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Toy Story 2 Sets New High For U.S. Animation in Japan
RICHMOND, Calif. - March 13, 2000 - Buena Vista International's Japanese
launch of Disney/Pixar' TOY STORY 2 rewrote theatrical record books this
past weekend posting $3.8 million from 364 screens realizing the biggest
opening weekend ever registered by a U.S. animated production in the territory.
This eclipses the more than half-decade-old record previously set by Disney's
THE LION KING by almost 80%, it was announced by Mark Zoradi, President
of BVI.
Additionally, these results
rank as the second best ever generated by any Buena Vista International
distributed product in the territory, only behind ARMAGEDDON. In garnering
this performance TOY STORY 2 more than doubled this weekend's debut result
of the Japanese animated franchise DORAEMON, which released its 21st installment
this past weekend. Ranking #1 for the weekend period TOY STORY 2 should
continue these outstanding results when the spring school holiday season
begins next weekend.
The release of TOY STORY 2
in Japan marks the first time any film has been exhibited in an all digital
format in Japan using Texas Instruments patented DLP Cinema projection
system. Playing exclusively at Toho's Nichegeki Plaza cinema, Disney/Pixar's
TOY STORY 2 has now been exhibited in an all digital format in six theater
locations outside of the U.S. including the United Kingdom, France and
Belgium.
Complementing this performance
were the ongoing results of TOY STORY 2 in the United Kingdom where it
has been the #1 film five consecutive weekends in a row generating a cumulative
box-office performance of $62.0 million to date. This figure positions
TOY STORY 2 as the fifth most popular film ever released in the territory's
history. After more than three months of release TOY STORY 2 has now earned
$186.5 million in international box-office revenues while globally it
has registered almost $430 million in box office thus far, making it the
largest Disney/Pixar production released to date. In achieving these results
it has now surpassed the global performances of Disney/Pixar's previous
two productions, A BUG'S LIFE and the original TOY STORY, by almost 20%.
A part of the Walt Disney
Studios, Buena Vista International is the international theatrical distribution
subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Pixar Animation Studios (NASDAQ:
PIXR) combines creative and technical artistry to create original characters
and stories in the new medium of computer animation.
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