‘Demon Slayer’ Overtakes ‘Titanic’ at the Japanese Box Office

Wonder Woman 1984 is off to a sluggish start in China. The Warner Bros./DC superhero tentpole opened Friday in direct competition with Chinese action flick The Rescue, directed by Dante Lam, and as of 5 p.m.

The racial insensitivity scandal that derailed the China release of action film Monster Hunter is starting to impact other high-profile movies in the country. Sources in Beijing tell The Hollywood Reporter that the China Film Administration has tightened its censorship process in the wake of the controversy, calling back several previously approved imported films for a second, more thorough review.

Warner Bros/DC’s Wonder Woman 1984 begins offshore rollout today in such markets as Indonesia, Portugal and the UK — though on a very limited basis in the latter where London cinemas have been re-shuterred as the capital moves into a Tier 3 Covid lockdown.

Mark Schilling Japan CorrespondentJapan’s leading film distributor and exhibitor Toho Tuesday announced that it is upping the official box office total of the 2001 Miyazaki Hayao animation “Spirited Away” by $8.5 million to $304 million, the all-time record for any film in the Japanese market.

Mid-December is usually a launching pad for yuletide-fueled holiday blockbusters. That isn't the case this year as Hollywood and theater owners grapple with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and a virtual nine-month standstill in moviegoing that will result in the worst showing for domestic ticket sales in at least four decades.

Pregnant Dani Dyer is gearing up to welcome her baby next month and getting herself ready to go with a perfectly packed hospital bag. Posting on her Instagram story, Dani shared snaps of what her baby’s first outfit will be, including a personalised babygrow and super cute baby booties.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefChinese action comedy “Bath Buddy” topped the mainland China box office over the weekend with a $28.1 million opening splash. The box office performance came despite the film being in hot water behind the scenes.The Yi Zhenxing-directed film tells the improbable tale of a rich kid who loses his memory and instead ends up working in a bath-spa.

Refresh for latest...: The international box office continues to provide welcome surprises during the pandemic era. Where movie theaters are open and people feel safe, they turn up for new or enduringly exciting product that’s on offer.

Cyberpunk 2077 has a big The Office easter egg in one of its side quests, recreating one of the US sitcom’s most popular scene almost word for word.The easter egg comes during the side quest Big In Japan, and involves you going to pick up a package from the docks. Once V arrives, they discover this package is actually a person.V is then tasked with carrying the person back to safety.

Dua Lipa, Demi Lovato, J Balvin, and Matthew McConaughey will be helping fans around the world ring in 2021 virtually as part of a series of YouTube specials.Hello 2021 will feature five different shows for viewers in the Americas, the U.K., South Korea, Japan, and India, where fans will be treated to speeches, musical performances, and dance parties from big name stars across the globe as they count down to the New Year.Hello 2021: Americas will be co-hosted by actress Storm Reid and Mexican

Nine months after launching its new theatrical distribution operation, Japanese pay TV broadcaster Wowow has made its first theatrical film acquisition, closing an all-rights deal for pandemic thriller Songbird, starring KJ Apa, Sofia Carson, Craig Robinson, Bradley Whitford, Peter Stormare, Alexandra Daddario, Paul Walter Hauser and Demi Moore.

Refresh for latest…: Sunday’s international box office reporting looks vastly different to what was expected coming into the weekend. A Friday gross that portended a high-teens launch for Monster Hunter in China was quickly thwarted when local authorities pulled the feature game adaptation from the country’s cinemas.

Lisa Snowdon could not be happier with her fiancé George Smart.In April, the couple confirmed that they had to postpone their wedding - which was due to take place in Japan this year.

Refresh for latest…: DreamWorks Animation/Universal’s The Croods: A New Age led the weekend in China with a $19.2M debut, outpacing local titles One Second and Caught In Time. This is the third best bow for a studio movie in the Middle Kingdom during the pandemic era (behind Tenet and Mulan).

Mark Schilling Japan CorrespondentA new Netflix movie has been announced based on the early career of comedian and film director Kitano Takeshi.Titled “Asakusa Kid,” the film is based on a memoir of the same title written by Kitano.

Variety Staff Follow Us on TwitterICM Partners has signed K-Pop titans Super Junior for representation in all territories except Asia, the company has announced.The group released its debut album in 2005 and broke through internationally with their 2009 song “Sorry Sorry.” Over the years the group has won 13 Mnet Asian Music Awards, 19 Golden Disc Awards and US Teen Choice Awards for International Artist and Best Fandom and released more than 30 albums in Korea and Japan, including nine studio

Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter.A Motherwell couple are begging to be present at the execution of their death row dog after a court ordered the family pet be put down.Sanka, a six-year-old Japanese Akita, attacked two men in separate incidents outside owner John Dunsmore’s home.Sheriff Ray Small issued a destruction order after 29-year-old Dunsmore admitted allowing the animal to be dangerously out of control.After hearing that Sanka was a

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorJapan’s runaway smash Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train continued its reign at the top of the local charts this weekend, despite the release of Stand By Me Doraemon 2. Monday is a holiday in Japan, so full official weekend figures are not expected to be reported until Tuesday.