The first live-action rendition of Hitoshi Iwaaki's "Parasyte" manga took the Japanese box office by storm - more like an invasion - this past weekend on Nov. 29. The alien-possession story sold about 256,200 tickets, grossing nearly 340 million yen (approx. $2.85 million), despite mixed and negative reviews, according to the Anime News Network.
The ticket sales beat out Brad Pitt's World War II film, "Fury," in the box office, which ranked #2 with approx. 155,700 tickets sold (201 million yen (U.S. $1.68 million)).
"Parasyte" takes place in an alternate world where Earth is invaded by parasitic aliens that attach themselves to human brains and take control of their bodies. The alien Migi possess the body of high school student Shinichi Izumi, but cannot control more than his right arm, practically forcing the two to learn to co-exist. The two even begin working together to fight other Parasytes, Migi's fellow aliens, who see humans as nothing more than food.
This film is the first of two live-action films dedicated to the series. The second film is slated to debut on April 25, 2014.
"Parasyte" won the Kodansha Manga Award for general manga in 1993, as well as the Seiun Award for Manga of the Year in 1996. The manga also spawned an anime that aired in Japan on Oct. 8, 2014. It is currently available for streaming on Crunchyroll.
