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[HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2015.08.28 ~ 2015.08.30

"Veteran" pushes past 10 million as local delights dominate...

Ryoo Seung-wan's "Veteran" added another million admissions (43%) over the weekend to write its total tally into the history books. For the past month Ryoo's popular crime drama has remained the country's film of choice and now moves onto an incredible 10.8 million admissions ($71.6 million). Only ten other Korean films have managed this impressive feat, including "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" (17.6), "Ode to My Father" (14.2), "The Thieves" (12.9), "Miracle in Cell No.7" (12.8), and "Masquerade" (12.3). The success of Ryoo's film has bumped "The King and the Clown" (10.5) out of this exclusive top ten, and soon "Veteran" will challenge "The Host" (10.9), "Haeundae" (11.3), "The Attorney" (11.3), and even this week's number three, Choi Dong-hoon's "The Assassination" (12.1). Each weekend since its release "Veteran" has managed to capture over 40% of the box office pie, and, to state the obvious, it's no done yet!

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Second and third place once again went to Baek Jong-yeol's "Beauty Inside" (401 thousand admissions) and Choi Dong-hoon's "The Assassination" (344 thousand). Baek's romantic melodrama was released two weeks ago and critics and fans have enjoyed watching Han Hyo-joo take the led in Baek's directorial debut (having previously worked on "Oldboy", "Voice of a Murderer", and "Sad Movie" in various capacities). "Beauty Inside" entered in second place last week with 15.5% of the sales, and defended that position here with another 16% going its way. Not far behind came "The Assassination" with 13.5% (233 thousand), who also recently pushed past the 10 million mark and is still fighting. Choi's hit retained a podium position and has earned just under $80 million (12.1 million admissions) since its release late in July.

Fourth place went to local newcomer "Untouchable Lawmen" by Shin Jai-ho and stars Im Chang-jung and Choi Daniel. The two play a profiler and a detective who investigate a religious cult that's manipulating the country. The film was allocated 446 screens and managed to attract 198 thousand filmgoers to its cause in week one (7.7%). "Wonderful Nightmare" occupied sixth place last weekend (4%) but gained ground over the weekend to make the top five a wholly Korean affair. Directed by Kang Hyo-jin, "Wonderful Nightmare" follows a lawyer who loses everything and then is, strangely, reborn as an ordinary housewife. "Wonderful Nightmare" claimed 125 thousand admissions which bumped its tally now to 849 thousand ($5.3 million).

The action comedy "American Ultra" entered in sixth place with 91 thousand admissions (3.7%) from 341 screens, and the latest "Mission Impossible" followed with another 75.8 thousand of its own. "Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation" stars one of South Korea's favourite foreign actors, Tom Cruise (here playing Ethan Hunt), and has so far attracted 6 million filmgoers ($40 million). It's been over a month since Hunt's latest mission hit Korea, and it's slowly being muscled out as it falls two places from last weekend's fifth position. Worldwide, "Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation" has made over $479 million at the box office.

The spinoff animation "Minions" was made for close to $74 million and worldwide it's grossed over a billion; around $15 million of which came from Korea. This popular animated feature claimed eighth place over the weekend (down just one place) with the 65.4 thousand admissions it sold (2.3%), followed by the French drama "The Bélier Family" by Eric Lartigau with 36 thousand admissions (1.3%). Lastly, the weekend's top ten was rounded out by the Disney and Pixar's "Inside Out" with 33.4 thousand (1.2%). 

Korean Box Office - Admissions for the Weekend 2015.08.28 - 2015.08.30 (www.kobis.or.kr)

# Films Release date Week-end Total
1 "Veteran" (베테랑) 2015/08/05 1 080 129 10 813 495
2 "Beauty Inside" (뷰티 인사이드) 2015/08/20 401 810 1 390 887
3 "The Assassination" (암살) 2015/07/22 344 825 12 193 121
4 "Untouchable Lawmen" (치외법권) 2015/08/27 198 445 253 680
5 "Wonderful Nightmare" (미쓰 와이프) 2015/08/13 125 479 849 053
6 "American Ultra"   91 083 123 548
7 "Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation"   75 844 6 075 966
8 "Minions"   65 491 2 582 949
9 "The Belier Family" (La Famille Bélier)   36 125 56 472
10 "Inside Out"   33 432 4 941 736
Korean movies only  
  "The Chosen: Forbidden Cave" (퇴마: 무녀굴) 2015/08/20 5 351 117 648
  "The Office" (오피스) 2015/09/03 3 049 12 779
  "Alice In Earnestland" (성실한 나라의 앨리스) 2015/08/13 1 844 39 858
  "Memories of the Sword" (협녀, 칼의 기억) 2015/08/13 1 831 428 155
  "SMTOWN The Stage" (에스엠타운 더 스테이지) 2015/08/13 1 770 35 148
  "Factory Complex" (위로공단) 2015/08/13 725 8 797
  "Now Playing" (오늘 영화) 2015/08/20 276 2 326
  "The Martyrdom" (순교) 2015/08/13 208 3 540
  "Tasty 2: Happy Together" (고녀석 맛나겠다2 : 함께라서 행복해) 2015/07/30 201 51 746
  "Salut D'Amour" (장수상회) 2015/04/09 200 1 164 909

 

- C.J. Wheeler (@WoolgatheristKoreaOnTheCouch)

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