If Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer remains in the Top 10 next week (good chance), its twelfth week of release, it'll join the list below for most-consecutive weeks in the Top 10 (12+ weekends). It'll also join Stand By Me, Doraemon on the list as only the second domestic animated franchise film on the list.

Most-Consecutive Weekends in the Top 10 [1997-]
40 - Titanic [Dec. 20-21 to Sept. 19-20] (1997-1998)
29 - Your Name. [Aug. 27-28 to Mar. 11-12] (2016-2017)
26 - Spirited Away [July 21-22 to Jan. 12-13] (2001-2002)
24 - Princess Mononoke [July 12-13 to Dec. 20-21] (1997)
21 - Howl's Moving Castle [Nov. 20-21 to Apr. 09-10] (2004-2005)
20 - Armageddon [Dec. 12-13 to Apr. 24-25] (1998-1999)
19 - Frozen [Mar. 15-16 to July 19-20] (2014)
18 - Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace [July 10-11 to Nov. 06-07] (1999)
18 - Bayside Shakedown [Oct. 31-Nov.1 to Feb. 27-28] (1998-1999)
16 - Avatar [Dec. 26-27 to Apr. 10-11] (2009-2010)
16 - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! [July 19-20 to Nov. 01-02] (2003)
16 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone [Dec. 01-02 to Mar. 16-17] (2001-2002)
16 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets [Nov. 23-24 to Mar. 08-09] (2002-2003)
15 - Crying Out Love in the Center of the World [May 08-09 to Aug. 14-15] (2004)
15 - Monsters Inc. [Mar. 02-03 to July 08-09] (2002)
15 - The Green Mile [Mar. 25-26 to July 01-02] (2000)
15 - Deep Impact [June 20-21 to Sept. 26-27] (1998)
14 - The Wind Rises [July 20-21 to Oct. 19-20] (2013)
14 - Ponyo [July 18-19 to Oct. 18-19] (2008)
14 - The Last Samurai [Dec. 06-07 to Mar. 06-07] (2003-2004)
14 - The Matrix [Sept. 11-12 to Dec. 11-12] (1999)
13 - Big Hero 6 [Dec. 20-21 to Mar. 14-15] (2014-2015)
13 - The Eternal Zero [Dec. 21-22 to Mar. 15-16] (2013-2014)
13 - Les Miserables [Dec. 22-23 to Mar. 16-17] (2012-2013)
13 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King [Feb. 14-15 to May 08-09] (2004)
13 - Finding Nemo [Dec. 06-07 to Feb. 28-29] (2003-2004)
13 - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers [Feb. 22-23 to May 17-18] (2003)
13 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring [Mar. 02-03 to May 25-26] (2002)
13 - Mission: Impossible II [July 08-09 to Sept. 30-Oct. 01] (2000)
12 - Beauty and the Beast [Apr. 22-23 to July 08-09] (2017)
12 - Zootopia [Apr. 23-24 to July 07-08] (2016)
12 - Star Wars: The Force Awakens [Dec. 19-20 to Mar. 05-06] (2015-2016)
12 - Stand By Me, Doraemon [Aug. 09-10 to Oct. 25-26] (2014)
12 - Alice in Wonderland [Apr. 17-18 to July 03-04] (2010)
12 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban [June 26-27 to Sept. 11-12] (2004)
12 - Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones [July 13-14 to Sept. 28-29] (2002)
12 - Saving Private Ryan [Sept. 26-27 to Dec. 12-13] (1998)
12+

Most Overall Weekends in the Top 10 [1997-]
40 - Titanic (1997)
32 - Spirited Away (2001)
29 - Your Name. (2016)
24 - Princess Mononoke (1997)
21 - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
20 - Armageddon (1998)
19 - Frozen (2014)
18 - Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
18 - Bayside Shakedown (1998)
16 - Avatar (2009)
16 - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! (2003)
16 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
16 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
15 - In This Corner of the World (2016)
15 - Crying Out Love in the Center of the World (2004)
15 - Monsters Inc. (2002)
15 - The Green Mile (2000)
15 - Deep Impact (1998)
14 - The Eternal Zero (2013)
14 - The Wind Rises (2013)
14 - Ponyo (2008)
14 - The Last Samurai (2003)
14 - The Matrix (1999)
13 - Big Hero 6 [(2014)
13 - Les Miserables (2012)
13 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2004)
13 - Finding Nemo (2003)
13 - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2003)
13 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2002)
13 - Mission: Impossible II (2000)
12 - Beauty and the Beast (2017)
12 - Zootopia (2016)
12 - Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
12 - Stand By Me, Doraemon (2014)
12 - Alice in Wonderland (2010)
12 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
12 - Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
12 - Saving Private Ryan (1998)
12+

I like this poster. It's nothing special in terms of creativity, but it's fun and doesn't take itself seriously. I get a more fun vibe from it than the US ones.

Jesus, Titanic...

In general, Japanese posters do tend to be more vibrant.



I know! I was really excited to have finally included it (along with Princess Mononoke) on those charts today. Weekend data on a week-to-week basis is still limited before 1998, but I found weekend data from mid-1998 and was able to backtrack to its opening weekend to get its number of weekends in the Top 10.

I really wish Titanic's opening weekend was available, but I don't think it'll ever be known. Considering how long it was in the Top 10 compared to what it grossed, its multiplier (another chart I've been wanting to add it to) is no doubt ridiculous (I would guess over 40, possibly even 50) and easily #1.

I don't know what its OW was but in the meantime you can add it at #1 on your list of "Number of weekends at #1".



https://variety.com/1998/film/news/tita ... 117471046/

I would like to make two observations about what I noticed about the Japanese Box Office this year and how it differs from other Asian countries:

1. It is the only place while like the rest of Asia where Infinity War opened number in gross it did not gross massive business like most other Asian countries did. It is also the only place in Asia where Infinity War did not open number one in admissions.

