Report
FATAL INTUTION Tops Slow Weekend
Thrillers Give Local Industry Market Edge
Business slowed down during the Halloween weekend, which is not considered a major event in Korea, as local thrillers held the advantage over imported fare. Korean films accounted for 56% of ticket sales out of a total 1.64 million viewers.
CGV ARTHOUSE managed to debut the JOO Won-starring thriller FATAL INTUITION in first place, but its 456,205 viewers (USD 3.28 million), and 628,169 admissions (USD 4.31 million) since its Thursday bow, which accounted for 28% of the marketplace, was on the low side for a first place start. A slew of mid-level thrillers released in the past few weeks may have dampened audience’s enthusiasm.
Slipping to second place after a 42% slide was The Phone, with box office draw SON Hyun-ju, which added 355,150 spectators (USD 2.5 million) to a respectable total which now stands at 1.38 million admissions (USD 9.48 million).
Slipping to second place after a 42% slide was The Phone, with box office draw SON Hyun-ju, which added 355,150 spectators (USD 2.5 million) to a respectable total which now stands at 1.38 million admissions (USD 9.48 million).
In its fourth week, Ridley Scott’s The Martian was off 38% for an additional 330,083 admissions (USD 2.38 million), bringing the sci-fi blockbuster's total in South Korea to 4.49 million viewers (USD 32.38 million), the film’s third best showing to date worldwide, behind the United States and the United Kingdom.
The Intern held on for another 138,318 spectators (USD 998,097) to help the Hollywood workplace comedy ease over the USD 100 million mark in non-US markets. With 3.41 million viewers (USD 23.85 million) to date, South Korea is far and away the film’s strongest non-domestic market.
Much as it has in other markets, Robert Zemeckis’ drama The Walk stumbled in its Korean debut, amassing just 120,040 tickets (USD 1.04 million), and 157,202 in four days (USD 1.31 million), in its fifth place debut.
Beyond the top five, local thriller The Exclusive : Beat the Devil’s Tattoo, despite good reviews and strong user ratings, slipped a hefty 76% in its sophomore frame, grabbing another 75,845 spectators (USD 535,099) for a disappointing 584,477 admissions (USD 3.99 million) total.
Among other new openers, Guy Ritchie’s 60s TV show redo The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was D.O.A. with just 55,664 viewers (USD 400,850) and 78,767 (USD 546,614) since Thursday, while Showbox Inc.’s omnibus melodrama Summer Snow fared ever worse with just 18,866 spectators (USD 125,442) and 36,065 (USD 228,824) in total. However, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Cannes Jury Prize winner The Lobster had a strong bow in a limited number of theaters with 12,120 viewers (USD 90,953) in ninth place, and 15,308 (USD 112,093) after four days.
Local exorcism thriller The Priests, with KIM Yun-seok and GANG Dong-won, should continue the string of domestic number one openers later this week.
