Frozen opens in Japan at the top of the box-office chart with the biggest-ever weekend debut for an animated Disney movie in that market.
TOKYO – Frozen opened in Japan at the top of the box-office chart this weekend with a $9.6 million three-day take from 792,636 admissions, THR reports, the biggest-ever weekend debut for an animated Disney movie in that market.
Warner Bros. release The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, which took in just over $3 million at the beginning of the month when it became the first imported film to top the box office this year.
Released locally as Anna to Yuki no Jou (Anna and the Snow Queen) in a 3D subtitled version and 2D dubbed edition, Disney hasn't compiled a breakdown of figures for the two prints yet. The Japanese-language version, featuring Takako Matsu (Confessions) as the voice of Elsa and singer of a do-over of the Oscar-winning Let It Go, has been widely praised.
The latest Doraemon anime film, the most watched series in Japanese cinematic history, dropped to second place after a $5.9 million opening last weekend. The Pretty Cure All Stars New Stage 3: Eternal Friends, another anime series title, took the third spot on its debut.
Animated films dominated the box office in Japan last year, with Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises topping the 2013 chart and Disney's Monsters University in second place.
RoboCop opened in the fourth spot in Japan this weekend with $1.4 million from just over 300 screens.
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
