The first of the four Evangelion movie that opened on September 1st opened to 84 packed movie theaters in Japan, and they managed to clinch the #1 top spot for this past weekend’s box office.

The movie film is distributed by Nikkatsu, which is Japan’s oldest movie studio and theater operator. They announced that 236,158 people spent 280 million yen (about US$2.4 million) at 84 theaters to watch it. This was one of the rare times that a film opened in less than 100 theaters at first place.

Initially Nikkatsu had planned to show the movie in Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward in the 224-seat Cinema Square Tokyo theater, but changed theaters to the 1,046-stadium-seat Milano 1 just before opening to accommodate the growing crowds. All of that theater’s seven opening-day showings sold out with standing-room-only audiences. That theater alone sold 12,500 tickets during the two days for a 15-million-yen (US$130,000) weekend box office take. Each screen that showed the movie nationwide earned an average of 3 million yen (US$30,000).

Source: Animenewsnetwork

I wonder when will the movie hit Singapore shores. (“\( o.O)/”)