‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Opens in Second Place at Korea Box Office as ‘The Firefighters’ Stays on Top

As a seasoned movie critic who has traversed the cinematic landscapes of various nations, I find myself captivated by the vibrant tapestry that is South Korea’s box office scene. The local hit “The Firefighters,” with its poignant narrative and raw emotion, continues to set the stage ablaze, outshining even the mighty Disney titles.

In the local cinema scene, “The Firefighters” has consistently outperformed two Disney films, maintaining its dominance atop the South Korean box office charts.

Over the course of its third weekend, “The Firefighters” held onto the number one position with a domestic gross of $3.3 million, selling 510,975 tickets and accounting for 35.4% of the market share, as per data from Kobis, a tracking service run by the Korean Film Council. To date, the movie has amassed a total gross of $16.8 million within its territory. Nevertheless, the collective box office earnings of the top 10 films have stayed below $10 million, maintaining a slow pace.

Under the guidance of director Kwak Gyeong-Taek (“A Love”), the film “The Firefighters” centers on a fire station in Seoul, where a new recruit is assigned to the Rescue Unit and teams up with an experienced firefighter, renowned for saving numerous lives. Amidst the flames of a fierce blaze, the veteran disobeys the chief’s orders to retreat, choosing instead to risk everything to save a trapped occupant. Despite successfully rescuing a young girl, the operation ends in heartbreak as a fellow firefighter is lost. As tension mounts between the rookie and the veteran over unresolved guilt, they are summoned to another fire.

In its opening weekend, Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” earned the second spot with a gross of $1.6 million, serving 235,279 tickets, capturing a 17.1% share of the market. With a five-day total, it now stands at $2.1 million. Meanwhile, “Moana 2” slipped to third place, taking in $1.3 million, issuing 198,246 tickets, and holding a 13.6% market share. Its cumulative total is currently at $19.3 million.

The anime “Crayon Shin-chan: Ora’s Dinosaur Diary” jumped up seven places to claim the fourth spot, earning $1.2 million, with 185,754 admissions, representing a 12.7% market share and a cumulative total of $1.6 million. The top five positions were rounded off by “Wicked,” which slid down two positions, taking in $681,000, with 100,816 admissions, a 7.1% market share, and a grand total of $12.7 million.

Over the weekend, the sixth-place earner among movies was “About Family,” a Korean comedy about a man transitioning from an elite medical student to a priest, bringing in $219,000. To date, this film has amassed a total of $1.7 million.

7th on the list, “The Substance” – featuring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley – earned $200,000, bringing its overall earnings to $750,000. Meanwhile, the documentary “First Lady,” which delves into the disputes surrounding Kim Keon-hee, the wife of South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, was released amidst political upheaval in the country. It earned $110,000 in 8th place and has accumulated a total of $445,000 to date.

The new movie titled “Harbin,” a captivating period drama by Woo Min-ho starring Hyun Bin, portrays Korean freedom fighters who orchestrated an assault on Harbin to secure their nation’s independence. Before its Christmas Eve debut, the film made $156,000 in previews following its screening at Toronto earlier this year.

2024-12-23 10:16

‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Opens in Second Place at Korea Box Office as ‘The Firefighters’ Stays on Top

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