Korean crime comedy action film “I The Executioner” has amassed more than $30 million of gross revenues on its sixth day of release, making it one of the fastest movies in local history to reach that mark.
Kobis, the cinema data service operated by the Korean Film Council, reported that the film had reached 3.71 million admissions and a gross haul of $27.2 million by the evening of Tuesday, its fifth full day in cinemas.
On Wednesday morning, the film’s distributor Cj Enm said that the film’s ticket sales total had surpassed 4 million by 9am local time. That would give an estimated box office total of $30 million, that will be confirmed by independent data later in the day.
Cj Enm has not disclosed a production budget for the title, but it said that with this level of business the film has now broken even. It is not clear whether that calculation...
Kobis, the cinema data service operated by the Korean Film Council, reported that the film had reached 3.71 million admissions and a gross haul of $27.2 million by the evening of Tuesday, its fifth full day in cinemas.
On Wednesday morning, the film’s distributor Cj Enm said that the film’s ticket sales total had surpassed 4 million by 9am local time. That would give an estimated box office total of $30 million, that will be confirmed by independent data later in the day.
Cj Enm has not disclosed a production budget for the title, but it said that with this level of business the film has now broken even. It is not clear whether that calculation...
- 9/18/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
According to Variety, Song Kang-ho, star of the Academy Award-winning film Parasite, has lined up his next project, which will be the series adaptation of a political thriller titled Inside Men. Hive Media Corp, who will be producing the series, had announced the development of the project Thursday morning and the studio has revealed it is currently in early pre-production. The filming is expected to commence sometime next year. However, it is not yet revealed where the show is intending to broadcast or stream.
This adaptation will be based on the 2015 film of the same name. That film was said to have been adapted into “an incomplete webtoon,” which was written by Yoon Tae-ho. This incarnation was called The Insiders and it had been published between 2010-2012 in the Hankyoreh newspaper. Per Variety, “The webtoon featured a political bruiser, played by Lee Byung-hun in the film, who seeks revenge after...
This adaptation will be based on the 2015 film of the same name. That film was said to have been adapted into “an incomplete webtoon,” which was written by Yoon Tae-ho. This incarnation was called The Insiders and it had been published between 2010-2012 in the Hankyoreh newspaper. Per Variety, “The webtoon featured a political bruiser, played by Lee Byung-hun in the film, who seeks revenge after...
- 9/12/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Song Kang-ho, star of Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” will headline a series adaptation of hit film “Inside Men.”
The project was revealed on Thursday by producer Hive Media Corp. which said that the show is in the early stages of pre-production. Cameras are expected to roll in 2025.
No broadcaster or streamer has yet been attached.
The 2015 film was a political thriller that was adapted from an incomplete webtoon, penned by Yoon Tae-ho called “The Insiders” and which was published 2010-2012 in the Hankyoreh newspaper.
The webtoon featured a political bruiser, played by Lee Byung-hun in the film, who seeks revenge after being ruined by politicians and the media. Directed and written by Woo Min-ho, the film added other elements including a prosecutor (portrayed by Cho Sueng-woo), a presidential candidate Portrayed by Lee Gyeong-young) and a newspaper editor (portrayed by Baek Yoon-sik).
The series, which will be directed by Mo Wan-il (“The World of the Married...
The project was revealed on Thursday by producer Hive Media Corp. which said that the show is in the early stages of pre-production. Cameras are expected to roll in 2025.
No broadcaster or streamer has yet been attached.
The 2015 film was a political thriller that was adapted from an incomplete webtoon, penned by Yoon Tae-ho called “The Insiders” and which was published 2010-2012 in the Hankyoreh newspaper.
The webtoon featured a political bruiser, played by Lee Byung-hun in the film, who seeks revenge after being ruined by politicians and the media. Directed and written by Woo Min-ho, the film added other elements including a prosecutor (portrayed by Cho Sueng-woo), a presidential candidate Portrayed by Lee Gyeong-young) and a newspaper editor (portrayed by Baek Yoon-sik).
The series, which will be directed by Mo Wan-il (“The World of the Married...
