Released on 400 screens by distributor Toho, per screen averages topped $23,880, the highest figure for any release (local or import) since Evangelion 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone's $28,810 ($31,743 at current rates) in September 2007.
With Y1bn considered the threshold of a hit in Japan, it is extremely rare for a local film to reach the figure on the first weekend. The take more than doubles the opening weekend of TBS' biggest hit of 2007, Sky Of Love ($37.4m). The film skews heavily to female audiences, with women accounting for over 90% of admissions.
Along with The Magic Hour, the film also puts distributor Toho back at the top of the box office after a rare stretch of little activity in the top ten. Toho is aiming for a Y10bn ($95.5m) final tally.
The romantic comedy is based on characters from the original shojo manga (girl's comic) and storylines from the recent live-action TV series. The cast is headed by Shun Oguri, Jun Matsumoto and Mao Inoue and the film is directed by TV series helmer Yasuharu Ishii. A missing wedding tiara plotline includes international locations such as Las Vegas and Hong Kong.
The original comic series ran from 1992-2003, selling close to 60 million copies to date. It has also spawned both animated and live-action TV series, including Taiwanese spin-off Meteor Garden and its boy band F4. TBS also produced a previous feature film in 1995.
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