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Miyazaki's Ponyo Slips to #13 with US$2 Million
posted on by Egan Loo
The Box Office Mojo website reports that Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's Ponyo anime film has earned an estimated US$1,958,000 during the August 28-29 weekend. In its third weekend in American theaters, Ponyo slips from #12 to #13 at the box office as it faces three new films. With 880 theaters (47 less than last weekend), Ponyo has an estimated per-screen average of US$2,225. Ticket sales has dropped 19.3% from the second weekend.
With a current estimated total of US$11,103,000, Ponyo is now the 5th highest grossing theatrical anime release in the United States and has moved ahead of #6's Spirited Away (US$10,055,859) and #7's Digimon: The Movie (US$9,631,153). The only anime films with higher American box office totals are the first three Pokémon movies and Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Movie. After their third full weekend of release, Princess Mononoke (1999) had earned US$963,310 on 47 theaters, Spirited Away (2002) had earned US$1,855,297 on 97 theaters, and Howl's Moving Castle (2005) had earned US$2,515,068 on 202 theaters. Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli were also responsible for Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl's Moving Castle.
Ponyo's story follows an ordinary boy named Sosuke (Frankie Jonas in the English dub) and his friendship with Ponyo (Noah Cyrus), an unusual goldfish from the seas. The other English-language castmembers include Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Cloris Leachman, Liam Neeson, Lily Tomlin, and Betty White. The Yahoo! Movies and Apple websites have been streaming the trailers.
David R. Ellis' The Final Destination topped two other new films (Halloween II, Taking Woodstock) as the new #1 movie with an estimated US$28,335,000.
Image © 2008 Nibariki, GNDHDDT
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follow-up of Miyazaki's Ponyo Drops to #12 with US$2.4 Million (Updated)
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