Lost in Translation (2003)

Lost in Translation
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $44,585,453Details
International Box Office $72,499,844Details
Worldwide Box Office $117,085,297
Further financial details...

Synopsis

A lonely, aging movie star named Bob Harris and a conflicted newlywed, Charlotte, meet in Tokyo. Bob is there to film a Japanese whiskey commercial; Charlotte is accompanying her celebrity-photographer husband. Strangers in a foreign land, the two find escape, distraction and understanding amidst the bright Tokyo lights after a chance meeting in the quiet lull of the hotel bar. They form a bond that is as unlikely as it is heartfelt and meaningful.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$925,087 (2.1% of total gross)
Legs:10.71 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:38.1% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$4,000,000 (worldwide box office is 29.3 times production budget)
Theater counts:23 opening theaters/882 max. theaters, 11.5 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $77,200,211

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play
Netflix:Netflix

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: September 12th, 2003 (Limited) by Focus Features
International Releases: December 25th, 2003 (Limited) (Australia)
January 22nd, 2004 (Wide) (New Zealand)
February 7th, 2024 (Limited) (South Korea)
Video Release: February 3rd, 2004 by Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R for some sexual content
Running Time: 102 minutes
Comparisons: vs. En kongelig affære
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Advertising and Marketing, Culture Clash, Language Barrier, Comedy Drama, 2004 Oscars Best Picture Nominee
Source:Original Screenplay
Genre:Drama
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Contemporary Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: American Zoetrope, Elemental Films
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date
Days In
Release
Biggest 28th Weekend Limited Release 34 $42,950 Mar 19, 2004 192
Biggest 27th Weekend Limited Release 17 $120,027 Mar 12, 2004 185
Biggest 26th Weekend Limited Release 12 $243,105 Mar 5, 2004 178
Biggest Domestic 25th Weekend 52 $432,129 Feb 27, 2004 171
Biggest 25th Weekend Limited Release 7 $432,129 Feb 27, 2004 171
Biggest Domestic 24th Weekend 34 $831,250 Feb 20, 2004 164
Biggest 24th Weekend Limited Release 4 $831,250 Feb 20, 2004 164
Biggest Domestic 23rd Weekend 18 $1,492,810 Feb 13, 2004 157
Biggest 23rd Weekend Limited Release 4 $1,492,810 Feb 13, 2004 157
Biggest Domestic 22nd Weekend 16 $1,731,915 Feb 6, 2004 150
Biggest 22nd Weekend Limited Release 3 $1,731,915 Feb 6, 2004 150
Biggest Domestic 21st Weekend 9 $2,156,557 Jan 30, 2004 143
Biggest 21st Weekend Limited Release 2 $2,156,557 Jan 30, 2004 143
Biggest Domestic 20th Weekend 84 $725,768 Jan 23, 2004 136
Biggest 20th Weekend Limited Release 15 $725,768 Jan 23, 2004 136
Biggest Domestic 19th Weekend 89 $763,034 Jan 16, 2004 129
Biggest 19th Weekend Limited Release 18 $763,034 Jan 16, 2004 129
Biggest 18th Weekend Limited Release 25 $747,470 Jan 9, 2004 122
Biggest 17th Weekend Limited Release 43 $499,543 Jan 2, 2004 115
Biggest 16th Weekend Limited Release 58 $370,468 Dec 26, 2003 108
Biggest 15th Weekend Limited Release 97 $263,089 Dec 19, 2003 101
Biggest 12th Weekend Limited Release 80 $544,363 Nov 28, 2003 80
Biggest 11th Weekend Limited Release 94 $531,787 Nov 21, 2003 73
Biggest 10th Weekend Limited Release 97 $706,284 Nov 14, 2003 66
Biggest 9th Weekend Limited Release 88 $942,992 Nov 7, 2003 59
Biggest 8th Weekend Limited Release 76 $1,233,218 Oct 31, 2003 52
Biggest 7th Weekend Limited Release 78 $1,483,166 Oct 24, 2003 45
Biggest 6th Weekend Limited Release 72 $1,903,194 Oct 17, 2003 38
Biggest 5th Weekend Limited Release 51 $2,822,419 Oct 10, 2003 31
Columbus Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 307 $5,289,112 Oct 10, 2003 31
Columbus Day (All Movies, 4-Day, Fri-Mon, Inflation Adjusted) 181 $5,931,879 Oct 10, 2003 31
Biggest 4th Weekend Limited Release 27 $4,163,333 Oct 3, 2003 24
Biggest 3rd Weekend Limited Release 25 $3,688,538 Sep 26, 2003 17
Biggest 2nd Weekend Limited Release 36 $2,622,737 Sep 19, 2003 10
Top 2003 Theater Average 4 $40,221 Sep 12, 2003 3

