Japan Box Office: 'Star Wars: Force Awakens' on Course to Cross $100 Million

J.J. Abrams' blockbuster has earned $1.75 billion globally.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens stayed on top of the Japanese box office for the fourth weekend, bringing in another $5.3 million (?420 million) on Saturday and Sunday.

The added figures for Monday — the "Coming of Age Day" holiday — brings total revenue in Japan to nearly $70 million (?8.27 billion) from over 5.3 million tickets sold.

Force Awakens passed the ?7 billion ($60 million) mark in 20 days in Japanese cinemas, three days faster than fellow Disney hit Frozen, which went on to earn a massive $250 million in Japan. While the Star Wars movie isn't destined to hit those numbers, it is now almost assured of crossing $100 million in Japan, an impressive feat.

The J.J. Abrams blockbuster is benefiting from higher-priced 3D, 4D and Imax tickets, as well as Japanese audiences' willingness to watch different versions of the film, including the dubbed and the English-language version. Tickets for 3D screenings in Tokyo can cost as much as $21 (?2,500).

The latest installment of local anime hit franchise Yo-Kai Watch the Movie: The Great King Enma and the Five Tales, Meow! held on to the second spot in the weekend box-office ranking with $2.5 million (?420 million) to take its total to $39.5 million (?4.65 billion) after four weekends. Yo-kai Watch actually beat Star Wars in terms of admissions on the first two weekends – they were released a day apart – putting it at the top of local charts, which go by number of tickets sold rather than gross.

Local high-school time-travel romance manga adaptation Orange, which dethroned Spectre with its mid-December bow, fell one spot to fourth place. After five weekends, it has now racked up $21.75 million (?2.56 billion).

Steven Spielberg's Cold War thriller Bridge of Spies bowed in the fifth spot with $1.5 million (?178 million), including its Friday night opening.

Legendary director Yoji Yamada's Nagasaki: Memories of My Son (Haha to Kuraseba) dropped four spots to eighth in its fifth weekend in theaters, taking its cumulative revenue to $13 million (?1.5 billion).

Spectre fell four slots to ninth. It has pulled in $23.3 million (?2.75 billion) after five weekends in Japan.

Next weekend will see Japanese releases for Paddington and In the Heart of the Sea, neither of which is likely to prove too much of a challenge to Star Wars.