Monday, January 5, 2009

And the Japanese box office winners of 2008 are… (drum roll please)

by Chris MaGee

Okay, so no surprises here. We all knew that Hayao Miyazaki’s cute little goldfish “Ponyo” was going to transform into a “Jaws” kind of blockbuster, but there were other films that raked in the yen at the Japanese box office in 2008 and here are the top ten biggest (care of Box Office Mojo):

1. Gake no ue no Ponyo (Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea)
(Toho) Total box office gross: $164,241,290/ ¥15,295,363,600

2. Hana yori dango: Fainaru (Boys Over Flowers: Final)
(Toho) Total box office gross: $70,821,405/ ¥6,596,127,130

3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
(PPI) Total box office gross: $53,085,593/ ¥4,944,258,310

4. Yôgisha X no kenshin (Suspect X)
(Toho) Total box office gross: $51,784,905/ ¥4,823,012,800

5. Chi bi (Red Cliff: Part I)
(Toho-Towa) Total box office gross: $48,983,380/ ¥4,561,484,150

6. Gekijô ban poketto monsutâ: Daiamondo pâru (Pokémon Diamond & Pearl the Movie)
(Toho) Total box office gross: $43,338,599/ ¥4,035,925,225

7. Aibô: gekijô-ban (Partners: The Movie)
(Toei) Total box office gross: $41,550,983

8. 20-seiki shônen (Twentieth Century Boys: Chapter One)
(Toho) Total box office gross: $35,870,679/ ¥3,869,688,090

9. Za majikku awâ (The Magic Hour)
(Toho) Total box office gross: $35,723,111/ ¥3,327,043,965

10. The Golden Compass
(GAGA) Total box office gross: $33,501,399/ ¥3,119,986,740

2 comments:

Shannon the Movie Moxie said...

The Golden Compass at #10? *blink*blink* Wow, I'm shocked.

Surprized to see Indy 4 there but not The Dark Knight. Interesting.

Chris MaGee said...

Surprisingly "The Dark Knight" kind of tanked in Japan. Apparently it was "Too dark" for mainstream Japanese audiences.