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Sep 12, 2003 15 $925,087   23 $40,221   $925,087 1
Sep 19, 2003 10 $2,622,737 +184% 183 $14,332   $3,957,342 2
Sep 26, 2003 10 $3,688,538 +41% 488 $7,558   $8,640,267 3
Oct 3, 2003 7 $4,163,333 +13% 864 $4,819   $14,017,704 4
Oct 10, 2003 10 $2,822,419 -32% 882 $3,200   $18,121,154 5
Oct 17, 2003 11 $1,903,194 -33% 771 $2,468   $20,964,443 6
Oct 24, 2003 13 $1,483,166 -22% 568 $2,611   $23,111,364 7
Oct 31, 2003 13 $1,233,218 -17% 522 $2,362   $24,844,796 8
Nov 7, 2003 13 $942,992 -24% 380 $2,482   $26,244,243 9
Nov 14, 2003 15 $706,284 -25% 301 $2,346   $27,310,686 10
Nov 21, 2003 18 $531,787 -25% 228 $2,332   $28,061,165 11
Nov 28, 2003 19 $544,363 +2% 177 $3,075   $28,901,949 12
Dec 5, 2003 20 $283,758 -48% 156 $1,819   $29,310,562 13
Dec 12, 2003 23 $217,008 -24% 148 $1,466   $29,649,058 14
Dec 19, 2003 22 $263,089 +21% 130 $2,024   $30,032,449 15
Dec 26, 2003 26 $370,468 +41% 117 $3,166   $30,656,612 16
Jan 2, 2004 25 $499,543 +35% 123 $4,061   $31,586,561 17
Jan 9, 2004 20 $747,470 +50% 342 $2,186   $32,520,705 18
Jan 16, 2004 21 $763,034 +2% 366 $2,085   $33,584,106 19
Jan 23, 2004 22 $725,768 -5% 357 $2,033   $34,677,058 20
Jan 30, 2004 15 $2,156,557 +197% 632 $3,412   $37,437,901 21
Feb 6, 2004 15 $1,731,915 -20% 630 $2,749   $39,853,665 22
Feb 13, 2004 15 $1,492,810 -14% 600 $2,488   $41,815,971 23
Feb 20, 2004 18 $831,250 -44% 481 $1,728   $43,217,012 24
Feb 27, 2004 23 $432,129 -48% 291 $1,485   $43,871,278 25
Mar 5, 2004 29 $243,105 -44% 179 $1,358   $44,161,419 26
Mar 12, 2004 37 $120,027 -51% 111 $1,081   $44,477,523 27
Mar 19, 2004 50 $42,950 -64% 51 $842   $44,566,004 28

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
Sep 19, 2003 10 $883,000     183 $4,825   $2,250,000 8
Sep 22, 2003 8 $242,000     183 $1,322   $4,199,000 11
Sep 23, 2003 8 $265,000 +10%   183 $1,448   $4,464,000 12
Sep 24, 2003 8 $235,000 -11%   183 $1,284   $4,699,000 13
Sep 25, 2003 8 $235,000 n/c   183 $1,284   $4,952,000 14
Sep 26, 2003 10 $1,026,000 +337% +16% 488 $2,102   $5,978,000 15
Sep 27, 2003 10 $1,652,000 +61%   488 $3,385   $7,634,000 16
Sep 28, 2003 9 $1,007,000 -39%   488 $2,064   $8,640,267 17
Sep 29, 2003 9 $288,000 -71% +19% 488 $590   $8,928,000 18
Sep 30, 2003 8 $320,000 +11% +21% 488 $656   $9,249,000 19
Oct 1, 2003 8 $284,000 -11% +21% 488 $582   $9,533,000 20
Oct 2, 2003 6 $332,000 +17% +41% 488 $680   $9,863,000 21
Oct 3, 2003 7 $1,256,000 +278% +22% 864 $1,454   $11,119,000 22
Oct 4, 2003 7 $1,992,000 +59% +21% 864 $2,306   $13,037,000 23
Oct 5, 2003 7 $979,000 -51% -3% 864 $1,133   $14,017,704 24
Oct 6, 2003 7 $331,000 -66% +15% 864 $383   $14,348,000 25
Oct 7, 2003 7 $335,000 +1% +5% 864 $388   $14,683,000 26
Oct 8, 2003 7 $294,000 -12% +4% 864 $340   $14,977,000 27
Oct 9, 2003 7 $331,000 +13% n/c 864 $383   $15,299,000 28
Oct 10, 2003 10 $800,000 +142% -36% 882 $907   $16,099,000 29
Oct 11, 2003 10 $1,217,000 +52% -39% 882 $1,380   $17,320,000 30
Oct 12, 2003 10 $804,000 -34% -18% 882 $912   $18,121,154 31
Oct 13, 2003 10 $343,000 -57% +4% 882 $389   $18,464,000 32
Oct 14, 2003 10 $224,000 -35% -33% 882 $254   $18,688,000 33
Oct 21, 2003 10 $183,000   -18% 771 $237   $21,308,000 40
Oct 22, 2003 10 $169,000 -8%   771 $219   $21,476,000 41
Oct 23, 2003 10 $171,000 +1%   771 $222   $21,628,000 42
Jan 19, 2004 22 $164,728     366 $450   $33,748,834 130
Feb 16, 2004 15 $256,444     600 $427   $42,072,415 158

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Sep 12, 2003 15 $1,334,605   23 $58,026   $1,334,605 1
Sep 19, 2003 11 $3,617,124 +171% 183 $19,766   $4,951,729 2
Sep 26, 2003 10 $4,902,642 +36% 488 $10,046   $9,854,371 3
Oct 3, 2003 7 $5,444,364 +11% 864 $6,301   $15,298,735 4
Oct 10, 2003 10 $3,762,514 -31% 882 $4,266   $19,061,249 5
Oct 17, 2003 11 $2,566,949 -32% 771 $3,329   $21,628,198 6
Oct 24, 2003 13 $1,983,380 -23% 568 $3,492   $23,611,578 7
Oct 31, 2003 14 $1,689,673 -15% 522 $3,237   $25,301,251 8
Nov 7, 2003 13 $1,303,151 -23% 380 $3,429   $26,604,402 9
Nov 14, 2003 15 $924,976 -29% 301 $3,073   $27,529,378 10
Nov 21, 2003 19 $828,208 -10% 228 $3,632   $28,357,586 11
Nov 28, 2003 20 $669,218 -19% 177 $3,781   $29,026,804 12
Dec 5, 2003 18 $405,246 -39% 156 $2,598   $29,432,050 13
Dec 12, 2003 22 $337,310 -17% 148 $2,279   $29,769,360 14
Dec 19, 2003 21 $516,784 +53% 130 $3,975   $30,286,144 15
Dec 26, 2003 26 $800,874 +55% 117 $6,845   $31,087,018 16
Jan 2, 2004 24 $686,217 -14% 123 $5,579   $31,773,235 17
Jan 9, 2004 20 $1,047,837 +53% 342 $3,064   $32,821,072 18
Jan 16, 2004 23 $1,130,218 +8% 366 $3,088   $33,951,290 19
Jan 23, 2004 18 $1,330,054 +18% 357 $3,726   $35,281,344 20
Jan 30, 2004 15 $2,840,406 +114% 632 $4,494   $38,121,750 21
Feb 6, 2004 15 $2,201,411 -22% 630 $3,494   $40,323,161 22
Feb 13, 2004 16 $2,062,601 -6% 600 $3,438   $42,385,762 23
Feb 20, 2004 19 $1,053,387 -49% 481 $2,190   $43,439,149 24
Feb 27, 2004 25 $479,165 -55% 291 $1,647   $43,918,314 25
Mar 5, 2004 27 $439,182 -8% 179 $2,454   $44,357,496 26
Mar 12, 2004 42 $165,558 -62% 111 $1,492   $44,523,054 27
Mar 19, 2004 53 $62,399 -62% 51 $1,224   $44,585,453 28

