Isao Yukisada's mega-hitromantic drama Crying Out For Love In The Center Of The World recordedits five millionth admission in Japan on June 30, its 54th day of release,while its box office totalled $62.3m (Y6.73bn).

After seven weeks in thetheatres, Crying Out For Love was still ranked number two on the KogyoTsushin nine-major-cities chart.

Distributor Toho expects itto definitely pass the Y8.0bn ($74m) mark, with Y10.0bn ($92.6m) notimpossibility.

US studios are showinginterest in a possible remake. On June 28 Toho held a special screening forrepresentatives of Hollywood studios and production houses, including 20thCentury Fox and Warner Brothers. Since then the company has received severalremake offers.

Meanwhile, a Korean remakehas already been decided. The director will be Yun Seok-ho, who helmed WinterSonata -- a 2002 TV drama that has become a sensation in Japan.

The Kyoichi Katayama novelon which the film is based has sold 3.16 million copies, while the CD of thefilm's theme song, sung by Ken Hirai, has sold 700,000 -- both huge numbers forJapan.

Also, on July 2 the TBSnetwork will begin broadcasting a drama series based on the film -- a reversalof the usual hit-TV-drama-to-film order.

Crying Out For Love stars Takao Osawa and Ko Shibasaki as a couple whodecided to break off their engagement. Prompted by memories from an oldcassette tape, Shibaski's character leaves for the small seaside town when theyboth grew up. Osawa's soon follows after, while remembering his youth -- and agirl he desperately loved until her untimely death. Moving back between thepresent and the past, the film describes how he finally comes to terms withthat death -- and the man he has become.

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