In South Korea's box office chart, the fantasy film 'Wonka,' starring Timothee Chalamet, made a remarkable debut after being released nearly two months later than in other territories. Despite the delayed opening, 'Wonka' managed to inject some life into the otherwise sluggish theatrical market, earning $3.97 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). This impressive figure accounted for 53% of the total cinema business over the weekend.
During its first five days since its Wednesday debut in Korea, 'Wonka' accumulated a total of $5.67 million. Considering the traditionally slow month and the currently depressed Korean box office market, these numbers represent a decent opening. The nationwide cinema market expanded by 25% compared to the previous week, reaching a weekend size of $7.46 million.
Slipping to second place in the box office was the comedy-drama film 'Citizen of a Kind.' It tells the story of a woman who takes matters into her own hands after falling victim to a scam. Although it suffered a 36% decrease in earnings, the film still managed to add $1.65 million to its already impressive cumulative total of $6.47 million after 12 days.
Meanwhile, the fantasy action film 'Alienoid 2' dropped to third place in its fifth weekend. It earned $354,000 between Friday and Sunday, contributing to a cumulative total of $10.1 million since its release on January 10. The first installment of the 'Alienoid' series, released in 2022, had earned $12.2 million.
In fourth place was the biopic 'The Birth of Korea,' which focuses on the life of a 19th-century Catholic priest. It made $219,000 over the weekend and $270,000 over its first five days. The U.S. animation film 'Wish' took fifth place with earnings of $172,000 during the latest weekend, bringing its cumulative total to $9.88 million since its release on January 3.
The political-historical drama '12.12: The Day' held on to sixth place, generating $158,000 during the weekend. Its cumulative total reached an impressive $95.3 million since it premiered on November 22, making it the biggest film of 2023 in Korea so far.
Seventh place was claimed by 'Anatomy of a Fall,' a Cannes Palme d'Or-winning film and multiple Oscar nominee. It made a debut with $129,000 over the weekend and earned $230,000 over its first five days. Another French title, the animated film 'The Jungle Bunch 2: Operation Meltdown' (marketed as 'The Jungle Bunch: World Tour' in Korea), earned $123,000 during its opening five days.
The film 'Migration,' which has been in Korean cinemas since January 10, added $96,000 to its total over the weekend. So far, it has accumulated $2.26 million. In the tenth spot, we have the Japanese animation film 'New Dimension! Crayon Shinchan the Movie: Battle of Supernatural Powers - Flying Sushi.' It earned $73,000 and has amassed a total of $6.68 million since its release on December 22.
Despite the challenging times faced by the Korean box office, the debut of 'Wonka' provides a glimmer of hope. As audiences slowly return to theaters, we may see a revival in the coming months. Stay tuned for more updates on the South Korean box office and the latest films making waves in the industry.
Note: The title of the blog has been deliberately omitted as per the instruction.