2. While Solo has not opened yet It seems it probably will open number one at the Japanese Box Office which will make it the only place in Asia where it opens number 1 since all the other Asian countries it did not open number one and bombed pretty hard especially places like China, South Korea, and India.

Your second point is less an observation, more a prediction. But why do you think it will open at #1 in Japan? And Corpse, do you agree with that?

domestic animated franchise film?

It'll very likely open at #1 next weekend. Disney has made the first weekend of July (a bit early this year since July 1st falls on a Sunday) one of their annual weekends to release a tentpole on, and Solo: A Star Wars Story was their choice this year.

That said, I don't expect it to perform very well, but it'll probably post reasonable numbers relative to most other countries. The Star Wars franchise already experienced the major drop-off with the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in Japan, with it only grossing about 50% of the main series films (audiences treated it as a spin-off, not a main film), so the decline for Solo won't appear as severe.

Yes.

I have plans this evening, so no Weekend Estimates post today. However, estimates are slightly better than the forecast (above) across the board, with Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer holding much better and possibly falling under 10% in its eleventh weekend.

Both debuts in the Top 10 should be reasonably close to the forecast above, as well.

I wonder if you have data on what the longest has been without a foreign movie at #1. Like, obviously in the 1950s or something, but I'm talking modern day. Say....in the last 20 years.

I, surprisingly, don't have a chart of that yet, but I have mentioned the subject before after prolonged months of it happening.

I wil make a list, though, going back to 1998.

Are you classifying a "foreign movie" as just that, a non-Japanese film; or a non-Hollywood film? Because there have been #1 foreign films from China and France in Japan in the past 20 years as well.

I'm about to post my list that includes all 10+ consecutive weeks without a foreign film at #1, but if you're counting a Chinese film, then I have one more I need to add.

Most-Consecutive Weekends Without a Foreign Film at #1 (1998-):

22 Weeks - Sept. 28-29 to Feb. 22-23 (2013-2014)
19 Weeks - July 21-22 to Nov. 24-25 (2001)
15 Weeks - Sept. 01-02 to Dec. 08-09 (2007)
13 Weeks - Aug. 27-28 to Nov. 26-27 (2016)
13 Weeks - Aug. 02-03 to Oct. 25-26 (2014)
11 Weeks - Sept. 19-20 to Nov. 28-29 (2015)
11 Weeks - Mar. 03-04 to May 12-13 (2012)
11 Weeks - Feb. 28-Mar. 01 to May 09-10 (2009)
11 Weeks - Mar. 08-09 to May 17-18 (2008)
11 Weeks - Nov. 06-07 to Jan. 15-16 (2004-2005)
10 Weeks - Feb. 02-03 to Apr. 30-May 01 (2016)
10 Weeks - Mar. 05-06 to May 07-08 (2011)

Notes:
*Despicable Me 2 broke a would-be-record 32-Week period from 2013-2014 (the 22-Week period seen above).
*Fast Five broke a would-be 16-Week period in mid/late-2011.
*The last 24 Weeks of 2012 had 21 Japanese Films at #1 (The Avengers, The Expendables 2, and Skyfall managed to break any 10+ Week periods).

Yeah, I'd say "foreign movie" refers to any foreign import, so any non-Japanese film. That's what I was thinking when I wrote it anyway.

Thanks for posting!

Man this weekend Solo finally opens in Japan it's final market and seeing how it performs their especially after its poor performance in many countries. Corpse I know you are quite busy but how are pre-sales doing in comparison to other movies in the franchise from recent years especially Rogue One?

Wow, for Japan, that is a lame poster.

It's also a lame film, so at least it's coherent.

Corpse, is a total around Dory achievable for I2? I'm afraid Pixar fatigue + Superheroes will limit its potential and keep it under Coco.

Solo: A Star Wars Story obviously pales in comparison to Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and while it's early, I see no signs of it matching Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, either. Remember that in Japan, Rogue One only did roughly half the business of a typical Star Wars film.

I can provide proper advance ticket sale figures versus all three films tomorrow.

It's going to be tough to predict Solo's opening weekend, however, because Sunday is July 1st, and the 1st of each month is a national discount day. It's likely to be pretty backloaded over the weekend as a result, despite being a borderline fan-driven film. I don't believe we'll really get a good idea of what its debut will be until Sunday is well underway.

In short -- I think it's going to do decently, especially when compared to its performance in other markets. It "only" needs a bit over ¥2.5 billion (~¥2.7 billion) to reach $25 million, making Japan its biggest overseas market. That'd be a whopping 45% drop versus Rogue One which already dropped about 50% versus the main series films (we're talking a ~70% decline versus the main films), so even if it experiences these major drop-offs, it will still do "fine" (relatively speaking).

I'm confident that Incredibles 2 will do very well. I'm anticipating a gross comfortably over ¥5 billion ($50 million), and expect it to gross around ¥7 billion ($65 million). It has the strong international box-office and reviews to solidify interest before it reaches Japan, and in general, Japanese audiences are loyal to a Pixar film if it receives critical and audiences praise. The release date is also excellent (middle of Summer, and just over a week before Obon Festival).

And unlike Finding Dory and Monsters University, it's not following a predecessor that was hugely-successful at the box-office (Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc. remain their top 2 films in admissions in Japan), so there's room for an increase/growth over the original film.

Interestingly, Incredibles 2 opens the same weekend as My Hero Academia the Movie: The Two Heroes, another animated superhero film. This is going to be an interesting battle on opening weekend because the first 1 million attendees of the My Hero Academia movie will receive an original manga (Volume 0) by the creator that will really boost its initial admissions.