I know I posted the upcoming release schedule yesterday, but there were a few additions and changes today!

Changes: Terminator: Genisys moves up one day to 07/10 (Fri.); Jurassic World moves up three days to 08/05 (Wed.); Yo-Kai Watch 2 is set for 12/19; Nobunaga Concerto is delayed to Spring 2016.

So here's the new schedule, including the updates to the November/December schedule. There are still several films without a date for this frame, though. Mid/Late November is quite empty, so one or two notable films should fill those dates in the coming weeks/months.

2015 Key Release Schedule (Notable/Major Releases)

Summer Vacation/Obon Week Releases (July/August):
07/03 - Haikyu!! The Movie: Ending and Beginning (Toho Video Division)
07/04 - Avengers: Age of Ultron (Disney)
07/10 - Terminator: Genisys (Paramount)
07/11 - The Boy and the Beast (Toho)
07/11 - Tag (Shochiku/Asmik Ace)
Summer Vacation (07/18-08/30)
07/18 - Hero 2 (Toho)
07/18 - Inside Out (Disney)
07/18 - Pokemon XY: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages (Toho)
07/31 - Minions (Toho-Towa)
08/01 - Attack on Titan - Part 1 (Toho)
08/05 - Jurassic World (Toho-Towa)
08/07 - Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (Paramount)
08/07 - Boruto: The Movie (Toho)
08/08 - Japan's Longest Day (Shochiku)
08/08 - Kamen Rider Drive The Movie: Surprise Drive (Toei)
Obon Festival (08/08-16)
08/28 - Ted 2 (Toho-Towa)

Winter Break/New Year Releases (November/December):
11/07 - Mozu (Toho)
11/07 - Grasshopper (Shochiku/Kadokawa)
12/04 - 007: Spectre (Sony)
12/04 - Peanuts (Fox)
12/05 - Persona Non Grata (Toho)
12/05 - Free! Starting Days (Shochiku)
12/12 - Living With My Mother (Shochiku)
12/18 - Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (Disney)
12/19 - Yo-Kai Watch 2: Great King Enma and the 5 Stories, Nyan! (Toho)
Fall/Winter - Evangelion 4.0: Final (T-Joy)
Winter Break/New Year (12/28-01/04)

Director Mamoru Hosoda (second from left), joined by the film's cast members, held a press conference in Tokyo yesterday in celebration of the completion of his upcoming film The Boy and the Beast.

And the film's preliminary screen count was also released; debuting on 458 screens nationwide on July 11th. This makes it the 7th widest domestic release in history, and the 4th widest for an animated feature.

Mamoru Hosoda's previous three award-winning feature films will be broadcast on NTV leading up to the theatrical release of The Boy and the Beast.

Mamoru Hosoda and his recently founded studio, Studio Chuzu, are looked upon by Japanese industry leaders and audiences alike as the successors to Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. The Boy and the Beast is also scheduled for release in 36 other countries, and will receive an Oscar qualifying run in the US later this year.

SOURCE

Highest Screen Counts (Domestic Releases)

653 - Dragon Ball Z: Revival of F (2015)*
481 - Ponyo (2008)
475 - Hero (2007)
473 - Always: Sunset on Third Street '64 (2011)
467 - Umizaru: The Last Message (2010)
461 - When Marnie Was There (2014)
458 - The Boy and the Beast (2015)
456 - The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
454 - The Wind Rises (2013)
452 - Bayside Shakedown: The Final (2012)
450 - Umizaru: Brave Hearts (2012)

*3D and IMAX 3D screens included (first film released in this format).

Mamoru Hosoda's Box-Office History:

Gross ¥ ($) / Admissions [Screens], % change over last film, Film (Year)
¥260 million ($2.3 million) / 200,000 [6], The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)
¥1.65 billion ($17.9 million) / 1.41 million [127], +634%, Summer Wars (2009)
¥4.22 billion ($53.9 million) / 3.42 million [329], +256%, Wolf Children (2012)
¥?.?? billion ($ ) / ?.?? million [458], +???%, The Boy and the Beast (2015)

Mamoru Hosoda's films have been performed quite similarly (% increases) to the early films from Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli: My Neighbor Totoro < Kiki's Delivery Service (+447%) < Porco Rosso (+210%) < Princess Mononoke (+434%). Let's see if The Boy and the Beast is to Hosoda what Princess Mononoke was to Hayao Miyazaki.

