Japan Box Office: ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Opens Strongly Ahead of Golden Week

“Beauty and the Beast” opened on top of the Japanese box office last weekend, with Disney distributing on 773 screens. For the three -day period beginning April 21, it made $12.5 million on 951,000 admissions. This beats the three-day total of megahit “Frozen,” which finished in Japan with $231 million.

The score also bodes well ahead as Japan heads into Golden Week, a period between late April and early May studded with public holidays.

Debuting at number four was the second half of “March Comes in Like a Lion,” a Keishi Otomo two-parter about the coming-of-age of a young Japanese chess champion. Released on 295 screens by Toho and Asmik Ace, the film recorded $1.2 million on 96,000 admissions for its opening frame. This was some 11% down from the first instalment, which bowed in March.

Of the top ten, six films were animations, while three others were live-action movies based on anime or manga properties.

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