News

Weathering With You, your name. Rank in 3rd Weekend Since Japanese Theaters Reopened

With the release of many new films postponed, the top 10 rankings at the Japanese box office for the past three weekends include nine previously released films. Japanese theater chains began to shut down in March due to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Box office performance fell 90% by the first week of April compared to the same period last year, and all theaters closed by mid-April after Japan declared a nationwide state of emergency.

100 theaters reopened in Japan two weeks ago, although Tokyo recently entered the second phase of its multi-phase recovery road map, which includes the reopening of theaters (among other establishments). Bloodshot joins Shinrei Kissa Extra no Himitsu: The Real Exorcist as the only major new films playing. (The films opened on May 29 and May 15, respectively.) Shinrei Kissa Extra no Himitsu: The Real Exorcist ranked #1 for the past three weekends, while Bloodshot opened at #5. The rest of the box office's top 10 are all older films.

Makoto Shinkai's Weathering With You film ranked #2 for a second weekend. The film opened in 359 theaters and 448 screens in Japan last July. It became the #7 highest-earning domestic film of all time in Japan and was the highest-grossing film in Japan in 2019.

The film centers on a runaway high school boy named Hodoka. He ends up working at an occult magazine in Tokyo to support himself. One day, Hodoka meets a girl who can control the weather, and they start a new business together.

The film debuted in North America on January 15 and ranked at #2 at the box office in North America in its first two days. The film had earned an estimated total of US$6,552,876 in North America as of January 26.

Shinkai's your name. anime film dropped from #7 to #8. The original film opened in Japan in August 2016, and has become the fourth highest-grossing film of all time in Japan, the second highest-grossing Japanese film, and the second highest-grossing anime film.

The film centers on Tokyo high school boy Taki and high school girl Mitsuha, who lives in a rural town. They begin switching bodies with each other whenever they sleep. When they finally meet in person, they have to race against time and fate to save each other.

The film opened in 92 countries and territories, and earned box-office achievements in South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Taiwan, in addition to Japan. Funimation Films screened the film in North America.

Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi's Shin Godzilla film ranked dropped from #6 to #8. Shin Godzilla earned 8.2 billion yen (US$75.6 million) at the box office in Japan after opening in Japan in July 2016. Funimation screened the film in theaters in North America in October 2016.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe officially confirmed the lifting of the state of emergency nationwide on Monday.

Sources: Kōgyō Tsūshin, Eiga.com