Japanese News and Discussion [Week 2]

>Tokyo Is The World's 'Most Livable City'.
For its annual "Quality of Life" survey, global affairs magazine Monocle typically evaluates cities based on four main factors: availability of international flight routes, cycling commutes, good lunch spots and public libraries. (Traveling, exercising, eating well and reading a lot? Sounds to us like a recipe for thriving!) This year, however, the magazine added 22 new metrics, including cost of living and the price of a cup of coffee. That led to some major changes, including a new city at the number one spot: Tokyo, Japan.

"It manages to do something no other global metropolis can: provide a great quality of life for those who live there and also visit. From culture to security, food to courtesy, it has everything covered," Monocle says of Tokyo. "London and New York, take note."

>'One Piece' enters Guinness World Records as most printed manga.
One of the biggest manga hits of the past 15 years is most certainly “One Piece.” You can talk about ninjas or titans, but the perennial favorite for top manga has been about those pirates of the Grand Line. Of the many treasures they have encountered during their journey, they have now uncovered something that is truly one of a kind, a Guinness World Record.

The official “One Piece” website was happy to announce that author Eiichiro Oda and the manga “One Piece” are going in the record books as the comic book with the most issues published by a single author.

Back in 1997, Shonen Jump published a brand new manga about a stretchy boy and his quest to become the “King of Pirates”. As of December 2014, “One Piece” can firmly plant its flag as the “King of Comics”. On June 15, a ceremony was held in Tokyo to celebrate the record.

Between August 1997 and December 2014, “One Piece” has been printed 320,866,000 times worldwide in over 30 countries. That number was officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as “the comic book with the most issues published by a single author.”

>New Chinese islands don't settle sea disputes: Japan
Japan warned China on Wednesday that its extensive land reclamation in the disputed South China Sea does not make ownership “a done deal”, after Beijing announced it had almost finished its controversial island-building.

The rebuke came after Washington urged China against militarisation of the area, saying it risked escalating tensions, even as satellite pictures have shown a runway long enough to let even the biggest aircraft land. It also came as details emerged of a joint exercise between Japan and the Philippines, as the relationship blossoms between the two regional powers most prepared to push back against Beijing’s perceived rising aggression.

“We hold serious and significant concerns about the unilateral actions aimed at changing the status quo, which are bound to increase tension,” the Japanese government’s top spokesman Yoshihide Suga told reporters.

“With the completion of the reclamation, we must not accept the land reclamation as a done deal. We demand (China) not take unilateral actions that bring irreversible and physical changes,” he added.

Responding to the comments, Beijing countered that “it makes no sense” for Japan to press China on the issue.

“China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and we do not need to prove this by building facilities on the islands and reefs,” foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular press briefing, using the Chinese name for the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

Japan has long criticized China’s attempts to change the status quo unilaterally and by force, mindful of its own dispute with Beijing over islands in the East China Sea.

Sources: Japan Today / ANN

Top-Selling Blu-ray and DVDs in Japan (First-Half 2015)
[December 8th, 2014 through June 7th, 2015]

Movie/TV Entry
Music Entry

Top 20 DVDs
341,614 - Arashi - Blast in Hawaii (04/15/15)
201,003 - Kanjani Eight - Jussai (12/24/14)
199,390 - Kis-My-Ft2 - Kis-My-Journey Concert 2014 (02/04/2015)
189,768 - Kanjani Eight - Seki Janizumu 2014-2015 Tour (04/29/15)
151,161 - Exile Tribe - Perfect Year Live Tour 2014 - Tower of Wishes: The Revolution (03/04/15)
130,374 - Hey! Say! Jump! - Koro Sensation (03/18/15)
121,639 - Namie Amuro - Live Style 2014 (02/11/15)
94,155 - Hey! Say! Jump! - Jump Love Tour 2014 (02/18/15)
90,855 - SMAP - Mr. Saikou de Saikou no Concert Tour (12/10/14)
84,653 - Arashi - Pikanchi 2.5: Life is Hard Tabun Happy (02/25/15)
81,833 - KAT-TUN - Live Tour 2014 - Come Here (04/22/15)
79,031 - Stand By Me Doraemon (02/18/15)
67,424 - BIGBANG - Japan Dome Tour 2014-2015 (03/25/15)
63,079 - Takayuki Suzui, Oizumi Yo (01/14/15)
53,682 - Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno (12/17/14)
52,363 - Hot Road (02/18/15)
51,031 - Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (01/21/15)
49,956 - AAA - Arena Tour 2014 - Gold Symphony (02/25/15)
43,766 - J Soul Brothers - Live Tour 2014 - Blue Impact (06/25/14)
43,643 - Eight Ranger 2 (01/21/15)

