Korea Box Office: ‘Gladiator II’ Claims Debut Weekend Victory, no Triumph

As a seasoned film enthusiast who has witnessed the ebb and flow of Korean cinema for the past few decades, I must say that the recent trend in Korean cinemas has been a bit disheartening. The opening weekend of “Gladiator II” may have topped the charts, but it’s hard not to compare it with the glory days when local productions like “The Host” or “Parasite” ruled the box office.

In its debut, “Gladiator II” took the top spot at the South Korean box office. However, it failed to reverse the recent lackluster pattern in Korean cinema.

In the five days since Ridley Scott’s sequel was released, it generated a total of $3.19 million, as per data from Kobis, a tracking service run by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). During its first weekend, it made approximately $2.31 million.

During its opening weekend, it didn’t quite match the success of multiple Hollywood movies that premiered in Korea this year, such as “Wonka,” “Kung Fu Panda 4,” “Furiosa: A Mad Max Story,” “Deadpool and Wolverine,” “Alien” Romulus,” and “Venom: The Last Dance.” However, it outperformed the more recent release, “Red One,” which dropped to 18th place in its second weekend in Korea, earning only $18,200 over the weekend and a total of $406,000 since its premiere on Nov. 6.

During the weekend, ‘Gladiator II’ accounted for approximately 40.6% of South Korea’s total box office revenue from Friday through Sunday. With a total earnings of $5.71 million, this figure marked an improvement compared to the previous week, but it was not substantial enough to counteract South Korea’s ongoing box office decline since summer.

Last weekend’s joint champion, “Hear Me, Our Summer,” slipped to the second spot during its second week in theaters. It grossed $1.18 million, bringing its total earnings for a 12-day run to $3.57 million. This film is actually a Korean adaptation of a popular 2009 Taiwanese romantic comedy about a hearing-impaired swimmer and her brother who helps her, and in the process, finds himself falling in love with a girl he meets. As a movie enthusiast, I can’t wait to see how this heartwarming tale unfolds!

As a passionate cinephile, I must say that the latest horror flick “Devil’s Stay,” directed by Hyun Moon-sub, made quite an impression, landing in third place during its opening weekend. It raked in a total of $710,000 over the weekend and an impressive $1.02 million throughout its five-day debut.

In the recent box office collection, “Venom 3” slipped from its shared first position to finish in fourth place during the latest weekend. The film made $507,000, bringing its total earnings to $12 million since its release on October 23.

As a dedicated moviegoer, I must admit that the top four titles truly reigned supreme, but the rest were just a notch below. The delightful Korean comedy-drama “Amazon Bullseye,” centered around archery, managed to pull in $138,000 over a three-week period, adding up to a grand total of $3.73 million. Similarly, “The Wild Robot” kept ticking, accumulating another $86,500, pushing its cumulative earnings to a robust $4.37 million.

The re-release of the 2016-17 Denis Villeneuve sci-fi mystery film “Arrival” ranked seventh, earning a total of $65,000. The Korean movie “Love in the Big City,” re-released as well, garnered $42,800 for a collective sum of around $5.93 million from October to November.

In the ninth spot at the box office, the Japanese animation “Weathering With You” earned $41,200. Meanwhile, the South Korean film “Deadline” brought in $28,000 during its second weekend, adding to its total earnings of $186,000.

2024-11-18 05:18

Korea Box Office: ‘Gladiator II’ Claims Debut Weekend Victory, no Triumph

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