Japanese and French animations
A rise in ticket prices at Toho Cinemas, and a Coproduction Agreement between Japan and Great Britain
TRIUMPH FOR THE ANIMATED FILM WEATHERING WITH YOU
Makoto Shinkai's latest animation Weathering With You has just passed the ¥13 billion mark at the Japanese box office, standing out as the year's most successful film to date. The director's previous film, Your Name, amassed over ¥25 billion in 2016 (more than 18 million admissions), and was a major hit around the world.
A NEW DISTRIBUTOR FOR FRENCH ANIMATIONS
We welcome the arrival in the Japanese movie sector of a new distribution outfit specializing in foreign animated productions, Riskit Inc., who released Rémi Chayé's animated film Long Way North on September 6 on a single screen in Tokyo. This is the second title distributed by Riskit Inc. after the Russian stop-motion film Hoffmaniada.
Contact: Gaku Kaneko - gaku0615@gmail.com
A HIKE IN ADMISSION PRICES AT TOHO CINEMAS
The Toho Cinemas chain raised the price of movie tickets by ¥100 on July 1, bringing the standard cost of admission to ¥1,900, roughly equivalent to €16.00. With 66 sites, 607 screens, and 118,000 seats under its management (as of early 2019), Toho Cinemas is the country's second largest cinema chain in terms of screen numbers after Aeon Cinemas and the largest in terms of admissions figures, securing 27% of the theatrical market in 2018.
Whereas Aeon Cinemas is well established in the country's suburban and provincial areas, Toho Cinemas has theaters in prime locations, such as near major train stations in large cities across Japan.
FIRST-LOOK AGREEMENT BETWEEN BRITISH PRODUCTION COMPANY NUMBER 9 FILMS AND SHOCHIKU
The British film production company Number 9 Films has signed a first-look agreement with the Japanese studio and production house Shochiku.
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Founded in 2002, Number 9 Films are the producers behind Carol (which achieved a highly successful run in Japan with the distributor Phantom Films) and Colette, which was released by Tohokushinsa earlier this year. Shochiku, one of the world oldest companies still operating in the entertainment sector, was founded in 1895 as a producer of Kabuki shows, an activity that the firm continues to this day. In addition to film production, Shochiku is also a theater operator with 23 cinemas in Japan, and a distributor with an average of four foreign films released annually. The next title to be released by Shochiku is Return of the Hero on October 11, with 20 screens to be deployed.