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Australia 12/25/2003 $381,243 76 76 79 $650,102 1/22/2021
New Zealand 1/22/2004 $0 0 1 1 $564 10/19/2022
South Korea 2/7/2024 $1,688 1 1 1 $169,051 2/14/2024
 
Rest of World $71,680,127
 
International Total$72,499,844 2/14/2024

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.

Leading Cast

Bill Murray    Bob Harris
Scarlett Johansson    Charlotte

Supporting Cast

Giovanni Ribisi    John
Anna Faris    Kelly
Fumihiro Hayashi    Charlie
Akiko Takeshita    Ms. Kawasaki
Kazuyoshi Minamimagoe    Press Agent
Kazuko Shibata    Press Agent
Take Take    Press Agent
Ryuichiro Baba    Concierge
Akira Yamaguchi    Bellboy
Catherine Lambert    Jazz Singer
Francois du Bois    Sausalito Piano
Tim Leffman    Sausalito Guitar
Gregory Pekar    American Businessman
Richard Allen    American Businessman
Yutaka Tadokoro    Commercial Director
Jun Maki    Suntory Client
Nao Asuka    Premium Fantasy Woman
Tetsuro Naka    Stills Photographer
Kanako Nakazato    Make-Up Person
Hiroko Kawasaki    Hiroko
Daikon Daikon    Bambie
Asuka Shimuzu    Kelly's Translator
Ikuko Takahashi    Ikebana Instructor
Koichi Tanaka    Bartender, NY Bar
Hugo Codaro    Aerobics Instructor
Akiko Monou    P Chan
Akimitsu Naruyama    French Japanese Club Patron
Hiroshi Kawashima    Bartender, Night Club
Nobuhiko Kitamura    Nobu
Nao Kitman    Nao
Akira*    Hans
Kunichi Nomura    Kun
Yasuhiko Hattori    Charlie's Friend
Shigekazu Aida    Mr. Valentine
Kazuo Yamada    Hospital Receptionist
Akira Motomura    Old Man
Osamu Shigematu    Doctor
Mathew Minami    TV Host
Kei Takyo    TV Translator
Ryoichi Kondo    Politician
Yumi Ikeda    Politician's Aide
Yumika Saki    Politician's Aide
Yuji Okabe    Politician's Aide
Diedrich Bollman    German Hotel Guest
Georg O.P. Eschert    German Hotel Guest
Mark Willms    Carl West
Lisle Wilkerson    Sexy Businesswoman

Cameos

Hiromix*    Hiromix

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Sofia Coppola    Director
Sofia Coppola    Producer
Ross Katz    Producer
Francis Ford Coppola    Executive Producer
Fred Roos    Executive Producer
Mitch Glazer    Associate Producer
Callum Greene    Line Producer
Lance Acord    Director of Photography
Sarah Flack    Editor
Anne Ross    Production Designer
K.K. Barrett    Production Designer
Nancy Steiner    Costume Designer
Brian Reitzell    Music Producer
Stephen Schible    Co-Producer
Takahide Kawakami    Assistant Director
Anthony G. Katagas*    Production Supervisor
Mayumi Tomita    Art Director
Towako Kuwajima    Set Decorator
Tomomi Nishio    Set Decorator
Anita Brown    Costume Supervisor
Haruka Takahashi    Costume Supervisor
Drew Kunin    Sound Mixer
Richard Beggs    Re-recording Mixer
Kent Sparling    Re-recording Mixer
Michael Kirchberger    Supervising Sound Editor
Julia Shirar    Sound Effects Editor
Richard Beggs    Sound Designer
David Cohen    Dialogue Editor
Richard Beggs    Music Editor
Morag Ross    Make up
Kevin Shields    Composer
Brian Reitzell    Additional Music
Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.    Additional Music
William Storkson    Additional Music
Brian Reitzell    Music Supervisor
Ryoichi Kondo    Casting Director
Hirofumi Nakase    Stunt Coordinator

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for December 7th, 2010

December 6th, 2010

It's the first Tuesday of December, and the last real week with multiple major releases. After this, the next few weeks are rather shallow in terms of first run releases. This week there are a number of titles that are worth adding to you collection, including the Pick of the Week, Inception on Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack. Restrepo is also worthy of consideration for that honor, as was either of the Criterion Collection releases, Cronos and Videodrome. More...

DVD Releases for May 29, 2007

May 28th, 2007

It's a slow week for top-notch releases, but strangely not one for spotlight reviews as we have four of them. Even weirder, three of those are martial arts movies. The best of this week's offerings is Shanghai Express with fellow Cynthia Rothrock release, Above the Law being an honorable mention. More...

King Sweeps and Other Oscar Reactions

March 1st, 2004

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of last nights Oscars was the lack of surprises. Even the sweep by Lord of the Rings: Return of the King wasn't that big of a shock. More...

