Home options led the Japan field workplace in 2024 with no live-action titles from outdoors the nation making the highest 10.
Within the yr since December 2023, eight of the Japan’s high 10 highest-grossing movies have been produced domestically, with solely two US options – Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4 – making the listing.
Considerably, no live-action options from outdoors the nation made the highest 10, an indication that Hollywood tentpoles are having problem penetrating Japan’s cinematic market.
Current years have seen titles similar to Mission: Unattainable – Lifeless Reckoning Half One (2023), High Gun: Maverick (2022), Quick & Livid 9 (2021) and Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2020) carry out strongly in Japan. However solely Wonka and Deadpool & Wolverine got here near cracking the highest 10 over the previous yr, taking $15.4m (¥2.37bn) and $13m (¥2bn) respectively – round half of the takings of the tenth ranked title.
Japan’s high movie of 2024 was animation Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Pentagram, which earned $102m (¥15.7bn). The twenty seventh entry in an annual movie franchise primarily based on a preferred detective manga, additionally it is that franchise’s highest-earning entry up to now, and Japan’s 14th-highest-grossing movie of all time.
In second place was Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, an animated sequel to a long-running manga and anime about highschool volleyball groups. The movie earned $74.9m (¥11.5bn), making it the one different movie to cross the ¥10bn mark this yr. By comparability, three movies topped ¥10bn in 2023 whereas 4 hit the milestone in 2022.
The best-earning live-action movie of the yr was Kingdom 4: Return Of The Nice Basic, the most recent within the China-set epic directed by Shinsuke Sato. Kingdom is an adaptation of a long-running manga of the identical title by Yasuhisa Hara, which has run for 73 volumes up to now. Kingdom 4 earned $52m (¥7.98bn), a report for the franchise. The fifth entry is known to be in manufacturing.
In fourth was Spy × Household Code: White, an animated function primarily based on a manga and anime collection a few household of undercover spies. Launched on December 22, 2023, the movie earned $41.2m (¥6.32bn).
Stay-action crime thriller Final Mile ranked fifth with takings of $38.3m (¥5.89bn). The movie featured characters from two TV dramas, Unnatural and MIU404, which aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS).
A breakdown of the yr in cinema, together with total admissions and field workplace figures for the yr, is about to be launched by Japan’s Movement Image Producers Affiliation (Eiren) in late January.
Japan field workplace (Dec 2023-Dec 2024)
1. Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Pentagram / $102m (¥15.7bn) / Toho
2. Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle / $74.9m (¥11.5bn) / Toho
3. Kingdom 4: Return Of The Nice Basic / $52m (¥7.98bn) / Toho, Sony Photos Ent
4. Spy × Household Code: White / $41.2m (¥6.32bn) / Toho (Dec 2023)
5. Final Mile / $38.3m (¥5.89bn) / Toho
6. Cell Swimsuit Gundam Seed Freedom / $34.5m (¥5.3bn) / Shochiku
7. Inside Out 2 / $34.3m (¥5.27bn) / Disney
8. A Unusual Home (aka The Flooring Plan) / $32.5m (¥5bn) / Toho
9. Despicable Me 4 / $29.5m (¥4.53bn) / Toho-Towa
10. Until We Meet Once more On The Lily Hill / $29.4m (¥4.52bn) / Shochiku (Dec 2023)
