A Sing-Along Event’ Debuts in Korea
“KPop Demon Hunters: A Sing-Along Event” struck a chord with Korean audiences, opening in fourth place with $323,000 from 39,000 admissions across 143 screens.
At No. 1, South Korean road-trip comedy “The First Ride” debuted atop the Korean box office with $1.56 million from 230,810 admissions and a commanding 28.8% market share, according to KOBIS, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council. Directed by Nam Dae-joong (“The Great Battle”), the film follows a group of childhood friends whose long-awaited trip to Thailand quickly spirals into chaotic mishaps. The ensemble cast includes Kang Ha-neul, Cha Eun-woo, Kim Young-kwang, Kang Young-suk and Han Seon-hwa. The film has earned $2.3 million to date, including midweek previews.
Japanese anime feature “Chainsaw Man The Movie: Reze Arc” dropped to second with $1.08 million, lifting its cumulative total to $20.7 million. The film adapts the “Reze” arc of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s hit manga. Directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara with a screenplay by Hiroshi Seko, the movie follows Denji as his encounter with café worker Reze leads to a clash between intimate connection and bloody chaos. Voice cast includes Reina Ueda, Fairouz Ai, Tomori Kusunoki, and Maaya Uchida. Sony/Crunchyroll are handling distribution in the market.
Japan’s psychological horror “The Exit 8” ranked third with $602,000 for a $2.2 million total. Directed by Kawamura Genki, the film stars Ninomiya Kazunari as a man trapped in a seemingly endless subway corridor where he must detect minute anomalies to escape.
Stop-motion classic “Coraline” continued its reissue run in fifth with $284,000 (cume $2 million). “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle” followed in sixth with $216,000 for a $42.1 million cumulative gross. Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice” earned $147,000 (cume $20 million), while acclaimed Pingyao winner “The World of Love” added $128,000 (cume $438,000).
In ninth, “Evangelion: Death (True)² & Rebirth” debuted with $108,000, and “Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory / Premature Death – The Movie” rounded out the top 10 with $98,600 for a $1.5 million cumulative.
The top ten films collectively grossed $4.5 million, a dip from the previous frame’s $4.7 million.
