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[HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2015.02.06-2015.02.08

Nostalgic Romcom Rules, while "Ode" crosses 13M...

Box office newcomer "C'est Si Bon" entered the fray last week and captured 29.5% of the pie over the weekend, comfortably claiming the top spot and dislodging last week's winner: "Big Hero 6". Kim Hyun-seok's romantic comedy attracted 534K filmgoers ($3.9M) over 829 screens to outperform Disney's Oscar contender as the South's favourite flick.

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Last weekend "Big Hero 6" trumped JK Youn's latest for first, but the musical might of Kim's fifth feature proved too much for Disney's awesome animation. "Big Hero 6" was released late last month, and has thus far attracted 2.2M admissions ($16.3M); worldwide "Big Hero 6" has made over $505M, and remains a strong contender for the Best Animated Feature for the 87th Academy Awards. But the real winner was found in third.

JK Youn's "Ode to My Father" has now become the second highest grossing Korean film of all time. Since its release mid-December, Yoon's war drama has attracted 13.2M filmgoers ($93.5M) and has overtaken such massive moneymakers as "Miracle in Cell No.7" (12.8M), "The Thieves" (12.9M), and "The Host" (13M). It won't have the legs to mount an assault on "The Admiral: Roaring Currents", which remains South Korea's all-time champion with 17.6M admissions, but its astonishing success acts as a reminder of the volatile nature of all-time Korea's top ten in recent years.

In fourth place was a new foreign entry from writer/director/producers Lana and Andy Wachowshi. "Jupiter Ascending" opened its Korean account with 208K (12.5%) from 561 screens, however the film bombed in the States and is still $126M in the red. The film is described as a cross between "The Matrix" and "Star Wars"; but despite that positive pairing this futuristic action outing has struggled to convince filmgoers worldwide, with criticisms citing poor acting, its convoluted storyline, and an over-reliance on special effects.

"Gangnam Blues" was down three places from last weekend and scored another 146K admissions (8.4%), moving its total tally now to just over 2M ($15,4M). The South Korean animation "The Strong & Mini Special Forces: The Attack of a New Villian" (directed by Lee Yeong-joon, and with voices by Um Sang-hyun, Jeon Tae-yeol, Shin Yong-woo, Lee So-young-I, Seong Wan-gyeong, Yang Jeong-hwa) was the only other new Korean entry to feature. Lee's action animation claimed 78K admissions (4%) across 318 screens, and was closely tailed by the Japanese animation "Spirited Away" (69K - 3.7%).

"The Octnoauts" (based on the BBC children's television series by Silvergate Media) was the fourth animation to feature over the weekend, and managed to claim 32K (1.7%) for eighth during its first weekend out. Lastly, the weekend's top performers was rounded out by Mun Je-yong's drama "Shoot Me in the Heart" (staring Lee Min-ki, Yeo Jin-goo) and Park Jin-pyo's "Love Forecast" (with Lee Seung-gi and Moon Chae-won). Both films took a tumble from their opening efforts last weekend, and claimed 26K (1.3%) and 25K (1.4%) respectively.

 

What's coming out next week in Korea? [HanCinema's Film News] New Korean Films Inbound...

Last weekend's report: [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2015.01.30 ~ 2015.02.01

 

Korean Box Office - Admissions for the Weekend 2015.02.06-2015.02.08 (www.kobis.or.kr)

# Films Release date Week-end Total
1 "C'est Si Bon" (쎄시봉) 2015/02/05 534 687 642 289
2 "Big Hero 6"   353 019 2 250 703
3 "Ode to My Father" (국제시장) 2014/12/17 228 360 13 122 413
4 "Jupiter Ascending"   208 220 253 371
5 "Gangnam Blues" (강남 1970) 2015/01/21 146 665 2 081 460
6 "The Strong and Mini Special Forces: The Attack of a New Villain" (최강전사 미니특공대 : 새로운 악당의 습격) 2015/02/05 78 550 83 630
7 "Spirited Away" (千と千尋の神隠し)   69 434 85 290
8 "Octonauts"   32 862 36 678
9 "Shoot Me in the Heart" (내 심장을 쏴라) 2015/01/28 26 397 371 779
10 "Love Forecast" (오늘의 연애) 2015/01/14 25 771 1 879 145
Korean movies only  
  "How to Steal a Dog" (개를 훔치는 완벽한 방법) 2014/12/31 3 229 254 622
  "Chronicle of a Blood Merchant" (허삼관) 2015/01/15 1 531 954 240
  "My Love, Don't Cross That River" (님아, 그 강을 건너지 마오) 2014/11/27 1 484 4 791 577
  "Lost Flower: Eo Woo-dong" (어우동: 주인 없는 꽃) 2015/01/29 532 11 636
  "The Basement Satellite" (망원동 인공위성) 2015/02/05 389 1 710
  "The Wedding Day" (시집 가는 날, 1978) - Re-release   266 266
  "Yeong-ja's Heydays" (영자의 전성시대) 1975/02/11 173 575
  "Susan Brink's Arirang" (수잔브링크의 아리랑, 1991) - Re-release   155 447
  "Clearer Than You Think" (생각보다 맑은) 2015/01/22 118 3 378
  "QUO VADIS" (쿼바디스) 2014/12/10 72 20 288

 

- C.J. Wheeler (@WoolgatheristKoreaOnTheCouch)

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