South Korea’s box office took in a meager $5.45 million last weekend, putting “Alien: Romulus” back in first place despite the film’s steep week-to-week decline. Among the new releases was joy for a Korean-produced panda documentary and disappointment for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”
'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' Crushes the Box Office with Over $90 Million Opening Day!
“Alien: Romulus” earned $905,000 between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council. That represented a 45 percent week-over-week decline and a market share of less than 17 percent, but it pushed the horror franchise title to a cumulative $14.0 million since its Aug. 14 release.
Early September is historically a weak spot in the calendar for the Korean cinema business, as the summer season winds down and the biggest local titles postpone their releases until the Chuseok (or Korean Thanksgiving) holiday season toward the end of the month. The final Friday-Sunday aggregate followed that seasonal pattern, representing the third-weakest weekend haul of the year.
Chuseok is coming early this year, marking a three-day national holiday (Monday through Wednesday, Sept. 16-18), in addition to a weekend. “I, The Executioner,” known locally as “Veteran 2,” a sequel to the 2015 crime blockbuster “Veteran,” opens in Korean theaters on Friday and is poised to dominate the holiday season. The film premiered at Cannes in an out-of-competition slot and has an international showcase at the Toronto Film Festival this week.