Lost Independence

March 1st, 2004

The Oscars weren't the only award celebration held over the weekend as the IFP Independent Spirit Awards were also handed out. Lost in Translation was the big winner but plenty of other talent was rewarded. More...

Lording over the Oscars

February 29th, 2004

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King swept all the categories it was nominated for in winning a record-equaling 11 Oscars earlier this evening. Here is a list of the winners with reactions to be posted tomorrow. More...

Numbers Readers Predicting Return of the King Oscar Sweep

February 29th, 2004

The final results are in from our Predict the Academy Awards Competition, and Numbers readers are forecasting a Lord of the Rings sweep at the ceremony tonight.

A stunning 90% of voters are calling for Lord of the Rings to win Best Picture and Peter Jackson to win Best Director - some of the strongest predictions we've seen in the 7 years we've been running the poll. The movie is also projected to win in every other category in which its nominated.

With no Rings stars nominated for acting awards though, some of the other results are still ripe for speculation. More...

Oscar Prediction: Best Picture

February 26th, 2004

Having called the results for Best Animate Feature and Achievement in Directing over the past two days, we're ready to announce a projected winner for the big prize... Best Picture. Our projections are based on the entries in our Predict the Academy Awards competition. More...

Oscar Prediction: Directing

February 25th, 2004

Every day between now and the Academy Awards ceremony we're predicting the result of one of the categories based on votes in our Predict the Oscars competition. Yesterday we predicted a safe win for Finding Nemo as Best Animated Feature. Today we're calling the result for Directing. More...

WGA Announces Winners over the Weekend

February 23rd, 2004

In amongst the more than a dozen awards handed out at the 56th Annual Writers Guild Awards on Saturday were two for theatrical releases. More...

Four part Harmony

February 19th, 2004

The rerelease of the French musical Umbrellas of Cherbourg topped this week's per theatre average chart with $14,760 in its lone theatre. Three other films very close to each other battling for second place. The overall champ, 50 First Dates finished a strong second with $11,098 in almost 3600 theatres. While Osama spent its second weekend on the list with $10,151. The final film to top $10,000 was the self-distributed Robot Stories. Despite having a tiny distribution budget, the Science Fiction anthology sold out four showings on its way to earning $10,026 in it only theatre. More...

DVD Releases for February 3, 2004

February 2nd, 2004

Every week films get a second chance at success from the home market; or, in some cases, a first chance at success. Here is a list of wide releases, limited releases and a few from the growing TV on DVD section. There is an excellent selection this week as a number of Oscar contenders were released to take advantage of last week's nominations. Both American Splendor - (Buy from Amazon) and Lost in Translation - ( Buy from Amazon) are on my must buy list. As are box sets for The Office and Red Dwarf). Don't forget Labyrinth (Collector's Edition Boxed Set) - (Buy from Amazon.) I guess I don't need to buy food this week. More...

Yikes. Just yikes.

January 30th, 2004

It's been a while since the prospects for catching a good movie at the theatres was this bad. And it's not like there's lack of wide releases this week. There are three of them. Three wide releases with combined reviews of only 17% positive. In fact, the box office race for top spot should prove more interesting that any of the movies trying to get there. More...

King Oscar, Lord of the Nominations

January 27th, 2004

Nominations for the 76the Annual Academy Awards were announced today. As always, here is a list of the nominations, plus reactions below. More...

2004 WGA Nominations Announced

January 26th, 2004

While the Writers' Guild of America hand out more than a dozen awards each year, only two apply to theatrical releases, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Here are the nominations in each of those categories. More...

And the Golden Globe goes to ...

January 26th, 2004

Recapping last nights Golden Globes ceremony, here are the winners with a brief reaction below. More...

2004 Golden Globe Awards are being Handed out Tonight

January 25th, 2004

With the awards ceremony only hours away, here's one last look at the theatrical nominations for tonight's 61st annual Golden Globes awards. More...

2003 SAG Nominations Announced

January 18th, 2004

On Thursday the 10th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards(R) Nominations were announced. Here is a list of all the nominations in theatrical categories as well as a brief reaction to them. More...

Last Weekend on Top for King?

January 13th, 2004

For the first time since it was released, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King had some stiff competition for top spot on the charts. It did still take first place for the fourth weekend in a row with $35.3 million in 51 markets. Including wins in head-to-head competition with second place The Last Samurai. For instance, Return of the King's fourth weekend easily won in the U.K. $6.7 million to Samurai's $4.9 million. It was a closer contest in Germany, but King remained number one $5.5 million to $4.9 million. But with only a couple of mid-level openings this week in Indonesia and the Czech Republic it could drop out of first place next weekend. Its international total $455 million, second for the year surpassing The Matrix Reloaded by less than $1 million and putting it in a virtual tie with The Lion King for 10th all-time. Worldwide it hit $767, which is also second for the year but 13th all-time. More...

Fish Remains Big on the Per Theatre Charts

December 23rd, 2003

Taking top spot on the Per Theatre Charts in consecutive weeks is not an easy task, but that's just what Big Fish did this week. And it did it by keeping nearly 80% of its premiere audience landing at $27,440 per theatre. Add in a few awards / nominations and an early January wide release and it could add up to box office hit. More...

Number One for Volume 1

October 13th, 2003


Will Kill Bill Thrill?