Top 20 Blu-rays
290,168 - Arashi - Blast in Hawaii (04/15/15)
266,199 - Big Hero 6 (04/24/15)
124,636 - Frozen (07/16/14)
96,756 - Transformers: Age of Extinction (12/10/14)
96,456 - Arashi - Pikanchi 2.5: Life is Hard Tabun Happy (02/25/15)
93,598 - SMAP - Mr. Saikou de Saikou no Concert Tour (12/10/14)
70,194 - Love Live! Season 2 [Limited Edition] (12/25/14)
68,542 - Kanjani Eight - Jussai (12/24/14)
61,253 - Mobile Suit Gundam - The Origin I (04/24/15)
59,059 - Kanjani Eight - Seki Janizumu Live Tour 2014-2015 (04/29/15)
55,147 - Expelled from Paradise [Special Edition] (12/10/14)
54,716 - Maleficent (12/03/14)
49,474 - Kis-My-Ft2 - Kis-My-Journey Concert 2014 (02/04/15)
48,606 - Exile Tribe - Perfect Year Live Tour 2014 - Tower of Wishes: The Revolution (03/04/15)
44,496 - Namie Amuro - Live Style 2014 (02/11/15)
42,555 - Bump of Chicken - Willpolis 2014 (02/04/15)
39,789 - Interstellar (04/08/15)
37,829 - Fate/Stay Night [Unlimited Blade Works] Box Set 1 (03/25/15)
35,130 - Perfume 5th Tour - Gurungurun (03/10/15)
34,624 - Guardians of the Galaxy (01/21/15)

That's a great hold for Love Live.

Yeah. You'd think that a film that's so driven by a fanbase that it would fade fairly quickly, but that's apparently not the case with this one.

Love Live! has kind of become the premier late-night idol otaku anime, with single/album sales, merchandise sales, and possibly box office results now overtaking the highs set by K-On! and Madoka Magica in previous years.

Their 12th single, 'Angelic Angel', featured in the movie will be released on July 1st and it'll be interesting to see how high first week sales are for that one:

Usual Locations - Weekend Admissions [43% of Market]

06/20-21
#Admissions (% change), [#theaters/#showings] - Film (Week of Release)
104,689 (-22%), [74/840] - Love Live! The School Idol Movie (Week 2)
80,475 (-), [148/1,749] - Mad Max: Fury Road (NEW)
52,326 (-33%), [140/1,376] - Sea Town Diary (Week 2)
39,490 (-42%), [143/1,093] - Tomorrowland (Week 3)
34,644 (-38%), [138/1,063] - Prophecy (Week 3)
27,021 (-), [76/826] - Ghost in the Shell: Evangelion (NEW)
21,982 (-), [112/1,065] - The Pearls of the Stone Man (NEW)
19,619 (-38%), [134/742] - Shinjuku Swan (Week 4)
17,665 (-), [42/463] - Ju-on: The Final (NEW)
14,891 (-26%), [128/421] - Biri Gal (Week 8)
14,316 (-42%), [137/437] - Cinderella (Week 9)
12,691 (-41%), [132/546] - Initiation Love (Week 5)
9,482 (-24%), [18/128] - Yowamushi Pedal: The Movie (Week 2)
5,190 (-), [67/602] - Yakuza Apocalypste: The Great War of the Underworld (NEW)
4,730 (-24%), [128/261] - Crayon Shin-chan: My Moving Story! Cactus Large Attack! (Week 10)
3,992 (-65%), [96/292] - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (Part 1) (Week 3)
3,495 (-28%), [133/270] - Detective Conan: Sunflowers of Inferno (Week 10)
3,039 (-59%), [115/183] - Mother's Trees (Week 4)
2,972 (-62%), [90/213] - The Maze Runner (Week 5)
2,752 (-), [19/142] - I'm 20 Again (NEW)
2,501 (-), [15/120] - Selma (NEW)
2,388 (-54%), [77/170] - Kakekomi (Week 6)
2,283 (-45%), [118/237] - Poison Berry in My Head (Week 7)

And... Sunday didn't really help determine which film will come in at #1 this weekend.

Based on the usual location's admissions above and using appropriate multipliers, Mad Max: Fury Road is probably the favorite, in admissions anyway, as it should have ~180,000-190,000 admissions for the weekend but Love Live! The School Idol Movie isn't far behind with ~170,000-180,000 admissions. And both films should have high avg. ticket prices, though the latter is likely to have the higher average judging by last weekend's very high avg. ticket price.

