Local romance film “Once Were Us” maintained its top spot at the South Korean box office, according to data from KOBIS, a tracking service run by the Korea Film Council.
“Once We Were Us” grossed $1.2 million from Friday through Sunday from 179,740 viewers. Directed by Kim Do-young and starring Gu Kyo-hwan and Moon Ga-young, the film is a local remake of the 2018 Chinese hit “Us and Them,” about two ex-lovers who first meet in 2008 and unexpectedly reunite on a plane 10 years later. The film has currently attracted 2,322,852 viewers and has grossed $15.5 million in total box office revenue.
In second place, the local musical drama “Choir of God” continued its strong performance in its fifth week, earning $974,062 with 148,319 attendees. The film, starring Park Si Hoo and Jeon Jin Woong, centers on a North Korean security official who organizes a deceitful chorus to interact with international NGOs in order to secure foreign funding for the country. That total now stands at $6.1 million.
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” came in third place, earning $581,386 over the weekend. The threequel continues to generate long-term revenue in South Korea, and currently has 6,679,898 viewers and $53.4 million in cumulative box office revenue since its December release.
Local animated film “Simbi’s Haunted House: Summoned Again” took fourth place, adding $216,295 for a total of $1.8 million. Based on the popular TV series ‘Simbi Apartment’, the film follows brothers Hari and Dori and their goblin friend Simbi as they investigate a new paranormal threat involving mysterious water.
The highest-ranking new release of the weekend was director Sam Raimi’s survival horror film “Send Help,” which debuted in fifth place with $231,647 out of 34,266 attendees. Since its release on January 28th, it has grossed $355,618.
“Zootopia 2″ dropped to sixth place with $194,402, bringing the total to $56.4 million. It was followed by another Hollywood new release, “The Housemaid,” which debuted in seventh place with 28,418 attendees and $184,585 in admission fees.
Local suspense thriller “Sister” opened in eighth place with $168,064 out of 26,863 admissions. The film, directed by Jin Sung-moon, is about an illegal immigrant who turns to loan sharks to pay for his sick sister’s surgery. Desperate, she kidnaps the company owner’s daughter with the help of a loan shark accomplice. Since its release on January 28, the film has grossed $266,834.
The Japanese romance film “Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight” earned $132,502. The 2022 film is about a girl with anterograde amnesia who wakes up forgetting her daily life. The film, along with a local remake of the same title, has received renewed interest.
Rounding out the top 10 was the classic Studio Ghibli animation “Castle in the Sky,” which earned $104,806 for a total of $597,166.
The overall market total for the weekend was $4.9 million, down from $6.3 million the previous week.