October 13th, 2003


Back in Black

October 7th, 2003


Higher Education or Timely Thriller

October 3rd, 2003


Soldiers Take Top Spot, While Holdovers Stay Strong

October 2nd, 2003


Box Office Runs Out of Gas

September 29th, 2003


Running Over the Competition

September 26th, 2003


First Place 20 Years in the Making

September 23rd, 2003


Underworld Finishes the Weekend on Top at the Box Office

September 22nd, 2003


Lost Leads the Way

September 16th, 2003


The Drought is Over

September 12th, 2003


Movie Websites Launches for September 4 - September 10

September 10th, 2003


Movie Websites Launches for August 14 - August 20

August 20th, 2003



  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Full Financials
  7. Cast & Crew
  8. Trailer

Synopsis

A lonely, aging movie star named Bob Harris and a conflicted newlywed, Charlotte, meet in Tokyo. Bob is there to film a Japanese whiskey commercial; Charlotte is accompanying her celebrity-photographer husband. Strangers in a foreign land, the two find escape, distraction and understanding amidst the bright Tokyo lights after a chance meeting in the quiet lull of the hotel bar. They form a bond that is as unlikely as it is heartfelt and meaningful.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$925,087 (2.1% of total gross)
Legs:10.71 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:38.1% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$4,000,000 (worldwide box office is 29.3 times production budget)
Theater counts:23 opening theaters/882 max. theaters, 11.5 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $77,200,211

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play
Netflix:Netflix

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: September 12th, 2003 (Limited) by Focus Features
International Releases: December 25th, 2003 (Limited) (Australia)
January 22nd, 2004 (Wide) (New Zealand)
February 7th, 2024 (Limited) (South Korea)
Video Release: February 3rd, 2004 by Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R for some sexual content
Running Time: 102 minutes
Comparisons: vs. En kongelig affære
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Advertising and Marketing, Culture Clash, Language Barrier, Comedy Drama, 2004 Oscars Best Picture Nominee
Source:Original Screenplay
Genre:Drama
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Contemporary Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: American Zoetrope, Elemental Films
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date
Days In
Release
Biggest 28th Weekend Limited Release 34 $42,950 Mar 19, 2004 192
Biggest 27th Weekend Limited Release 17 $120,027 Mar 12, 2004 185
Biggest 26th Weekend Limited Release 12 $243,105 Mar 5, 2004 178
Biggest Domestic 25th Weekend 52 $432,129 Feb 27, 2004 171
Biggest 25th Weekend Limited Release 7 $432,129 Feb 27, 2004 171
Biggest Domestic 24th Weekend 34 $831,250 Feb 20, 2004 164
Biggest 24th Weekend Limited Release 4 $831,250 Feb 20, 2004 164
Biggest Domestic 23rd Weekend 18 $1,492,810 Feb 13, 2004 157
Biggest 23rd Weekend Limited Release 4 $1,492,810 Feb 13, 2004 157
Biggest Domestic 22nd Weekend 16 $1,731,915 Feb 6, 2004 150
Biggest 22nd Weekend Limited Release 3 $1,731,915 Feb 6, 2004 150
Biggest Domestic 21st Weekend 9 $2,156,557 Jan 30, 2004 143
Biggest 21st Weekend Limited Release 2 $2,156,557 Jan 30, 2004 143
Biggest Domestic 20th Weekend 84 $725,768 Jan 23, 2004 136
Biggest 20th Weekend Limited Release 15 $725,768 Jan 23, 2004 136
Biggest Domestic 19th Weekend 89 $763,034 Jan 16, 2004 129
Biggest 19th Weekend Limited Release 18 $763,034 Jan 16, 2004 129
Biggest 18th Weekend Limited Release 25 $747,470 Jan 9, 2004 122
Biggest 17th Weekend Limited Release 43 $499,543 Jan 2, 2004 115
Biggest 16th Weekend Limited Release 58 $370,468 Dec 26, 2003 108
Biggest 15th Weekend Limited Release 97 $263,089 Dec 19, 2003 101
Biggest 12th Weekend Limited Release 80 $544,363 Nov 28, 2003 80
Biggest 11th Weekend Limited Release 94 $531,787 Nov 21, 2003 73
Biggest 10th Weekend Limited Release 97 $706,284 Nov 14, 2003 66
Biggest 9th Weekend Limited Release 88 $942,992 Nov 7, 2003 59
Biggest 8th Weekend Limited Release 76 $1,233,218 Oct 31, 2003 52
Biggest 7th Weekend Limited Release 78 $1,483,166 Oct 24, 2003 45
Biggest 6th Weekend Limited Release 72 $1,903,194 Oct 17, 2003 38
Biggest 5th Weekend Limited Release 51 $2,822,419 Oct 10, 2003 31
Columbus Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 307 $5,289,112 Oct 10, 2003 31
Columbus Day (All Movies, 4-Day, Fri-Mon, Inflation Adjusted) 181 $5,931,879 Oct 10, 2003 31
Biggest 4th Weekend Limited Release 27 $4,163,333 Oct 3, 2003 24
Biggest 3rd Weekend Limited Release 25 $3,688,538 Sep 26, 2003 17
Biggest 2nd Weekend Limited Release 36 $2,622,737 Sep 19, 2003 10
Top 2003 Theater Average 4 $40,221 Sep 12, 2003 3

Leading Cast

Bill Murray    Bob Harris
Scarlett Johansson    Charlotte

Supporting Cast

Giovanni Ribisi    John
Anna Faris    Kelly
Fumihiro Hayashi    Charlie
Akiko Takeshita    Ms. Kawasaki
Kazuyoshi Minamimagoe    Press Agent
Kazuko Shibata    Press Agent
Take Take    Press Agent
Ryuichiro Baba    Concierge
Akira Yamaguchi    Bellboy
Catherine Lambert    Jazz Singer
Francois du Bois    Sausalito Piano
Tim Leffman    Sausalito Guitar
Gregory Pekar    American Businessman
Richard Allen    American Businessman
Yutaka Tadokoro    Commercial Director
Jun Maki    Suntory Client
Nao Asuka    Premium Fantasy Woman
Tetsuro Naka    Stills Photographer
Kanako Nakazato    Make-Up Person
Hiroko Kawasaki    Hiroko
Daikon Daikon    Bambie
Asuka Shimuzu    Kelly's Translator
Ikuko Takahashi    Ikebana Instructor
Koichi Tanaka    Bartender, NY Bar
Hugo Codaro    Aerobics Instructor
Akiko Monou    P Chan
Akimitsu Naruyama    French Japanese Club Patron
Hiroshi Kawashima    Bartender, Night Club
Nobuhiko Kitamura    Nobu
Nao Kitman    Nao
Akira*    Hans
Kunichi Nomura    Kun
Yasuhiko Hattori    Charlie's Friend
Shigekazu Aida    Mr. Valentine
Kazuo Yamada    Hospital Receptionist
Akira Motomura    Old Man
Osamu Shigematu    Doctor
Mathew Minami    TV Host
Kei Takyo    TV Translator
Ryoichi Kondo    Politician
Yumi Ikeda    Politician's Aide
Yumika Saki    Politician's Aide
Yuji Okabe    Politician's Aide
Diedrich Bollman    German Hotel Guest
Georg O.P. Eschert    German Hotel Guest
Mark Willms    Carl West
Lisle Wilkerson    Sexy Businesswoman

