The third feature film in the Bayside Shakedown series opened strongly at the top of the Japanese box office this weekend, with the potential to cross the $100m threshold.
Distributor Toho opened Bayside Shakedown 3: Set The Guys Loose! on 447 screens, earning $11.05m (Y972m) on 707,399 admissions for a strong per screen average of $24,724, the highest of the year for a major release.
Toho has stated the film is on track to reach 10 billion yen ($113.7m), though weekday admissions and repeat customers will be key in a summer string of big releases.
If it does reach the threshold, it would be the first local live-action release to do so since the second Bayside film in 2003.
Bayside Shakedown 2 remains the territory’s domestic live-action box office champion at $197.28m (Y17.35b). The original 1998 film earned 114.84m (Y10.1b). Based on a 1997 Fuji TV series, the franchise has also spawned a game.
Once again directed by Katsuyuki Motohiro, part three sees series protagonist Aoshima (Yuji Oda), now promoted to chief detective in the major crimes unit, battling to foil a group of criminals who take his colleagues hostage at their old police station. Crows star Shun Oguri joins the cast of regulars.
Dark drama Confessions ($31.6m), also distributed by Toho, moved into the second position after four weeks at the top of the chart, followed by newcomer The Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec, directed by Luc Besson; Iron Man 2 and Sex And The City 2.
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