strike: Beyond the Sky (Warner Bros.) WK2
10 (10) ¥x46,694,060 ($417,000), -35%, ¥2,738,464,490 ($24.6 million), One Cut of the Dead (Asmik Ace) WK17
11 (07) ¥x41,003,900 ($366,000), -55%, ¥193,600,300 ($1.7 million), RE: Zero - Memory Snow (Kadokawa Animation) WK2
12 (08) ¥x39,943,000 ($357,000), -54%, ¥261,122,800 ($2.3 million), Equalizer 2 (Sony) WK2

Another typical slow October weekend. So far, this year's October is certainly showcasing once again why the month if the weakest of the year in the market.

>The Laws of the Universe - Part 1, the first film in a planned trilogy and sequel to the 2015 film, debuted atop the box office this weekend. The animation sold a decent 134,089 admissions over the weekend frame across 206 screens; and 176,210 admissions since opening on Friday. This opening is an impressive 42% higher than Part 0.

>Every Day, A Good Day comes in second place, opening with 79,000 admissions over the weekend frame on 153 screens; and after including some previews the film had last weekend, it has sold 124,831 admissions.

>The House with a Clock in Its Walls bombs, and appears to have missed even the ¥100 million mark in its debut. I say "appears" because, strangely, none of its weekend figures have been released yet -- just its weekend ranking. So its weekend number above, as well as its cumulative total, are just placeholders until they're available.

>Christopher Robin slips to fourth place in its fifth-weekend, and continues to perform very well for itself. It exceeded the ¥2 billion milestone over the weekend, and has now sold over 1.5 million tickets. Japan also became its #1 overseas market this weekend, surpassing its total in the United Kingdom. 

>Café Funiculi Funicula exceeded the ¥1 billion milestone this past week, a mark that is proving difficult (impossible) to reach so far this Fall. 

>One Cut of the Dead managed to stay in the Top 10 once again, celebrating its eleventh-consecutive weekend in the Top 10. Since reaching the Top 10 in its seventh-weekend of release, it has achieved a multiplier of 49.4. It has also now grossed 913 times its budget -- can it earn 1,000 times its budget? The numbers this half-hour indie zombie flick has achieved are stunning.