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3rd Live-Action Kingdom Film Opens at #1, Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron Drops to #3
posted on by Adriana Hazra
The film now has the best opening weekend among all three Kingdom films, and now also has the best opening (in terms of ticket sales) among live-action films in Japan in 2023.
The film covers the manga's Shi Ka (Zi Xia) arc and the Battle of Bayou — the first time Shin (Xin) and Ō Ki (Wang Qi) stood on the battlefield together, to fend off the invasion by the mighty Chō (Zhao) from the north. Anne (Anne Watanabe) joined the cast as the pivotal character Shi Ka (Zi Xia). Other new cast members include Kataoka Ainosuke VI as Fuu Ki (Feng Ji), Kōji Yamamoto as Chō Sō (Zhao Zhuang), Yuki Yamada as Man Goku (Wan Ji), Eri Murakawa as You Li (Yū Ri), and Hinako Sakurai as Dong Mei (Tō Bi).
Kento Yamazaki, Ryō Yoshizawa, Takao Osawa, and Kanna Hashimoto all reprised their respective characters Shin (Xin), Ei Sei (Yin Zheng), Ō Ki (Wang Qi), and Ka Ryō Ten (He Liao Diao), respectively, from the two previous films. Nana Seino, Hiroshi Tamaki, and Kōichi Satō from the second film also reprised their respective characters Kyо̄ Kai, Sho Hei Kun (Lord Changping), and Ryo Fui (Lu Buwei).
Shinsuke Satō (live-action Gantz, Death Note Light up the NEW world, Bleach) returned as director. Hara and Tsutomu Kuroiwa (One Piece Film Gold, live-action Black Butler, GANTZ:O) returned to write the script.
The film sold 1.003 million tickets and earned about US$13.2 million in its first three days in Japan. The film sold 1.353 million tickets and earned 2.149 billion yen (about US$15.53 million) in its Friday-Monday long weekend (July 17 was the Marine Day holiday in Japan).
The film opened simultaneously on IMAX with its general release in Japan on July 14. The film earned more than Miyazaki's celebrated Academy Award-winning 2001 film Spirited Away in its first four days, and earned 50% more than his 2013 film The Wind Rises. The film exceeded US$1.7 million from 44 IMAX screens, which is a new three-day opening record, according to entertainment news website Deadline.
The film is the first Studio Ghibli film to get a simultaneous IMAX release. The film is also screening in Dolby Atmos, Dolby Cinema, and DTS:X.
GKIDS licensed the film, and it will release it in North American theaters later this year.
Miyazaki is credited with the original work, in addition to directing the film and writing the script. Takeshi Honda (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, Rebuild of Evangelion films) is the animation director. Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro) composed the music. Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki is the producer. Kenshi Yonezu (Chainsaw Man, My Hero Academia, March comes in like a lion) performs the theme song "Chikyūgi" (Globe).
The Eiga Kamen Rider Geats: 4-nin no Ace to Kurogitsune / Eiga Ōsama Sentai King-Ohger: Adventure Heaven double-feature tokusatsu film screenings for the Kamen Rider and the Super Sentai series opened at #4 on Friday. The films sold 154,800 tickets and earned 208,379,110 yen (about US$1.45 million) from Friday to Sunday.
The film sold 1.276 million tickets and earned 1.843 billion yen (about US$13.54 million) in its first three days in Japan.
The film is now the #3 all-time highest-earning animated film worldwide if Disney's 2019 CG film The Lion King is counted as animated, or #2 if not.
The film opened in the U.S. and in over 60 markets worldwide on April 5.
The film has been the highest-grossing film of 2023 worldwide. The film is also the highest-earning video game adaptation in history.
The film opened at #1 on on June 30. It earned 605,494,180 yen (about US$4.19 million) in its first three days and sold 469,600 tickets.
The first sequel film Chi no Halloween -Unmei- (Bloody Halloween -Fate-) opened on April 21.
Takumi Kitamura returns to play Takemichi Hanagaki in the sequel films. Other returning cast members include Ryo Yoshizawa as Mikey and Yuki Yamada as Draken. Director Tsutomu Hanabusa and producer Shota Okada also return. Kento Nagayama joins the cast as Keisuke Baji, while Nijirō Murakami also joins as Kazutora Hanemiya, and Mahiro Takasugi joins as Chifuyu Matsuno. Taketo Tanaka plays Chome. Super Beaver performs the theme song "Gradation" for the first film, while the band also performs the theme song "Hakanakunai" (Not Merely Fleeting) for the second film.
The first live-action Tokyo Revengers film opened in Japan in July 2021 and was the #1 live-action film in Japan in 2021. Crunchyroll is streaming the film worldwide excluding Asia, Spain, and Latin America.
The concert opened in Japan on May 20 and earned 220 million yen (about US$1.58 million) in its opening weekend. The 16 cast members of the IDOLiSH7, TRIGGER, Re: vale, and ŹOOĻ units reprised their roles from the anime series and games.
Hiroshi Nishikiori (Argonavis from BanG Dream!) and Kensuke Yamamoto (Trigun Stampede VFX art director) directed the anime at Orange. IDOLiSH7 creator Bunta Tsushimi wrote the screenplay. Arina Tanemura (IDOLiSH7, Full Moon O Sagashite) is credited for the original character design. Hitomi Miyazaki designed the characters. Eiji Inomoto (Trigun Stampede) was the CG chief director.
The Quintessential Quintuplets ∽ (Gotōbun no Hanayome∽), the new anime special in The Quintessential Quintuplets franchise, dropped off the top 10 in its third weekend, but still earned 30,846,220 yen (about US$216,200) from Friday to Sunday. The film has earned a cumulative total of 379,372,380 yen (about US$2.65 million).
The First Slam Dunk, the new anime film of Takehiko Inoue's Slam Dunk basketball manga, dropped off the top 10 in its 35th weekend, but still earned 37,075,720 yen (about US$259,700) from Friday to Sunday. The film has earned a cumulative total of 14,973,409,610 yen (about US$104 million).
Sources: Kōgyō Tsūshin (link 2), comScore via KOFIC