- 9/12/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Marking its 4th year, Actors’ House is a special event that offers an in-depth look into the works of actors who represent the contemporary film industry, sharing their candid stories. This year’s event draws attention with prominent figures’ participation, including Sul Kyung-gu, Park Boyoung, Hwang Jung-min, and Chun Woo-hee.
First, actor Sul Kyung-gu, known for his limitless transformations through various roles, will be featured at the Actors’ House. Continuously expanding his spectrum by navigating different themes, genres, and characters, Sul Kyung-gu has consistently garnered praise from audiences for his solid acting skills. Most recently, he crafted a new iconic character in the 2024 Netflix series The Whirlwind (2024). At the Actors’ House, Sul Kyung-gu is set to showcase his true essence as an actor.
Actor Park Boyoung will also meet with the audience in Busan. After skyrocketing to fame as a rising star in Chungmuro with the success of the film...
First, actor Sul Kyung-gu, known for his limitless transformations through various roles, will be featured at the Actors’ House. Continuously expanding his spectrum by navigating different themes, genres, and characters, Sul Kyung-gu has consistently garnered praise from audiences for his solid acting skills. Most recently, he crafted a new iconic character in the 2024 Netflix series The Whirlwind (2024). At the Actors’ House, Sul Kyung-gu is set to showcase his true essence as an actor.
Actor Park Boyoung will also meet with the audience in Busan. After skyrocketing to fame as a rising star in Chungmuro with the success of the film...
- 9/10/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The race is on to select films from around the world to compete for the Best International Feature Film award at the 2025 Academy Awards. With the October 2 submission deadline approaching, countries have started announcing their official entries for the prestigious Oscar category. The films under consideration reflect a wide array of styles, genres, and perspectives from the global film community.
The selection process for the international feature film award involves stages of review. After countries submit films, an initial group of 15 finalists will be announced on December 17. Judges will then select just five nominees from this shortlist on January 17, 2025. Last year’s contest similarly started with 88 submissions before narrowing to the final five nominees. The winner was “The Zone of Interest” from the United Kingdom.
Some early contenders are already generating buzz among film festivals and audiences. Croatia entered “Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day,” a period drama set in 1950s Yugoslavia about censorship and artistic freedom.
The selection process for the international feature film award involves stages of review. After countries submit films, an initial group of 15 finalists will be announced on December 17. Judges will then select just five nominees from this shortlist on January 17, 2025. Last year’s contest similarly started with 88 submissions before narrowing to the final five nominees. The winner was “The Zone of Interest” from the United Kingdom.
Some early contenders are already generating buzz among film festivals and audiences. Croatia entered “Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day,” a period drama set in 1950s Yugoslavia about censorship and artistic freedom.
- 9/9/2024
- by Naser Nahandian
- Gazettely
Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 3, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2.
A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...
The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 3, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2.
A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...
- 9/6/2024
- ScreenDaily
Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 3, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2.
A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...
The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 3, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2.
A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...
- 9/5/2024
- ScreenDaily
Kim Sung-sus historisches Drama geht für Südkorea ins Rennen um eine Oscarnominierung in der Kategorie „Bester internationaler Film“.
„12.12.: The Day“ geht für Südkorea ins Oscarrennen (Credit: 815 Pictures/Echelon Studios)
Das Korean Film Council hat Kim Sung-sus historisches Drama „12.12.: The Day“ bei der Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences für eine Nominierung in der Oscar-Kategorie „Bester internationaler Film“ eingereicht. Man habe sich einstimmig für den erfolgreichsten heimischen Kinofilm des vergangenen Jahres in Südkorea entschieden, so das Korean Film Council.
„12.12.: The Day“ spielt vor dem Hintergrund des Militärputschs in Südkorea am 12. Dezember 1979.
Mit Bong Joon-hos „Parasite“ war 2020 erstmals ein Film aus Südkorea für den Oscar in der Kategorie „Bester internationaler Film“/„Bester nicht-englischsprachiger Film“ nominiert gewesen und hat ihn gleich gewonnen.
Noch bis 2. Oktober können Filme für die Kategorie „Bester internationaler Film“ bei der Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences eingereicht werden. Am 17. Dezember wird dann eine 15 Filme umfassende Shortlist veröffentlicht.
