South Korean cinema box office slumped to its second lowest weekend of the year, continuing a recent weakening trend that was briefly punctuated last month by the local holiday season.
Between Friday and Sunday, aggregate nationwide revenues in Korea were just $5.11 million. Since the end of summer, there has only been one weekend when the cinema industry earned more than $10 million – a deeply depressed picture in what was the world’s fourth largest box office market in the pre-COVID era.
“Love Reset,” a local romantic comedy, was the only title that acquitted itself with much dignity. In its second weekend of release, the film dropped only 8% week-on-week to record $2.34 million, according to data from KOBIS, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). After 12 days on release, it has a cumulative of $8.86 million.
Directed by Nam Dae-joong, “Love Reset” is the story of a young couple in the midst of divorce who are involved in a car accident and lose their memories. When the amnesiac pair fall for each other again, their families try to trigger their memories and set them back on the road to separation.
With unconvincing new releases, “Love Reset” was able to increase its market share to 45%. “Hopeless,” a story of a young man trapped in crime, which had its world premiere in Un Certain Regard at Cannes, opened meekly in second place. It earned $657,000 over the weekend with a 13% market share, and $1.21 million over its opening five days.
Former market leader, “Dr Cheon and the Lost Talisman” slipped to third place with $426,000 over the weekend. The biggest beneficiary of the late September holiday, “Dr Cheon” now has a cumulative of $13.3 million.
Holiday season flop, “Road to Boston” held an unchanged fourth place. It earned just $229,000 for a cumulative of $6.41 million.
New release, “Miss Fortune” opened in fifth place with $257,000 and a market share of 5%. Over its opening five days, it managed $389,000.
“Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie” picked up $231,000 in sixth place for a cumulative of $794,000. In seventh, “The Creator” earned $142,000 for a two week cumulative of $1.96 million. “The Nun II” earned $144,000 for $2.70 million after three weekends.
Japanese horror film “Sana,” by genre-defining director Shimizu Takashi, slipped to ninth position in its second week. Over the weekend, it earned $118,000 for a cumulative of $486,000.
Newly-released, Chinese romantic drama “Behind the Blue Eyes” brought up tenth place in Korea. It earned $48,000 over the weekend proper and $70,000 over its opening five days.
