The local blockbuster, The Roundup: Punishment, has continued to dominate the South Korean box office for the fourth consecutive weekend, bringing its total earnings to an impressive $75 million.
Punishment, the fourth installment in the brutal action-comedy film franchise produced by and starring Don Lee (also known as Ma Dong-Seok), earned $3.05 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). Although the film’s week-on-week performance saw a 46% decrease, it still held a strong 36% share of the Korean theatrical market.
After nearly four weeks in theaters, the movie has accumulated a total of $75.2 million from 10.7 million admissions. The highest-grossing title of the year so far is Exhuma, with $84.8 million from 11.9 million ticket sales.
These two films have been the major players at the Korean box office this year, helping the country achieve a significant recovery in theatrical trends. Both March and April saw record-breaking performances. So far this year, Korean-produced films have led the box office on 14 out of 20 weekends.
The Korean mystery thriller Following was the top-performing new release over the weekend, earning $1.72 million between Friday and Sunday and $2.76 million over its full five-day opening run.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes earned $1.17 million in its second weekend, representing a 52% week-on-week decline. After 12 days in Korean cinemas, it has a cumulative total of $3.14 million.
In fourth place, is the Japanese animation Haikyu! The Dumpster Battle opened with $1.12 million over the weekend and $2.68 million over its five-day opening run.
Korea Box Office: ‘IF’ and Other New Releases Make Little Impact as ‘The Roundup: Punishment’ Hits $75 Million https://t.co/Cjc76yOkSJ pic.twitter.com/4qzDUCI8FY
— sdwahine78 (@sdwahine78) May 20, 2024
The Garfield Movie took fifth place with $562,000 over the weekend and $1.29 million over five days.
IF opened in sixth place with $226,000 over the weekend and $493,000 over five days. In North America, it opened as the market leader, though its performance was considered modest.
The rereleased Japanese romantic drama The Last 10 Years earned $112,000 over the weekend, bringing its running total to $4.10 million.
The Australian horror film Late Night With the Devil earned $98,000, bringing its total to $546,000 after three weekends.
The Shawshank Redemption, which was rereleased, earned $31,000, placing it in ninth. Kung Fu Panda 4 earned $28,000 over the weekend, bringing its total since its April 10 release to $12.2 million, making it the fifth highest-grossing film in South Korea this year. Source
Also Read: Film Factory Takes Global Rights to Ex Machina-Inspired Spanish Sci-Fi Thriller Singular