„12.12.: The Day“ geht für Südkorea ins Oscarrennen (Credit: 815 Pictures/Echelon Studios)
Das Korean Film Council hat Kim Sung-sus historisches Drama „12.12.: The Day“ bei der Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences für eine Nominierung in der Oscar-Kategorie „Bester internationaler Film“ eingereicht. Man habe sich einstimmig für den erfolgreichsten heimischen Kinofilm des vergangenen Jahres in Südkorea entschieden, so das Korean Film Council.
„12.12.: The Day“ spielt vor dem Hintergrund des Militärputschs in Südkorea am 12. Dezember 1979.
Mit Bong Joon-hos „Parasite“ war 2020 erstmals ein Film aus Südkorea für den Oscar in der Kategorie „Bester internationaler Film“/„Bester nicht-englischsprachiger Film“ nominiert gewesen und hat ihn gleich gewonnen.
Noch bis 2. Oktober können Filme für die Kategorie „Bester internationaler Film“ bei der Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences eingereicht werden. Am 17. Dezember wird dann eine 15 Filme umfassende Shortlist veröffentlicht.
- 9/5/2024
- by Jochen Müller
- Spot - Media & Film
Two of South Korea’s biggest male stars Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung will go head-to-head in “Made in Korea,” an upcoming crime series.
Set in the turbulent 1970s, “Made in Korea” is a crime thriller about Kitae, a man consumed with a desire for wealth and power, and Geonyoung, a stalwart prosecutor that stands in his way. Constantly at loggerheads, the pair find themselves involved in an era-defining incident that will forever change their futures.
The show stars Hyun Bin as Kitae, and Jung as Geonyoung. Other cast members include: Won Ji-an, Seo Eun-soo, Cho Yeo-jeong and Jung Sung-il.
The screenplay was written by Park Eun-kyo and Park Joon-seok (“A Normal Family”) and is directed by Woo Min-ho. Production is by Hive Media Corp., which was previously responsible for feature films “Inside Men,” “The Man Standing Next,” “12.12 The Day” (aka “Seoul Spring”).
For Woo, it is his first TV series as director.
Set in the turbulent 1970s, “Made in Korea” is a crime thriller about Kitae, a man consumed with a desire for wealth and power, and Geonyoung, a stalwart prosecutor that stands in his way. Constantly at loggerheads, the pair find themselves involved in an era-defining incident that will forever change their futures.
The show stars Hyun Bin as Kitae, and Jung as Geonyoung. Other cast members include: Won Ji-an, Seo Eun-soo, Cho Yeo-jeong and Jung Sung-il.
The screenplay was written by Park Eun-kyo and Park Joon-seok (“A Normal Family”) and is directed by Woo Min-ho. Production is by Hive Media Corp., which was previously responsible for feature films “Inside Men,” “The Man Standing Next,” “12.12 The Day” (aka “Seoul Spring”).
For Woo, it is his first TV series as director.
- 8/30/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Korean thriller film “A Girl With Closed Eyes,” which will have a market launch at the Toronto International Film Festival, before world premiering in October’s Busan festival, has secured a world sales representative in Finecut.
The company is also representing “By the Stream,” the latest project by Korean auteur Hong Sangsoo, which premiered in Locarno earlier this month, where it won the best performance award, and will next play in the Centrepiece section in Toronto. Finecut’s Korean horror-thriller “Noise” will premiere at the Sitges fantasy festival and has a market screening at Toronto Industry Select.
“A Girl With Closed Eyes” follows a murder suspect and a detective with a shared past. The two women are reunited through the murder of a bestselling author and uncover hidden truths as the investigation deepens.
The film, currently in advanced post-production, marks the feature debut of director Chun Sunyoung, whose short film...
The company is also representing “By the Stream,” the latest project by Korean auteur Hong Sangsoo, which premiered in Locarno earlier this month, where it won the best performance award, and will next play in the Centrepiece section in Toronto. Finecut’s Korean horror-thriller “Noise” will premiere at the Sitges fantasy festival and has a market screening at Toronto Industry Select.
