Korean Weekend Box Office Hits $5.3 Million as Chiikawa Extends Its Run
The animated film holds the top spot for a third consecutive week while Brad Pitt’s Heart of the Beast opens in second.
By Hassan Ellis ·
A Japanese animated feature continues to dominate the South Korean theatrical market, holding the number one position for the third straight weekend. The film, Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island, generated 1.7 million dollars from 221,651 admissions during the period from October 30 to November 1. This performance accounted for 32.1% of the total weekend revenue, according to data from KOBIS, the tracking service run by the Korean Film Council.
The title, directed by Kei Oikawa and based on the manga by Nagano, has accumulated a total gross of 20.1 million dollars since its release began on September 30. It has drawn 2,583,851 viewers across 1,167 screens. The film’s sustained performance reflects strong audience demand for the franchise outside of its home market.
Entering the market mid-week on October 28, Sony Pictures and TriStar’s survival thriller Heart of the Beast opened in second place. The film, which stars Brad Pitt, earned 1.2 million dollars from 162,790 admissions over 1,106 screens during its first full weekend. This equated to 23% of the theatrical revenue. Since its launch, the title has collected 1.5 million dollars from 215,237 admissions.
The third position was taken by Ugly Duckling Ms. Maeng, a workplace comedy from By4M Studio and Barunson E&A. The film, which is the directorial debut of screenwriter Lee Yong-jae, grossed 326,609 dollars from 44,799 admissions across 677 screens. It captures 6.09% of the market. The plot centers on a high school language teacher who is unexpectedly placed on the secret committee for the national college entrance examination. The film has earned 505,208 dollars from 71,767 viewers since its October 28 commercial release following its Busan International Film Festival premiere.
Director Hur Jin-ho’s political crime thriller The Assassin(s) placed fourth in its sixth week of release. It collected 307,719 dollars from 41,265 admissions on 620 screens, representing 5.7% of receipts. Distributed by Hive Media Corp, the film stars Yu Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho. It reconstructs the assassination attempt on President Park Chung-hee in August 1974. Conservative civic groups have filed legal complaints alleging historical distortion, but the title has reached a cumulative total of 25.5 million dollars from 3,448,036 admissions since September 23.
The animated re-release Attack on Titan: Crimson Arrows took the fifth spot, earning 266,616 dollars from 30,263 admissions on 233 screens. Its updated cumulative total is 547,187 dollars from 72,324 admissions. In sixth place, CJ ENM’s gambling drama Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub earned 208,310 dollars from 26,650 admissions on 498 screens. Directed by Choi Kook-hee and starring Byun Yo-han, Noh Jae-won, and Ayaka Miyoshi, the film has crossed the two-million-ticket mark, with a cumulative gross of 15.7 million dollars from 2,055,522 viewers.
CJ Entertainment’s psychological thriller Paradise Lost, directed by Yeon Sang-ho, placed seventh with 124,104 dollars from 17,053 admissions on 593 screens. Its cumulative total is now 1 million dollars from 151,429 admissions. Warner Bros. and DC Studios’ Clayface placed eighth in admissions with 16,641 viewers on 444 screens, though it generated higher revenue of 140,321 dollars. The film has accumulated 899,915 dollars from 115,464 admissions.
Universal’s The Odyssey took ninth place in its thirteenth weekend, adding 108,833 dollars from 13,332 admissions on 254 screens. This represents 2.02% of the frame, bringing its cumulative total to 106.4 million dollars from 12,335,377 admissions since its August 5 opening. Rounding out the top ten, the Japanese romantic drama You, Like a Star debuted with 77,264 dollars from 10,091 admissions on 154 screens. The film has grossed 146,509 dollars from 20,478 admissions since its October 28 release.
The total collective gross for the South Korean market over the weekend was 5.3 million dollars. This figure is lower than the 5.6 million dollars recorded in the previous week.