Cameos

Hiromix*    Hiromix

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Sofia Coppola    Director
Sofia Coppola    Producer
Ross Katz    Producer
Francis Ford Coppola    Executive Producer
Fred Roos    Executive Producer
Mitch Glazer    Associate Producer
Callum Greene    Line Producer
Lance Acord    Director of Photography
Sarah Flack    Editor
Anne Ross    Production Designer
K.K. Barrett    Production Designer
Nancy Steiner    Costume Designer
Brian Reitzell    Music Producer
Stephen Schible    Co-Producer
Takahide Kawakami    Assistant Director
Anthony G. Katagas*    Production Supervisor
Mayumi Tomita    Art Director
Towako Kuwajima    Set Decorator
Tomomi Nishio    Set Decorator
Anita Brown    Costume Supervisor
Haruka Takahashi    Costume Supervisor
Drew Kunin    Sound Mixer
Richard Beggs    Re-recording Mixer
Kent Sparling    Re-recording Mixer
Michael Kirchberger    Supervising Sound Editor
Julia Shirar    Sound Effects Editor
Richard Beggs    Sound Designer
David Cohen    Dialogue Editor
Richard Beggs    Music Editor
Morag Ross    Make up
Kevin Shields    Composer
Brian Reitzell    Additional Music
Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.    Additional Music
William Storkson    Additional Music
Brian Reitzell    Music Supervisor
Ryoichi Kondo    Casting Director
Hirofumi Nakase    Stunt Coordinator

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for December 7th, 2010

December 6th, 2010

It's the first Tuesday of December, and the last real week with multiple major releases. After this, the next few weeks are rather shallow in terms of first run releases. This week there are a number of titles that are worth adding to you collection, including the Pick of the Week, Inception on Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack. Restrepo is also worthy of consideration for that honor, as was either of the Criterion Collection releases, Cronos and Videodrome. More...

DVD Releases for May 29, 2007

May 28th, 2007

It's a slow week for top-notch releases, but strangely not one for spotlight reviews as we have four of them. Even weirder, three of those are martial arts movies. The best of this week's offerings is Shanghai Express with fellow Cynthia Rothrock release, Above the Law being an honorable mention. More...

King Sweeps and Other Oscar Reactions

March 1st, 2004

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of last nights Oscars was the lack of surprises. Even the sweep by Lord of the Rings: Return of the King wasn't that big of a shock. More...

Lost Independence

March 1st, 2004

The Oscars weren't the only award celebration held over the weekend as the IFP Independent Spirit Awards were also handed out. Lost in Translation was the big winner but plenty of other talent was rewarded. More...

Lording over the Oscars

February 29th, 2004

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King swept all the categories it was nominated for in winning a record-equaling 11 Oscars earlier this evening. Here is a list of the winners with reactions to be posted tomorrow. More...

Numbers Readers Predicting Return of the King Oscar Sweep

February 29th, 2004

The final results are in from our Predict the Academy Awards Competition, and Numbers readers are forecasting a Lord of the Rings sweep at the ceremony tonight.

A stunning 90% of voters are calling for Lord of the Rings to win Best Picture and Peter Jackson to win Best Director - some of the strongest predictions we've seen in the 7 years we've been running the poll. The movie is also projected to win in every other category in which its nominated.

With no Rings stars nominated for acting awards though, some of the other results are still ripe for speculation. More...

Oscar Prediction: Best Picture

February 26th, 2004

Having called the results for Best Animate Feature and Achievement in Directing over the past two days, we're ready to announce a projected winner for the big prize... Best Picture. Our projections are based on the entries in our Predict the Academy Awards competition. More...

Oscar Prediction: Directing

February 25th, 2004

Every day between now and the Academy Awards ceremony we're predicting the result of one of the categories based on votes in our Predict the Oscars competition. Yesterday we predicted a safe win for Finding Nemo as Best Animated Feature. Today we're calling the result for Directing. More...

WGA Announces Winners over the Weekend

February 23rd, 2004

In amongst the more than a dozen awards handed out at the 56th Annual Writers Guild Awards on Saturday were two for theatrical releases. More...

Four part Harmony

February 19th, 2004

The rerelease of the French musical Umbrellas of Cherbourg topped this week's per theatre average chart with $14,760 in its lone theatre. Three other films very close to each other battling for second place. The overall champ, 50 First Dates finished a strong second with $11,098 in almost 3600 theatres. While Osama spent its second weekend on the list with $10,151. The final film to top $10,000 was the self-distributed Robot Stories. Despite having a tiny distribution budget, the Science Fiction anthology sold out four showings on its way to earning $10,026 in it only theatre. More...

DVD Releases for February 3, 2004

February 2nd, 2004

Every week films get a second chance at success from the home market; or, in some cases, a first chance at success. Here is a list of wide releases, limited releases and a few from the growing TV on DVD section. There is an excellent selection this week as a number of Oscar contenders were released to take advantage of last week's nominations. Both American Splendor - (Buy from Amazon) and Lost in Translation - ( Buy from Amazon) are on my must buy list. As are box sets for The Office and Red Dwarf). Don't forget Labyrinth (Collector's Edition Boxed Set) - (Buy from Amazon.) I guess I don't need to buy food this week. More...