“A Girl With Closed Eyes” follows a murder suspect and a detective with a shared past. The two women are reunited through the murder of a bestselling author and uncover hidden truths as the investigation deepens.
The film, currently in advanced post-production, marks the feature debut of director Chun Sunyoung, whose short film...
- 8/28/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
“Alien: Romulus” emerged on top of the South Korean box office on a weekend with five new-release titles in the top ten chart.
The U.S. horror-thriller franchise film earned $3.47 million between Friday and Sunday, with a 28% market share, data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic) showed. Over its full five-day opening “Alien Romulus” earned $5.46 million.
Those figures were enough to push “Pilot,” the Korean comedy-drama film that had topped the box office for the past two weeks, into second position. And the generous crop of newcomers lifted the nationwide weekend box office aggregate to $12.4 million.
Incurring a 45% week-on-week loss of altitude, “Pilot” earned $2.73 million over the latest weekend, giving it a three-weekend cumulative of $26.7 million. That is the fourth highest total by any film In Korea so far this year and relegates “Wonka” to 2024’s fifth position.
Korean-produced new release film “Land of...
The U.S. horror-thriller franchise film earned $3.47 million between Friday and Sunday, with a 28% market share, data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic) showed. Over its full five-day opening “Alien Romulus” earned $5.46 million.
Those figures were enough to push “Pilot,” the Korean comedy-drama film that had topped the box office for the past two weeks, into second position. And the generous crop of newcomers lifted the nationwide weekend box office aggregate to $12.4 million.
Incurring a 45% week-on-week loss of altitude, “Pilot” earned $2.73 million over the latest weekend, giving it a three-weekend cumulative of $26.7 million. That is the fourth highest total by any film In Korea so far this year and relegates “Wonka” to 2024’s fifth position.
Korean-produced new release film “Land of...
- 8/19/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Fresh from the Cannes premiere of action thriller I, The Executioner, South Korean filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan is preparing to shoot espionage action feature Humint later this year.
Filming is set to begin in October with a cast including Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min, Park Hae-joon and Nana. Produced by Filmmakers R&k it will be distributed by New. International sales are handled by Contents Panda.
Humint stands for Human Intelligence, a term used in the military to refer to the collection of information through people rather than gathering intelligence via more technical means.
The story will depict North and South Korean...
Filming is set to begin in October with a cast including Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min, Park Hae-joon and Nana. Produced by Filmmakers R&k it will be distributed by New. International sales are handled by Contents Panda.
Humint stands for Human Intelligence, a term used in the military to refer to the collection of information through people rather than gathering intelligence via more technical means.
The story will depict North and South Korean...
- 6/13/2024
- ScreenDaily
Ryoo Seung-wan, the South Korean film director who was last month in Cannes with “I, The Executioner,” says that his next picture will be an espionage action movie.
It is pitched as “depicting North and South Korean secret agents clashing while [also] uncovering crimes occurring at the border with Vladivostok, Russia.”
Currently titled, “Humint,” a reference to espionage industry’s shorthand for collection of intelligence through humans, rather than signals or data, the new film is to be produced by his Filmmaker R&k company and distributed by New.
Ryoo also says that throughout his career he has sought to change genres and that “Humint” will represent a “more mature espionage action” picture than some of his previous efforts.
Ryoo will release “I, The Executioner” at an unspecified date in the second half of this year. He has already settled the casting of “Humint” and has scheduled full-scale production of the...
It is pitched as “depicting North and South Korean secret agents clashing while [also] uncovering crimes occurring at the border with Vladivostok, Russia.”
Currently titled, “Humint,” a reference to espionage industry’s shorthand for collection of intelligence through humans, rather than signals or data, the new film is to be produced by his Filmmaker R&k company and distributed by New.
Ryoo also says that throughout his career he has sought to change genres and that “Humint” will represent a “more mature espionage action” picture than some of his previous efforts.
Ryoo will release “I, The Executioner” at an unspecified date in the second half of this year. He has already settled the casting of “Humint” and has scheduled full-scale production of the...
- 6/13/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Essentially a sequel of ”Man Standing Next”, in terms of the succession of historical events, “12.12: The Day” became the highest-grossing Korean film of 2023, with many citing it as the movie that saved Korean cinema in the particular year.
