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Japanese Box Office, August 30–31: Ponyo Drops to #3
posted on by Mikhail Koulikov
After being the top-grossing movie at the Japanese box office for six weekends, Toei expects the first movie alone to make over 5 billion yen (US$46 million). International territories in which the film is set to play include the United Kingdom, , and South Korea — where it will open on September 11 in that country's largest-ever premiere of any Japanese film. The other two chapters in the trilogy will come at six-month intervals.
Despite dropping to #3, Ponyo has nonetheless brought in 12.7 billion yen (US$117 million) over its entire Japanese box office run. It is Japan's most successful domestic film since the winter of 2004-05; Miyazaki's previous film, Howl's Moving Castle, opened on November 21, 2004 and went on to make 18.2 billion yen (US$169 million).
Toshio Lee's live-action Kamen Rider Kiva and Engine Sentai Go-onger also stayed at #9 in its fourth weekend.
Source: Kogyo Tsushinsha, Screen Daily, Variety Japan
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