Yikes. Just yikes.

January 30th, 2004

It's been a while since the prospects for catching a good movie at the theatres was this bad. And it's not like there's lack of wide releases this week. There are three of them. Three wide releases with combined reviews of only 17% positive. In fact, the box office race for top spot should prove more interesting that any of the movies trying to get there. More...

King Oscar, Lord of the Nominations

January 27th, 2004

Nominations for the 76the Annual Academy Awards were announced today. As always, here is a list of the nominations, plus reactions below. More...

2004 WGA Nominations Announced

January 26th, 2004

While the Writers' Guild of America hand out more than a dozen awards each year, only two apply to theatrical releases, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Here are the nominations in each of those categories. More...

And the Golden Globe goes to ...

January 26th, 2004

Recapping last nights Golden Globes ceremony, here are the winners with a brief reaction below. More...

2004 Golden Globe Awards are being Handed out Tonight

January 25th, 2004

With the awards ceremony only hours away, here's one last look at the theatrical nominations for tonight's 61st annual Golden Globes awards. More...

2003 SAG Nominations Announced

January 18th, 2004

On Thursday the 10th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards(R) Nominations were announced. Here is a list of all the nominations in theatrical categories as well as a brief reaction to them. More...

Last Weekend on Top for King?

January 13th, 2004

For the first time since it was released, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King had some stiff competition for top spot on the charts. It did still take first place for the fourth weekend in a row with $35.3 million in 51 markets. Including wins in head-to-head competition with second place The Last Samurai. For instance, Return of the King's fourth weekend easily won in the U.K. $6.7 million to Samurai's $4.9 million. It was a closer contest in Germany, but King remained number one $5.5 million to $4.9 million. But with only a couple of mid-level openings this week in Indonesia and the Czech Republic it could drop out of first place next weekend. Its international total $455 million, second for the year surpassing The Matrix Reloaded by less than $1 million and putting it in a virtual tie with The Lion King for 10th all-time. Worldwide it hit $767, which is also second for the year but 13th all-time. More...

Fish Remains Big on the Per Theatre Charts

December 23rd, 2003

Taking top spot on the Per Theatre Charts in consecutive weeks is not an easy task, but that's just what Big Fish did this week. And it did it by keeping nearly 80% of its premiere audience landing at $27,440 per theatre. Add in a few awards / nominations and an early January wide release and it could add up to box office hit. More...

Number One for Volume 1

October 13th, 2003


Will Kill Bill Thrill?

October 13th, 2003


Back in Black

October 7th, 2003


Higher Education or Timely Thriller

October 3rd, 2003


Soldiers Take Top Spot, While Holdovers Stay Strong

October 2nd, 2003


Box Office Runs Out of Gas

September 29th, 2003


Running Over the Competition

September 26th, 2003


First Place 20 Years in the Making

September 23rd, 2003


Underworld Finishes the Weekend on Top at the Box Office

September 22nd, 2003


Lost Leads the Way

September 16th, 2003


The Drought is Over

September 12th, 2003


Movie Websites Launches for September 4 - September 10

September 10th, 2003


Movie Websites Launches for August 14 - August 20

August 20th, 2003


Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Sep 12, 2003 15 $925,087   23 $40,221   $925,087 1
Sep 19, 2003 10 $2,622,737 +184% 183 $14,332   $3,957,342 2
Sep 26, 2003 10 $3,688,538 +41% 488 $7,558   $8,640,267 3
Oct 3, 2003 7 $4,163,333 +13% 864 $4,819   $14,017,704 4
Oct 10, 2003 10 $2,822,419 -32% 882 $3,200   $18,121,154 5
Oct 17, 2003 11 $1,903,194 -33% 771 $2,468   $20,964,443 6
Oct 24, 2003 13 $1,483,166 -22% 568 $2,611   $23,111,364 7
Oct 31, 2003 13 $1,233,218 -17% 522 $2,362   $24,844,796 8
Nov 7, 2003 13 $942,992 -24% 380 $2,482   $26,244,243 9
Nov 14, 2003 15 $706,284 -25% 301 $2,346   $27,310,686 10
Nov 21, 2003 18 $531,787 -25% 228 $2,332   $28,061,165 11
Nov 28, 2003 19 $544,363 +2% 177 $3,075   $28,901,949 12
Dec 5, 2003 20 $283,758 -48% 156 $1,819   $29,310,562 13
Dec 12, 2003 23 $217,008 -24% 148 $1,466   $29,649,058 14
Dec 19, 2003 22 $263,089 +21% 130 $2,024   $30,032,449 15
Dec 26, 2003 26 $370,468 +41% 117 $3,166   $30,656,612 16
Jan 2, 2004 25 $499,543 +35% 123 $4,061   $31,586,561 17
Jan 9, 2004 20 $747,470 +50% 342 $2,186   $32,520,705 18
Jan 16, 2004 21 $763,034 +2% 366 $2,085   $33,584,106 19
Jan 23, 2004 22 $725,768 -5% 357 $2,033   $34,677,058 20
Jan 30, 2004 15 $2,156,557 +197% 632 $3,412   $37,437,901 21
Feb 6, 2004 15 $1,731,915 -20% 630 $2,749   $39,853,665 22
Feb 13, 2004 15 $1,492,810 -14% 600 $2,488   $41,815,971 23
Feb 20, 2004 18 $831,250 -44% 481 $1,728   $43,217,012 24
Feb 27, 2004 23 $432,129 -48% 291 $1,485   $43,871,278 25
Mar 5, 2004 29 $243,105 -44% 179 $1,358   $44,161,419 26
Mar 12, 2004 37 $120,027 -51% 111 $1,081   $44,477,523 27
Mar 19, 2004 50 $42,950 -64% 51 $842   $44,566,004 28

