TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Kabuki-themed film "Kokuho" had earned 17.37 billion yen ($111 million) in revenue at the box office as of Monday, becoming the highest-grossing live-action Japanese film ever, its distributor Toho Co. said on Tuesday.

The movie, directed by Lee Sang Il and released in June, broke the previous record of 17.35 billion yen set by "Bayside Shakedown 2," which was released in 2003.

Based on a book with the same title by Shuichi Yoshida, the film depicts the human drama and love-hate relationships within the Kabuki world, exploring whether talent or belonging to an acting dynasty through birth or adoption is more important.

Japanese actor Ryo Yoshizawa stars, with Ryusei Yokohama and Ken Watanabe also appearing.

According to a Japanese box office survey company, "Kokuho" rose to 11th place in the overall ranking, coming after films such as the animated film "Demon Slayer," the all-time box office leader, and the Hollywood film "Titanic" in fourth place.

The popularity of the film has rekindled public interest in actual Kabuki, with an estimated 10,000 people visiting Tokyo's Kabukiza Theatre for the first time during the July-October period, marking a nearly 30 percent increase in new audiences from a year earlier, according to its organizer.

The book has also been a hit, selling 2 million copies so far, its publisher said.