News
Weekend Wrapup: 31/Mar - 6/Apr
posted on by Jon Hayward
Trade news source Variety has ranked Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods #5 in estimated overseas box office chart in the past weekend with an estimated take of US$7.0 million dollars. This is based on Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods' performance on 328 screens just in Japan. 16 IMAX theaters earned US$450,000 for a per-screen average of US$28,000. For comparison the #1 top grossing film in the overseas box office is G.I. Joe: Retaliation with US$80 million on 7,775 locations in 53 countries.
The Sydney Manga and Anime Show have announced their first guest, voice actress and singer, Haruko Momoi. A prolific Japanese voice actress who is credited with over 30 roles including Chika Minazuki in Ai Yori Aoshi, Faris Nyannyan in Stiens;Gate, Ai Hayakawa in Final Fantasy: Unlimited, San Seto in My Bride is a Mermaid's and Anise Tatlin in Tales of the Abyss. SMASH will be held on the 10th of August 2013 at the Sydney Convention Centre.
Another Space Pirate Captain Harlock teaser trailer has premiered on Japanese theater screens. In Leiji Matsumoto's original 1977-79 manga, Captain Harlock and his crew fight for humanity aboard the space battleship Arcadia. Each time the story has been re-told it changes to fit the modern era, this feature film is no different with writer Harutoshi Fukui (Mobile Suit Gundam UC novels, live-action Bōkoku no Aegis) reconstructing the story to reflect the themes of modern society. Space Pirate Captain Harlock will open on Japanese theatre screens in the fall.
Australia will be receiving director Makoto Shinkai at the Gold Coast Film Festival for the world premiere of his latest movie The Garden of Words. The premiere will occur on 28th of April at the Pacific Fair BCC Event Cinemas, Gold Coast, Queensland. Shinkai will be present to engage in conversation before the screening.
CAPCOM have announced new kids transmedia franchise, Gaist Crusher. The franchise will launch as a 3DS game alongside a anime series by Studio Pierrot, a manga published in Shueisha magazines V Jump and Saikyō Jump and Bandai will be producing toys on the concept. In the story Gaimetal has been discovered under the earths crust and started a mining boom, however this also brings forth Gaist, metallic monsters covered with Gaimetal. 17 years later a team suits up to defeat the monsters. The game looks to be Monster Hunter style with co-op gameplay hunting down massive beasts and large amounts of customisability.
And finally, Roger Ebert has passed away after his battle with cancer, aged 70. Ebert's film reviews were published in the Chicago Sun Times for 46 years, on television for 31 years and his positive assessment of Japanese animation, Studio Ghibli in particular, are thought to have increased the popularity of anime in the United States.
