The worldwide box office is hot so far this year. But so far this year, the movie with the largest worldwide box office is one you’ve never heard of and hasn’t been released here: “Your Name,” a Japanese animated film, has made $327 million. Almost all of that was earned in Japan, with China as a runner up.
At number 4 on the top 10 worldwide box office for 2017 stands “The Great Wall.” A bust here, the Matt Damon starrer racked up most of its $271 million in China.
Number 5 is “Kung Fu Yoga,” with $245 million raked in, in China.
Number 6 is “Journey to the West,” with $237 million from Chinese audiences. Sony released it in the US on February 3rd, and it’s made less than a million bucks.
Number 9 is “Duckweed” — $143 million, nearly all of it in China.
From number 10 to 20 there are several more including a Bollywood film and a Jackie Chan entry. That’s Jackie Chan, who will get a Governors Award Lifetime Achievement Oscar on Sunday night.
By the way. “Your Name” will be released in April not by a big American studio but by FUNimation, founded in Fort Worth Texas by Japanese American entrepreneur Gen Fukunaga. He’s suddenly the most successful exec in Hollywood.
