It has been announced that the film 《Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone》 can be seen again at TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku.
The 25th-anniversary screening, initially limited to 1 week, will continue at some theaters through September 10 in response to audience reaction.
However, what has been clearly announced for Shinjuku is the additional special audience-participation screening, separate from the extension of regular screenings, so the two pieces of information should be considered separately.
3-line summary
1. Shinjuku is a theater hosting a special audience-participation screening on September 10
2. The regular screening extension applies only to some theaters
3. The audiences and formats for the two screenings are different
The first film from 2001 has returned for a 25th-anniversary rerelease
This rerelease is 《Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone》, the first film in the Harry Potter series, based on the original work by J.K. Rowling. The film was released in 2001 and began screening nationwide again from August 28 to commemorate its 25th anniversary. The originally announced period was 1 week.
The record from its original release also shows why this rerelease has attracted attention. Sankei News reported that the film’s worldwide box-office revenue was 9억7천400 dollars, ranking first in worldwide box-office revenue that year. Its Japanese box-office revenue was reported as 203 billion yen. Rather than being simply a scheduling decision to screen an old film again, the context is that the first film itself was the starting point of a series that achieved major box-office success.
This screening was not limited to standard screens. Reports also mentioned formats such as IMAX, Dolby Cinema, and 4D. The point attracting attention was not only the chance to watch the same film again, but also the opportunity to see it on a large screen or in a special screening environment.
After the main feature ends, a bonus making-of video running approximately 12 minutes will also continue to be shown. Therefore, it is difficult to describe this rerelease as a program consisting solely of the feature film. The details of Shinjuku’s scheduling must be checked separately, but an announcement has been made that the rerelease program includes additional footage.
The extension announcement came after 6만5천 viewers and 1억4천만 yen
Cinema Today reported that, during the first 3 days after the rerelease began, attendance exceeded 6만5천 viewers and box-office revenue exceeded 1억4천 yen. Online, people said that a 1-week run was too short and requested the chance to see the film again on a large screen; the explanation was that extensions at some theaters were decided in response to these reactions.
The confirmed announcement states that screenings will be extended at some theaters through September 10. The important limitation here is the phrase “some theaters.” The fact that TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku is included in the list of theaters hosting the special audience-participation screening should not be read as meaning that its regular rerelease screening will automatically be extended as well.
The list of theaters eligible for the extension was scheduled to be updated at 6 p.m. on September 3. This is scheduled information needed when checking whether Shinjuku’s regular screening will be extended; it is not grounds for confirming Shinjuku’s extension before the update. The fact that the extension was decided in response to audience reaction and the information about which theaters are included are separate matters.
This is also the point most likely to cause confusion in this announcement. The screening-period extension is an announcement covering some theaters, while the additional special audience-participation screening is an event at 5 named theaters. Even if the same film and the same date are mentioned, the theaters covered cannot be assumed to be the same.
What was added at Shinjuku is a special audience-participation screening on September 10
The special audience-participation screening was introduced as a different format from a regular screening, where audiences watch quietly. Reports say that audience members can recite famous lines together, cheer during scenes, and wave wands. The event promotes an experience in which the entire movie theater takes on an atmosphere resembling the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from the film.
At the special audience-participation screenings on the first day, August 28, audiences wearing house costumes and carrying wands and cheering items reportedly gathered. As cases of sold-out tickets followed, an additional event was decided. This is a plan for an additional event announced on the basis of the response to the earlier events.
The additional special audience-participation screening will be held on September 10. The participating theaters are TOHO Cinemas Hibiya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro in Tokyo; TOHO Cinemas Namba in Osaka; and TOHO Cinemas Nagoya Sakae in Aichi—for a total of 5 theaters. Regarding TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku, the joint-hosting list is what is currently confirmed explicitly.
The information needed differs depending on whether you are looking for a rerelease where you can watch the film and bonus footage on a large screen or a special audience-participation screening where you can share the audience’s reactions. Even when searching by the keyword “Shinjuku,” the key point is the specific list of theaters hosting the special audience-participation screening on September 10, rather than the broader announcement of a “screening extension.” It is more accurate to consider the regular screening extension separately from the updated list.
References
Tags #TOHOシネマズ新宿 #TOHOシネマズ新宿 #HarryPotter #HarryPotterAndTheSorcerersStone #HarryPotter25thAnniversary #HarryPotterRerelease #SpecialAudienceParticipationScreening #TokyoMovieTheater #ShinjukuMovieTheater #IMAX #DolbyCinema #4D #MovieRerelease