Korean film “The Night Owl” was the favorite in local cinemas over a quiet box office weekend. It was the third weekend win in a row for the period thriller.
“Night Owl” earned $3.65 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). The performance represented a strong hold as it was only 15% down on its second weekend. It also held a muscular 47% market share.
The additional business lifted the film’s nearly three-week cumulative total to $19.0 million. That makes it the tenth best-performing film of the year in Korea, behind “Thor: Love and Thunder.”
In second place for the second weekend was the Don Lee-starring comedy “Men of Plastic” which earned $710,000, a more than 50% decline from its opening session. After 12 days in cinemas, it has earned $4.03 million.
Japanese romantic drama film “Even if This Love Disappears From the World Tonight” expanded its number of playdates and climbed the chart from sixth place in its first weekend to third place in its second. It earned $674,000, representing a 6.7% market share, to achieve a $1.39 million cumulative after 12 days.
The overall nationwide aggregate was $7.70 million, down from $9.46 million in the previous weekend session. This means that fully three months have gone by without a $10 million-scoring weekend.
“A Birth” added $515,000 in its second frame, only fractionally weaker than in its opening session when it earned $523,000. After 12 days it has $1.65 million.
Korean animation, “Pororo and Friends: Virus Busters” added $314,000 in its second weekend for an 11-day total of $928,000.
“The Haunted House: The Dimensional Goblin and the Seven Worlds” a feature spin-off from “Shinbi’s Haunted House,” a Korean-made animation series, was the weekend’s highest new opener. It scored $281,000.
Japanese animation, “One Piece Film Red” earned $273,000 in seventh place over the weekend for a 12-day cumulative total of $1.40 million.
“Prey for the Devil” earned $260,000 over the weekend and $419,000 over its opening five days making it the highest U.S. film in the Korean chart over the latest weekend. Behind it “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” managed just $101,000, for a cumulative score of $16.9 million.
French animation, “Terra Willy” was a tenth placed chart newcomer. It earned $85,000 over the weekend and $108,000 over its opening five days.
Releasing and attendance both slipped as Korean theaters get ready for the arrival of “Avatar: The Way of Water.” The James Cameron-directed behemoth will arrive on Wednesday in Korea – effectively its commercial world premiere.
Kobis’ advanced sales data shows “Avatar 2” making a predictably strong start. It currently accounts for 87% of advanced bookings and has sold half a million tickets to date.
Monica has a BA in Journalism and English from the University of Massachusetts and an MS in Journalism and Communications from Quinnipiac University. Monica has worked as a journalist for over 20 years covering all things entertainment. She has covered everything from San Diego Comic-Con, The SAG Awards, Academy Awards, and more. Monica has been published in Variety, Swagger Magazine, Emmy Magazine, CNN, AP, Hidden Remote, and more. For the past 10 years, she has added PR and marketing to her list of talents as the president of Prime Entertainment Publicity, LLC. Monica is ready for anything and is proudly obsessed with pop culture.
