Boxoffice® Pro - December 2013

2013: WORLD MARKET ANALYSIS
The only Japanese film to crack the $100 million mark in the
local market, Hayao Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises has grossed
$118.5 million in the domestic market. The film opens in North
America on February 21, 2014.
the original’s $41.5 million run in 2011 by bringing in $26.4 million
in its theatrical run. Schlussmacher posted a $23.8 million take in its
home country. The biggest comedy of the year, however, came from
Hollywood. The Hangover Part III charmed German audiences and
walked away from the market with a $31 million gross; a positive result
that still fell below the expectations set by The Hangover Part II’s $42.6
million take from 2011. The Hangover Part III finished the year behind
Django Unchained and Despicable Me 2 as the third-biggest release of
2013.
ITALY
n It took a single weekend for Italian comedy Sole a catinelle to become
the highest-grossing film of 2013. The comedy starring Checco Zalone
collected $25.4 million in its debut, leaving the former frontrunner for
the year’s box office title, Iron Man 3, in the dust with a $20.9 million
take.
Italian comedies have had similar juggernaut performances in the
past. The last time a domestic comedy took over the market occurred
with Che bella giornata, a film that never relinquished its box office dominance
after a January 2011 release that culminated with a $59.3 million
gross. The total gross of Che bella giornata was $30 million above the tally
of that year’s second place film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:
Part 2.
Italian audiences showed support for a number of other domestic
releases throughout the year. Comedies Il principe abusivo and Benevenuto
Presidente! collected $18.9 million and $11.1 million, respectively.
Domestic dramas also connected with audiences; La migliore offerta
featured performances by Geoffrey Rush and Donald Sutherland, along
with a score composed by the legendary Ennio Moricone. The film went
on to earn $12 million in its home country. Paolo Sorrentino, one of
the country’s most acclaimed active filmmakers, collected $8.7 million
with La grande bellezza, the best outing of his career in his home nation.
La grande bellezza is Italy’s submission for best foreign film at this year’s
Academy Awards.
A trio of animated films also found box office success. Despicable Me
2 improved upon the original’s $17.5 million gross with a $20.5 million
run, making it the highest-grossing animated release of the year. The
Croods impressed with a $15 million take, and Monsters University edged
out Monsters, Inc. with a $12 million tally that beat the original’s $11.2
million gross.
JAPAN
n Hayao Miyazaki, the Japanese auteur behind modern classics like
Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle, announced
his retirement this year. Miyazaki’s films have left an impression on film
history, and his name is on a shortlist of world-renowned animators who
have advanced the art form through their work. Whether The Wind Rises
will truly prove to be Miyazaki’s final film remains to be seen (there have
been rumors suggesting his return), but there is little doubt that Miyazaki’s
swan song was the biggest story at the Japanese box office of 2013.
The Wind Rises became the only film to break the $100 million mark in
Japan this year after the animated film grossed $118.5 million since its
July debut.
Animation is the dominant genre in Japan, overshadowing nearly all
other releases in terms of box office returns. Anime is a particular bright
spot for contemporary Japanese cinema, responsible for some of the year’s
biggest hits. The anime standouts of the year include Doraemon the Movie:
Nobita’s Secret Gadget Museum ($40.5 million); Detective Conan Movie
17: Private Eye in the Distant Sea ($36 million); and Dragonball Z: Kami
to Kami ($31.1 million).
Hollywood’s animated releases were led by a commanding performance
from Monsters University. The Disney/Pixar release was the
second biggest film in the market with $90.1 million, the largest sum
22 BoxOffice ® Pro The Business of Movies DECEMBER 2013