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TOKYO — Monsters University topped the box office rankings for the second consecutive weekend in Japan, pulling in nearly $7.5 million (750 million yen) over the three-day holiday to sail past the $20 million mark (two billion yen) in its first nine days in the country.
Following its $8.5 million debut last weekend, the biggest opening of the year so far, the Pixar film kept local animation favorite Pocket Monsters off the top spot on its home bow. Monsters University took in $4.7 million on the Monday Marine Day holiday alone, from more than 360,000 admissions.
PHOTOS: ‘Monsters University’ Premiere: A Frightening Good Time
Pokemon the Movie: Extreme Speed Genesect (Gekij?ban Pocket Monster Best Wishes! Shinsoku no Genosekuto: Myuuts? Kakuse), the latest in the long-running Pokemon series, took $4.86 million in its first two days.
With summer break yet to start for most schools in Japan, both sets of monsters should have some strong box office weeks ahead. Monsters University looks well positioned to match the $75 million that Monsters Inc grossed in Japan in 2002.
In third place for the weekend was Midsummer Formula (Manatsu no Houteishiki), starring Masaharu Fukuyama, the second spinoff film from Fuji TV’s Galileo crime drama series, which has also broken the $20 million barrier after three weeks in theaters.
Fast & Furious 6, released in Japan as Wild Speed — Euro Mission, was in fourth in its second week of release, completing a clean sweep of the top four slots for Toho’s distribution arm.
Twitter: @GavinJBlair
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