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Japanese Box Office: August 25-26, September 1-2 (Updated)
posted on by Egan Loo
The first of four Nikkatsu announced that 236,158 people spent 280 million yen ($2.4 million) at 84 theaters to watch it, the only new film in the top ten. This was one of the rare times that a film opened in less than 100 theaters at first place.
Nikkatsu had planned to show the movie in Tokyo's Shinjuku ward in the 224-seat Cinema Square Tōkyū theater, but changed theaters to the 1,046-stadium-seat Milano 1 just before opening to accommodate the growing crowds. All of that theater's seven opening-day showings sold out with standing-room-only audiences. That theater alone sold 12,500 tickets during the two days for a 15-million-yen (US$130,000) weekend box office take. Each screen that showed the movie nationwide earned an average of 3 million yen (US$30,000).
Naruto Shippūden the Movie both dropped out of the top ten charts during that August 25-26 weekend.
The Saiyuki live-action special-effects feature clung to #10 this past weekend after dropping from #9 the weekend before. This movie is based on a 2006 live-action series whose 1978 predecessor enjoyed popularity in several English-speaking countries under the title Monkey or Monkey Magic. The live-action Masked Rider Den-Ō/Denei-ban Jūken Sentai Gekiranger double feature, had dropped out of the top ten during the August 25-26 weekend.
Source: animeanime.jp, Kogyo Tsushinsha
Image © Gainax