12.12: The Day is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival 2024
The story begins in December 1979, after the assassinaton of President Park, with the whole country being in turmoil and martial law having been declared. The initial 30 minutes of the 140 of the movie set the base of what happened after the aforementioned events, additionally introducing the two main rivals, Defense Security Commander Chun Doo-gwan and Capital Defense Commander Lee Tae-sin, while the rest focus on the 9 hours which the coup unfolded, starting with the arrest of the Army Chief of Staff, Jeong Sang-ho.
Kim Seong-su directs the movie in a style that will remind many of the TV-news style implemented frequently in Japanese cinema,...
12.12: The Day is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival 2024
The story begins in December 1979, after the assassinaton of President Park, with the whole country being in turmoil and martial law having been declared. The initial 30 minutes of the 140 of the movie set the base of what happened after the aforementioned events, additionally introducing the two main rivals, Defense Security Commander Chun Doo-gwan and Capital Defense Commander Lee Tae-sin, while the rest focus on the 9 hours which the coup unfolded, starting with the arrest of the Army Chief of Staff, Jeong Sang-ho.
Kim Seong-su directs the movie in a style that will remind many of the TV-news style implemented frequently in Japanese cinema,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
One of the final dark closets of modern Korean history gets thrown wide open in Kim Sung-soo's riveting historical drama 12.12: The Day. The film dramatises the coup d'état that took place in the wake of the assassination of President Park Chung-hee in late October 1979, which on its surface seems like a risky gambit, as it is a bitter story that begins with a calamitous moment and ends on an even darker note, with even worse things soon to come. Though the names of the characters have been changed -- Korea has very stringent libel laws -- the film centers on the quick manoeuvring that took place in the power vacuum that followed President Park's death. In a terrific and gleefully scene-chewing performance, Hwang...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 4/27/2024
- Screen Anarchy
Rights to “I, The Executioner,” which will premiere as a Midnight Screening at the Cannes Film Festival this year, have been picked up by South Korea’s Cj Enm.
The crime-action film directed by Ryu Seung-wan (also written Ryoo Seung-wan) is a sequel to Ryu’s 2015 hit “Veteran” and in Korea goes by the title “Veteran 2.”
Few details of the story have yet been disclosed, but Cj describes the film as “combining Ryu’s trademark action with observations and messages about social change.” Ryu last year enjoyed major box office success with crime comedy “Smugglers.”
Hwang Jung-min, who recently enjoyed box office success in “12.12: The Day,” reprises his role from “Veteran.” He is joined in the sequel by Jung Hae-in (“Tune in for Love”) as a new member of the film’s Violent Crime Investigation Squad.
“I, The Executioner” was produced by Filmmaker R & K, the production shingle owned...
The crime-action film directed by Ryu Seung-wan (also written Ryoo Seung-wan) is a sequel to Ryu’s 2015 hit “Veteran” and in Korea goes by the title “Veteran 2.”
Few details of the story have yet been disclosed, but Cj describes the film as “combining Ryu’s trademark action with observations and messages about social change.” Ryu last year enjoyed major box office success with crime comedy “Smugglers.”
Hwang Jung-min, who recently enjoyed box office success in “12.12: The Day,” reprises his role from “Veteran.” He is joined in the sequel by Jung Hae-in (“Tune in for Love”) as a new member of the film’s Violent Crime Investigation Squad.
“I, The Executioner” was produced by Filmmaker R & K, the production shingle owned...
- 4/12/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Korean supernatural drama Exhuma is continuing to prove a box office smash in its home market and is now replicating that success in territories across Asia.
The film led the South Korea box office for a sixth consecutive weekend from March 29-31, taking $3.07m from 418,000 admissions, according to Kobis, the Korean Film Council’s box office tracking system.
As of today (April 2), the cumulative box office in the territory is $78.5m from just over 11 million admissions. It easily positions Exhuma as the biggest film of the year to date in South Korea, three times ahead of Wonka in second place with $25.1m from 3.5 million admissions.
