3rd Live-Action Kingdom Film Stays at #1, The Boy and the Heron Back at #3 – News

Kingdom: Unmei no Honō (Flames of Destiny), the third live-action film based on Yasuhisa Hara‘s Kingdom manga, stayed at #1 in the Japanese box office in its third weekend. The film sold 401,400 tickets to earn 601,578,930 yen (about US$4.13 million) from Friday to Sunday. The film has sold a total of 2.272 million tickets to earn a cumulative total of 3,282,464,270 yen (about US$22.58 million).

The film opened in Japan on July 28 and sold 703,530 tickets to earn 1,050,708,610 yen (about US$7.39 million) in its first three days. 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.

Hayao Miyazaki‘s latest feature film The Boy and the Heron (Kimi-tachi wa Dō Ikiru ka, or literally How Do You Live?) rose from #4 to #3 at the Japanese box office in its fifth weekend. The film sold 288,900 tickets and earned 444,294,400 yen (about US$3.05 million) from Friday to Sunday. The film has sold a total of 4,125,000 tickets for a cumulative total of 6,235,444,700 yen (about US$42.88 million).

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).

Shin Jigen! Crayon Shin-chan The Movie Chōnōryoku Dai Kessen: Tobetobe Temakizushi (New Dimension! Crayon Shin-chan the Movie Super-Powered Climactic Battle: Soaring Hand-Rolled Sushi), the Crayon Shin-chan franchise‘s first 3DCG anime film, dropped from #2 to #4 in its second weekend. The film 354,089,770 yen (about US$2.43 million) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 1,092,463,300 yen (about US$7.51 million).

The film opened on August 4, and ranked at #2 in its opening weekend. The film sold 322,000 tickets in its first three days, and earned 401 million yen (about US$2.8 million).

The film’s story shows kindergartener Shinnosuke gaining telekinetic superpowers after a white light from space passes through Earth. A counterpart black light gives a man named Mitsuru Hiriya psychic powers of his own, which he uses to try and destroy the Earth. While Japan is gripped by fear, Shinnosuke stands up as its new hero.

The film is the 31st in the Crayon Shin-chan franchise, and it took seven years to make from the planning stages. Hitoshi Ōne (Fireworks, Should We See it from the Side or the Bottom? screenplay; director for live-action Akihabara @ DEEP, Bakuman. adaptations) both directed the film and wrote the screenplay. Shirogumi Inc. animated the film.

Transformers: Beast Kakusei (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), the first film in a planned trilogy for Paramount Pictures‘ live-action Transformers franchise, stayed at #6 in its second weekend. The film earned 220,433,250 yen (about US$1.51 million) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 769,851,410 yen (about US$5.29 million).

The film opened on August 4, and ranked #6 in its opening weekend.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts opened in North America on June 9, delayed almost one year from its original June 24, 2022 release date. It earned an estimated US$60.5 million in 3,678 theaters in its opening weekend in the United States

.Steven Caple Jr. directed the film, which stars Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback. Michelle Yeoh, Pete Davidson, Peter Cullen, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Liza Koshy, John DiMaggio, David Sobolov, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Cristo Fernández, and Tobe Nwigwe all voice characters in the film. Joby Harold, Darnell Metayer, Josh Peters, Erich Hoeber, and Jon Hoeber wrote the screenplay.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie dropped from #8 to #10 in its 16th weekend at the Japanese box office. The film earned 84,329,700 yen (about US$579,700) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 13,683,418,850 yen (about US$94.06 million).

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.

Gekijо̄ban IDOLiSH7 LIVE 4bit BEYOND THE PERiOD, the theatrical anime concert for the IDOLiSH7 multimedia franchise, dropped off the top 10 in its 13th weekend, but still earned 74,237,240 yen (about US$510,300) from Friday to Sunday. The film has earned a cumulative total of 2,371,481,821 yen (about US$16.30 million).

Tokubetsuhen Hibike! Euphonium: Ensemble Contest, Kyoto Animation‘s theatrical anime of the “Ensemble Concert” arc of its Sound! Euphonium anime, dropped off the top 10 in its second weekend, but still earned 64,569,000 yen (about US$443,800) from Friday to Sunday. The film has earned a cumulative total of 234,621,560 yen (about US$1.61 million).

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 dropped off the top 10 in its third weekend, but still earned 58,101,810 yen (about US$399,300) from Friday to Sunday. The film has earned a cumulative total of 398,510,500 yen (about US$2.73 million).

Sources: Kōgyō Tsūshin (link 2), comScore via KOFIC