TOKYO -- According to figures released on Monday by the Foreign Film Importer-Distrbitutors Association of Japan, the number of foreign pics released in Japan slid in the first half of 2007, a reflection of the deflation of the "Korean boom" and the decline of HK cinema in the Japanese market.

From January to the end of June, a total of 173 foreign pics opened on Japanese screens, compared with 200 in the same period for the year before. By country, the US led the pack with 74 releases, followed by Korea (13), the UK (nine), France (nine) and China (seven). Comparable top-fives for 2006 were the US (71), Korea (32), Hong Kong (13), France (10), China (six) and Germany (five).

The drop of 19 Korea pics year-on reflects their bad-to-mediocre performance at the Japanese BO. Last year not one Korea pic cleared the Y1 billion ($8.5 million) BO hurdle, considered the mark of a commercial hit.

Likewise fading from local screens are Hong Kong pics. Only two were released in Japan in the first half of the year, compared with 13 the same period in 2006.

Meanwhile, releases of US product have held steady. By company Fox and Gaga Communications were the leaders in the first half with 11 pics each, followed by Sony (10), UIP (10) and Warner (9). In 2006 the top company in the same period was SPO with 23 releases, followed by Sony (11), UIP (10), Warner (10) and Gaga and Fox (seven.)

© Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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