The film led the South Korea box office for a sixth consecutive weekend from March 29-31, taking $3.07m from 418,000 admissions, according to Kobis, the Korean Film Council’s box office tracking system.
As of today (April 2), the cumulative box office in the territory is $78.5m from just over 11 million admissions. It easily positions Exhuma as the biggest film of the year to date in South Korea, three times ahead of Wonka in second place with $25.1m from 3.5 million admissions.
- 4/2/2024
- ScreenDaily
Asian Cinema Celebration
Veteran Chinese director Zhang Yimou will be presented with a lifetime achievement award at the upcoming edition of the Festival of Far East Film in Italy’s Udine (April 24 – May 2). The lineup will include three films by Zhang: his 2023 political thriller “Under the Light” in its competition section; as well as “To Live” and “Raise the Red Lantern” in its restored classics section.
The festival’s total lineup includes 74 films in total – 47 in competition and 28 out of competition) from 11 countries. Events will kick off with a double bill of smash hit mainland Chinese movie “Yolo” and Korean action comedy “Citizen of a Kind.”
Other highlights include “13 Bombs” by Indonesia’s Angga Dwimas Sasongko; “The Goldfinger” by Hong Kong’s Felix Chong; investigative journalism drama “In Broad Daylight,” by Hong Kong’s Lawrence Kan; Ning Hao’s “The Movie Emperor”; a ten-strong Japanese selection that includes “(Ab)normal Desire,...
Veteran Chinese director Zhang Yimou will be presented with a lifetime achievement award at the upcoming edition of the Festival of Far East Film in Italy’s Udine (April 24 – May 2). The lineup will include three films by Zhang: his 2023 political thriller “Under the Light” in its competition section; as well as “To Live” and “Raise the Red Lantern” in its restored classics section.
The festival’s total lineup includes 74 films in total – 47 in competition and 28 out of competition) from 11 countries. Events will kick off with a double bill of smash hit mainland Chinese movie “Yolo” and Korean action comedy “Citizen of a Kind.”
Other highlights include “13 Bombs” by Indonesia’s Angga Dwimas Sasongko; “The Goldfinger” by Hong Kong’s Felix Chong; investigative journalism drama “In Broad Daylight,” by Hong Kong’s Lawrence Kan; Ning Hao’s “The Movie Emperor”; a ten-strong Japanese selection that includes “(Ab)normal Desire,...
- 3/28/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Zhang Yimou is set to receive the Golden Mulberry Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Far East Film Festival (Feff).
The auteur, a key figure in China’s Fifth Generation of filmmakers, is best known for his films Raise the Red Lantern, Red Sorghum, To Live, Hero and House of the Flying Daggers, and was also directed the memorable opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Also receiving the coveted Golden Mulberry at the 26th edition of Feff is Taiwanese producer Chiu Fu-sheng. Chiu, a legendary figure in the Asian film industry, is known for his collaborations with auteur filmmakers including Hou Hsiao-hsien, producing A City of Sadness (1989) and The Puppetmaster (1993) and Zhang, producing both Raise the Red Lantern and To Live (1994). Zhang’s 2023 film Under the Light will also compete in the main competition at Feff.
Feff, the respected Italian festival that takes place in the northern city of Udine,...
The auteur, a key figure in China’s Fifth Generation of filmmakers, is best known for his films Raise the Red Lantern, Red Sorghum, To Live, Hero and House of the Flying Daggers, and was also directed the memorable opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Also receiving the coveted Golden Mulberry at the 26th edition of Feff is Taiwanese producer Chiu Fu-sheng. Chiu, a legendary figure in the Asian film industry, is known for his collaborations with auteur filmmakers including Hou Hsiao-hsien, producing A City of Sadness (1989) and The Puppetmaster (1993) and Zhang, producing both Raise the Red Lantern and To Live (1994). Zhang’s 2023 film Under the Light will also compete in the main competition at Feff.
Feff, the respected Italian festival that takes place in the northern city of Udine,...
- 3/26/2024
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
South Korean supernatural thriller Exhuma has passed the 10 million admissions mark at the local box office, cementing its blockbuster status in the country.
