While Pacific Rim was a risky venture in the States, it’s apparently doing very well in China, a market the United States is counting on more than ever for extra box office. It still remains to be seen if Pacific Rim can do well enough to warrant a sequel, but now reports tell us that the film has not done well in the country that has always revered giant robots: Japan.
As Variety tells us, Japan seemed a no brainer for Pacific Rim, but it hasn’t been doing well in the land of the rising sun, with World War Z pulling ahead of it at the box office. As to why this happened, the industry trade speculates that the two Asian stars of the film don’t have Brad Pitt’s pull at the box office.
Variety also feels that Pacific Rim “lacked the sort of franchise branding that powered the many knock-offs and spin-offs of the original Godzilla to box office heights in Japan…” While we still have yet to see if Pacific Rim will have a second life here in the States when it’s ready for home viewing, we’re also curious if overseas audiences will eventually catch on to it as well, or if it’s world-wide performance will be hit and miss.
