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2020 Doraemon Anime Film Opens at #1

The Eiga Doraemon: Nobita no Shin Kyoryū (Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's New Dinosaur) anime film opened at #1 in 377 theaters in its first weekend. The film sold 630,000 tickets for 761 million yen (about US$7.13 million) from Friday to Monday. (Monday was a holiday in Japan.) The film sold 334,000 tickets for 413 million yen (about US$3.86 million) on Saturday and Sunday. The film opened in Japan on August 7, after being postponed from its original March 6 opening in order to curb the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The film's story begins with Nobita meeting two twin dinosaurs named Kyu and Myu. Despite the film's similarity in title to Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Dinosaur, the first film in the franchise, the story is completely different. The new film is the franchise's 40th, and it marks the 50th anniversary of the original manga.

Kazuaki Imai, an episode director on the Doraemon television anime, and the director of 2018's Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Treasure Island film, directed the 40th film. Genki Kawamura also returned from the 2018 film to pen the new film's script. Mr. Children performed the theme songs "Birthday" and "Kimi to Kasaneta Monologue" for the film. The film is the franchise's first to feature two theme songs, and it is also the first work for which Mr. Children have written two songs.

The live-action film of Hiroyuki Nishimori's gag comedy manga Kyou Kara Ore Wa!! dropped from #1 to #2 in its fourth weekend. The film sold 167,000 tickets and earned 218,379,150 yen (about US$2.04 million) from Friday to Sunday. It has sold 2.62 million tickets in total, and has earned a cumulative total of 3,209,066,200 yen (about US$30.06 million).

The film opened in Japan on July 17. The film sold 605,000 tickets and earned 787,588,600 yen (about US$7.34 million) to rank at #1 in its opening weekend. Audiences for the film were about 40% men and 60% women, with ages ranging from teenagers to senior citizens. The Eiga.com website projects that the film will earn about 5 billion yen (about US$46.64 million).

The film's cast members reprised their roles from the live-action series. Yūichi Fukuda (live-action Gintama, HK/Hentai Kamen, Super Salaryman Mr. Saenai) returned from the series to direct the film. The film also inspired a television special that premiered on the same day the film opened.

Fukuda directed the 10-episode live action series, which premiered on NTV's Nichiyō Drama time slot in October 2018. The new series marked the first live-action adaptation for the manga in about 21 years.

The live-action film of Kenji Inoue and Kimitake Yoshioka's Grand Blue Dreaming comedy manga opened at #4 in 337 theaters. The film earned 75,532,690 yen (about US$707,000) from Friday to Sunday and a cumulative total of 110,598,710 yen (about US$1.03 million).

The film opened in Japan on August 7. The film was originally scheduled to open on May 29, but concerns over the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) forced a delay.

The film stars Ryō Ryūsei (Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, Orange, left in image at right) as Iori Kitahara, a freshman college student who is aiming for his ideal college life, and Inukai (Kamen Rider Build, Natsuzora, right) as Kōhei Imamura, a fellow freshman who meets Iori through a bizarre circumstance.

Tsutomu Hanabusa (live-action 3D Kanojo Real Girl, Kakegurui, Asahinagu) directed the film with the production company "THEFOOL," and Warner Bros. Japan is distributing. sumika performed film's theme song "Zekkyō Serenade" (Shouting Serenade).

The Ultraman Taiga: New Generation Climax live-action tokusatsu film opened at #5 in 122 theaters in its opening weekend. The film opened in Japan on August 7. The film earned 36,528,000 yen (about US$342,000) from Friday to Sunday and a cumulative total of 53,608,800 yen (about US$502,000).

Three Studio Ghibli movies once again ranked in the Japanese box office top 10. Studio Ghibli and Toho launched a campaign to show the studio's movies in 396 theaters in Japan beginning on June 26. Princess Mononoke (15,067,100 yen or US$141,100, and 812,738,150 yen or US$7.61 million cumulative), Spirited Away (13,269,000 yen or US$124,300 for the weekend, and 818,152,150 yen or US$7.66 million cumulative in 2020), and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (11,284,600 yen or US$105,700 for the weekend, and 677,165,000 yen or US$6.34 million cumulative in 2020) ranked #7 to #9, respectively.

The Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight Rondo Rondo Rondo compilation film opened in 28 theaters and ranked at #11 in its opening weekend. It opened at #1 on the mini-theater ranking.

The live-action film of Junko's Kiss Him, Not Me (Watashi ga Motete Dōsunda) manga dropped out of the top 10 in its fifth weekend.

Sources: Kōgyō Tsūshin, Eiga.com, comScore via KOFIC