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
Sep 19, 2003 10 $883,000     183 $4,825   $2,250,000 8
Sep 22, 2003 8 $242,000     183 $1,322   $4,199,000 11
Sep 23, 2003 8 $265,000 +10%   183 $1,448   $4,464,000 12
Sep 24, 2003 8 $235,000 -11%   183 $1,284   $4,699,000 13
Sep 25, 2003 8 $235,000 n/c   183 $1,284   $4,952,000 14
Sep 26, 2003 10 $1,026,000 +337% +16% 488 $2,102   $5,978,000 15
Sep 27, 2003 10 $1,652,000 +61%   488 $3,385   $7,634,000 16
Sep 28, 2003 9 $1,007,000 -39%   488 $2,064   $8,640,267 17
Sep 29, 2003 9 $288,000 -71% +19% 488 $590   $8,928,000 18
Sep 30, 2003 8 $320,000 +11% +21% 488 $656   $9,249,000 19
Oct 1, 2003 8 $284,000 -11% +21% 488 $582   $9,533,000 20
Oct 2, 2003 6 $332,000 +17% +41% 488 $680   $9,863,000 21
Oct 3, 2003 7 $1,256,000 +278% +22% 864 $1,454   $11,119,000 22
Oct 4, 2003 7 $1,992,000 +59% +21% 864 $2,306   $13,037,000 23
Oct 5, 2003 7 $979,000 -51% -3% 864 $1,133   $14,017,704 24
Oct 6, 2003 7 $331,000 -66% +15% 864 $383   $14,348,000 25
Oct 7, 2003 7 $335,000 +1% +5% 864 $388   $14,683,000 26
Oct 8, 2003 7 $294,000 -12% +4% 864 $340   $14,977,000 27
Oct 9, 2003 7 $331,000 +13% n/c 864 $383   $15,299,000 28
Oct 10, 2003 10 $800,000 +142% -36% 882 $907   $16,099,000 29
Oct 11, 2003 10 $1,217,000 +52% -39% 882 $1,380   $17,320,000 30
Oct 12, 2003 10 $804,000 -34% -18% 882 $912   $18,121,154 31
Oct 13, 2003 10 $343,000 -57% +4% 882 $389   $18,464,000 32
Oct 14, 2003 10 $224,000 -35% -33% 882 $254   $18,688,000 33
Oct 21, 2003 10 $183,000   -18% 771 $237   $21,308,000 40
Oct 22, 2003 10 $169,000 -8%   771 $219   $21,476,000 41
Oct 23, 2003 10 $171,000 +1%   771 $222   $21,628,000 42
Jan 19, 2004 22 $164,728     366 $450   $33,748,834 130
Feb 16, 2004 15 $256,444     600 $427   $42,072,415 158

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Sep 12, 2003 15 $1,334,605   23 $58,026   $1,334,605 1
Sep 19, 2003 11 $3,617,124 +171% 183 $19,766   $4,951,729 2
Sep 26, 2003 10 $4,902,642 +36% 488 $10,046   $9,854,371 3
Oct 3, 2003 7 $5,444,364 +11% 864 $6,301   $15,298,735 4
Oct 10, 2003 10 $3,762,514 -31% 882 $4,266   $19,061,249 5
Oct 17, 2003 11 $2,566,949 -32% 771 $3,329   $21,628,198 6
Oct 24, 2003 13 $1,983,380 -23% 568 $3,492   $23,611,578 7
Oct 31, 2003 14 $1,689,673 -15% 522 $3,237   $25,301,251 8
Nov 7, 2003 13 $1,303,151 -23% 380 $3,429   $26,604,402 9
Nov 14, 2003 15 $924,976 -29% 301 $3,073   $27,529,378 10
Nov 21, 2003 19 $828,208 -10% 228 $3,632   $28,357,586 11
Nov 28, 2003 20 $669,218 -19% 177 $3,781   $29,026,804 12
Dec 5, 2003 18 $405,246 -39% 156 $2,598   $29,432,050 13
Dec 12, 2003 22 $337,310 -17% 148 $2,279   $29,769,360 14
Dec 19, 2003 21 $516,784 +53% 130 $3,975   $30,286,144 15
Dec 26, 2003 26 $800,874 +55% 117 $6,845   $31,087,018 16
Jan 2, 2004 24 $686,217 -14% 123 $5,579   $31,773,235 17
Jan 9, 2004 20 $1,047,837 +53% 342 $3,064   $32,821,072 18
Jan 16, 2004 23 $1,130,218 +8% 366 $3,088   $33,951,290 19
Jan 23, 2004 18 $1,330,054 +18% 357 $3,726   $35,281,344 20
Jan 30, 2004 15 $2,840,406 +114% 632 $4,494   $38,121,750 21
Feb 6, 2004 15 $2,201,411 -22% 630 $3,494   $40,323,161 22
Feb 13, 2004 16 $2,062,601 -6% 600 $3,438   $42,385,762 23
Feb 20, 2004 19 $1,053,387 -49% 481 $2,190   $43,439,149 24
Feb 27, 2004 25 $479,165 -55% 291 $1,647   $43,918,314 25
Mar 5, 2004 27 $439,182 -8% 179 $2,454   $44,357,496 26
Mar 12, 2004 42 $165,558 -62% 111 $1,492   $44,523,054 27
Mar 19, 2004 53 $62,399 -62% 51 $1,224   $44,585,453 28

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Australia 12/25/2003 $381,243 76 76 79 $650,102 1/22/2021
New Zealand 1/22/2004 $0 0 1 1 $564 10/19/2022
South Korea 2/7/2024 $1,688 1 1 1 $169,051 2/14/2024
 
Rest of World $71,680,127
 
International Total$72,499,844 2/14/2024

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.