Director Yeon Sang-ho’s action-horror-zombie blockbuster Colony, which just had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival’s Midnight Screening section, reignited the South Korean box office over the weekend of May 22nd to May 24th.
According to data from KOBIS, a tracking service run by the Korea Film Council, the big-budget movie grossed a whopping $9.4 million from 1,283,343 viewers over three days, taking 71.85% of the market’s total revenue.
The film, distributed by Showbox, has attracted 1,501,633 viewers and grossed $10.9 million since its theatrical release on May 21st. This survival thriller marks the filmmaker’s high-profile return to Train to Busan’s signature zombie architecture. According to Comscore, the film was the eighth highest-grossing film worldwide.
The local powerhouse’s astronomical debut has pushed the pop biopic “Michael” back to second place. The musical drama earned $1.9 million in its second weekend, maintaining a steady market share of 15.04%. Since its premiere on May 13th, the film has brought total grosses in South Korea to $7.9 million with 1,075,229 admissions.
“Super Mario Galaxy Movie” dropped one spot to No. 3, adding $372,363 to the ledger. The film had a cumulative attendance of 1,538,814 people and a cumulative box office revenue of $9.8 million.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” placed fourth, collecting $335,728 from 44,951 tickets in three days. The film’s cumulative box office revenue is $10.3 million.
The Japanese animated feature Gintama: Yoshiwara Flames debuted in fifth place, earning $191,216 in three days. Directed by Naoya Ando, the film reimagines the iconic manga story with new subplots. Since its May 20 release, the film has grossed $322,235.
Long-running independent horror-thriller “Sarumokuji: Whispering Waters” added $176,284 to move into sixth place. Lee Sang Min’s genre standout has enjoyed incredible longevity, collecting a total of $21.8 million from 3,222,502 admissions since its wide release in early April.
Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster “Project Hail Mary” came in seventh place, earning an additional $115,367, increasing its lifetime gross in South Korea to $21.5 million. The Canadian meta-comedy “Nirvana: The Band, The Show, The Movie” came in at No. 8, debuting at $98,358 and earning a total of $157,521.
Rounding out the bottom of the top 10 were two Japanese animated features. “Anpanman: Baikinman and Picture Book Lulun” came in 9th place with $69,015 after its release on May 23rd, and “Kokoro no Hajime” came in 10th place with a weekend box office gross of $94,847 and a cumulative box office gross of $123,537.
The overall market total for the weekend was $13.1 million, up from $6.8 million the previous week.
