Box office takings in
The prior year had recorded four $100mmovies and it is only the volume of product and the glut of films thatperformed well but shy of blockbuster levels that staved off a double-digitdecline. As in the
The cautious, tentative view in film-makingmay also account for the abrupt decline in new cinema construction.
Toho once again emerged as the topdistributor, nearly doubling the market share of its closest rival. It andother long-standing local companies are virtually reliant on indigenousproduct. However, the dominance of Japanese and American movies saw theincursion of a Korean film (A Moment toRemember) among the year's top 20 grossers andother films from that country finding strong commercial acceptance. Alsosignificant was the ascendance of Gaga over such stalwarts as Shochiku and Toeiwith a mixed slate of mainstream and specialized movies both local and foreign.It's a model that's likely to inform the future of the Japanese marketplace.
Title Distrib Gross US$
Star Wars: Epi
the Sith Fox 82,698,529
Harry Potter and the Gobletof Fire WB 70,275,614
War of the Worlds UIP 53,877,295
Howl's Moving Castle * Toho 50,217,663
Charlie and the ChocolateFactory WB 47,439,665
The Phantom of the Opera Gaga 38,382,380
Pokemon 2005 Toho 36,924,081
Negotiator Toho 36,243,850
Ocean's Twelve WB 35,142,667
Nana Toho 34,829,772
Suspect MuroiShinji Toho 33,587,031
Densha Otoko Toho 32,960,335
Mr. AndMrs. Smith Towa 27,223,080
A Moment to Remember Gaga 25,149,153
Year One in the
April Snow UIP 22,594,178
Always - Sunset on
Shall We Dance' Gaga 22,062,355
Lorelei Toho 21,842,619
* does not include 2004 revenues
Distributor MarketShare
Toho 25%
Warner Bros. 12.70%
UIP 8.70%
Fox 7.80%
Gaga 7.60%
Shochiku 6%
Toei 5.70%
Asmik Ace 3.20%
Columbia/TriStar 2.60%
Other * 16.30%
* none greater than 2%
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