This is a situation when the other chains, mostly Aeon Cinemas, will decide the weekend's #1 film and where avg. ticket prices are crucial.

I'll post the Weekend Estimates soon.

Here are some more mid-year charts. The box office mid-year results is normally released around this time of year, too, so look for that possibly by the end of the month.

Top-Selling Albums (First-Half of 2015)
[December 8th, 2014 through June 7th, 2015]

2,000,000+ (Multi-Million)
1,000,000+ (Million)
820,470 (3x Platinum) - Planet Seven by J Soul Brothers from Exile [01/28/15]
780,591 (3x Platinum) - Koko ga Rhodes da, Koko de Tobe! by AKB48 [01/21/15]
750,000+ (Triple Platinum)
500,776 (2x Platinum) - Grapes by Southern All Stars [03/31/15]
500,000+ (Double Platinum)
460,154 (Platinum) - Tree by Sekai no Owari [01/14/15]
355,268 (Platinum) - Reflection by Mr. Children [06/04/15]
302,323 (Platinum) - Tōmei na Iro by Nogizaka46 [01/07/15]
287,308 (Platinum) - Epic Day by B'z [03/04/15]
269,522 (Platinum) - 19 - Road to Amazing World by Exile [03/25/15]
266,824 (Platinum) - With by TVXQ [12/17/14]
263,059 (Platinum) - E.G. Time by E-girls [01/01/15]
250,000+ (Platinum)
229,267 (Gold) - 35XXXV by One Ok Rock [02/11/15]
184,795 (Gold) - Tamashii Riku by Masaharu Fukuyama [04/08/15]
180,238 (Gold) - Fun! Fun! Fanfare! by Ikimono-gakari [12/24/14]
154,747 (Gold) - M album by Kinki Kids [12/10/14]
143,870 (Gold) - L by Acid Black Cherry [02/25/15]
139,314 (Gold) - The Journey of a Songwriter by Shogo Hamada [04/29/15]
127,899 (Gold) - White by NEWS [02/25/15]
115,806 (Gold) - Sexy Power 3 by Sexy Zone [03/11/15]
108,481 (Gold) - Vocalist 6 by Tokunaga Hideaki [01/21/15]
103,449 (Gold) - White by Superfly [05/27/15]
101,656 (Gold) - Furious 7 Original Soundtrack by Various Artists [04/08/15]
100,000 +(Gold)
97,312 - Muse's Best Album Best Live! Collection II by μ's [05/27/15]
93,470 - Paripipo by Johnny's WEST [04/22/15]
90,555 - 1989 by Taylor Swift [10/29/14]
89,133 - Flower Clock by Flower [03/04/15]

International Artist

Top-Selling Blu-ray and DVDs in Japan (First-Half of 2015)

This was mentioned on Deadline.

"Fox International Productions’ Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F, already a massive local hit in Japan at $30.9M"

Your source had the movie at $30.2 million, it'd probably be barely higher as of this weekend so do you know where the difference between figures is coming from?

$30.2 million was the last total before any more updates were available, but it has been playing since (I think it's been two weeks since then now?). It's still playing in 89 theaters as of this past weekend, it's just fallen well outside the Top 25 films.

It'll probably remain in theaters until either the July 11th or the July 18th weekend.

You will also run into fluctuating USD figures due to the daily exchange rate changes. What a film's total was last week in USD certainly isn't going to be the same the following week.

Oh yeah I see you had it at $30.4 million so it may have have been at $30.5 million by this weekend.

I ask because according to Rentrak it made $7 million this weekend and $37.9 million total. Deadline says it made $30.9 million so that would make sense.

What doesn't make sense is why the figure doesn't seem to be taking into account Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

So it's either made more than what Rentrak says or there's something else to it.

I'm not familiar with which days count as the weekend frame in the other markets, but often times when a film opens on Friday in Japan, Deadline/Variety will include the Friday gross, the 3-day total, as the "weekend gross", when it's not since Japan has 2-day weekends (just Saturday and Sunday).

I don't think Japan would be exclusive in this, so there could be some confusion regarding weekend earnings from the other markets, too?

If Mark Schilling is responsible for the Variety report, he'll usually note the difference or publish correct weekend earnings.

Anyway, the film didn't crack the Top 25 films at the usual locations this weekend in Japan, meaning it sold less than 2,000 tickets there (43% of the market). So best-case scenario would be about 4,000 overall admissions over the weekend, for a 10th weekend gross of ¥5.5 million ($45,000) or so. I don't know if that'll help you figure out where the $7 million is coming from or not.

Pg. Bump (2015 Charts ->)