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The local romance “Once We Were Us” secured its third consecutive weekend at the top of the South Korean box office, according to data from KOBIS, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council. While the film remained steady at the summit, the weekend saw a notable rise for a local musical drama.
“Once We Were Us” earned $1.7 million from 254,298 admissions over the weekend. Directed by Kim Do-young and starring Koo Kyo-hwan and Moon Ga-young, the film is a local remake of the 2018 Chinese hit “Us and Them.” The story follows two people who first met as students and fell in love, only to be separated by the harsh realities of city life. They unexpectedly reunite a decade later, forcing them to confront their shared past and the dreams they once held. Since its New Year’s Eve debut, the film has amassed a cumulative gross of $13.6 million from 2,001,032 admissions.
In a significant surge, the local musical drama “Choir of God” climbed to second place, earning $1.05 million from 155,271 admissions. Starring Park Si-hoo and Jeong Jin-woon, the film follows a North Korean security officer who forms a deceptive choir to interact with an international NGO to secure foreign funds. The film has now earned a total of $4.5 million and managed to edge out “Avatar: Fire and Ash” for the runner-up spot.
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” dropped to third place, bringing in $1.03 million over the weekend. The threequel has been a massive earner in South Korea, currently sitting at a total cumulative gross of $53.2 million from 6,564,851 admissions since its mid-December release.
The highest-ranking new entry for the weekend was the local crime noir “Project Y,” which debuted in fourth place with $433,281 from 60,896 admissions. Directed by Lee Hwan, the film stars Han So-hee and Jeon Jong-seo as two friends who orchestrate a high-stakes heist to steal gold bars in Seoul’s Gangnam district. Before reaching local theaters, “Project Y” completed a successful festival circuit tour that included its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival and a screening at the Busan International Film Festival. Since its Jan. 21 release, it has earned a total of $699,196.
The local animated feature “Shinbi’s Haunted House: One More Summon” fell to fifth place, adding $373,548 for a total gross of $1.5 million. Based on the popular “Shinbi Apartment” television franchise, the film follows siblings Hari and Doori and their goblin friend Shinbi as they investigate a new supernatural threat involving mysterious hypnotizing water.
In sixth place, “Zootopia 2” added $341,227 for a cumulative total of $56.9 million. It was followed by the local romantic comedy “Heartman: Rock and Love,” which earned $230,297 for a total of $1.4 million. Directed by Choi Won-sub, “Heartman: Rock and Love” stars Kwon Sang-woo as a former musician living a quiet life whose world is turned upside down when he reunites with his first love, played by Moon Chae-won.
The eighth spot was held by the classic Japanese animation “Laputa: Castle in the Sky,” which earned $177,958 from 24,171 admissions. The re-release of the 1986 Miyazaki Hayao masterpiece follows a young boy and a girl with a magic crystal who search for a legendary floating castle while being pursued by sky pirates and government agents.
Rounding out the top ten were two international releases. Oscar nominee “Sirat,” directed by Oliver Laxe, debuted in ninth place with $94,459 and has a cume of $158,265. In 10th place was the Chinese historical drama “731” (also known as “Evil Unbound”) directed by Zhao Linshan and starring Jiang Wu. The film explores the atrocities of the Imperial Japanese Army’s biological warfare unit during World War II. It earned $83,283 over the weekend and has a cumulative total of $147,287.
The overall market collective gross for the weekend was $6.3 million, down from last week’s $7.2 million.
English (US) ·