The film led the South Korea box office for a fifth consecutive weekend, grossing $4.56m from 618,000 tickets from March 22-24, according to Kobis, the Korean Film Council’s box office tracking system.
It takes Exhuma’s total box office to date to $73.4m from 10.2 million admissions, comfortably positioning it as the most successful title in South Korea this year to date, ahead of Wonka in second place on $25.1m from 3.5 million admissions.
However, it still has some...
The film led the South Korea box office for a fifth consecutive weekend, grossing $4.56m from 618,000 tickets from March 22-24, according to Kobis, the Korean Film Council’s box office tracking system.
It takes Exhuma’s total box office to date to $73.4m from 10.2 million admissions, comfortably positioning it as the most successful title in South Korea this year to date, ahead of Wonka in second place on $25.1m from 3.5 million admissions.
However, it still has some...
- 3/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
Four weeks after its initial release, South Korean horror film “Exhuma” is still burning through the country’s box office. “Pamyo,” as it’s known in Korea (which directly translates to “exhumation for relocation or cremation”), has resonated in a major way with audiences who have shown up in droves to see the story of a shaman named Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun) and the wandering spirits she takes on with Bong-gil (Lee Do-hyun), her protégé. This week: it expands in the United States.
Just one week into its release, “Exhuma” became the highest-grossing Korean film of 2024 so far, knocking the Timothée Chalamet-starring “Wonka” off the top spot following its delayed release there. Chalamet’s other big film of the moment, “Dune: Part Two,” placed second in Korea for three successive weekends in the wake of “Exhuma” too.
That means that, nearly a month in, “Exhuma” has made $67.8 million with sales of 9.3 million tickets,...
Just one week into its release, “Exhuma” became the highest-grossing Korean film of 2024 so far, knocking the Timothée Chalamet-starring “Wonka” off the top spot following its delayed release there. Chalamet’s other big film of the moment, “Dune: Part Two,” placed second in Korea for three successive weekends in the wake of “Exhuma” too.
That means that, nearly a month in, “Exhuma” has made $67.8 million with sales of 9.3 million tickets,...
- 3/21/2024
- by David Opie
- Indiewire
Exhuma (Korean title: Pa-myo) has taken $67.8 million at the Korean box office, having notched more than 9.3 million admissions.
The film stars Choi Min-sik, Kim Go-eun, Yoo Hae-jin and Lee Do-hyun and is directed by Jang Jae-hyun. Exhuma follows two shamans, a feng shui expert and an undertaker as they seek to help a Korean-American family haunted by a generational curse.
Box office data from Kofic shows the movie has taken 24 days for Exhuma to cross reach the nine million admissions mark, which is three days faster than last year’s most-viewed Korean feature, 12.12: The Day, a historical film set during the country’s military coup in 1979.
Exhuma has also topped the box office and admissions charts every week since its release, sitting above Dune: Part Two for the last three weeks.
Produced by Showbox Entertainment, Exhuma first premiered in the Forum section of the Berlin International Film Festival on...
The film stars Choi Min-sik, Kim Go-eun, Yoo Hae-jin and Lee Do-hyun and is directed by Jang Jae-hyun. Exhuma follows two shamans, a feng shui expert and an undertaker as they seek to help a Korean-American family haunted by a generational curse.
Box office data from Kofic shows the movie has taken 24 days for Exhuma to cross reach the nine million admissions mark, which is three days faster than last year’s most-viewed Korean feature, 12.12: The Day, a historical film set during the country’s military coup in 1979.
Exhuma has also topped the box office and admissions charts every week since its release, sitting above Dune: Part Two for the last three weeks.
Produced by Showbox Entertainment, Exhuma first premiered in the Forum section of the Berlin International Film Festival on...
- 3/18/2024
- by Sara Merican
- Deadline Film + TV
Leading South Korean sales company Finecut has picked up international sales rights to action comedy film “Boss.” It will launch the title at next week’s FilMart in Hong Kong.
Directed by Ra Hee-chan, the film follows gang members embroiled in fierce competition. They struggle not just for supremacy within their clan, but also to achieve their own dreams in everyday life.
“Boss” stars Jo Woo-jin as a man who wants to run his family’s Chinese restaurant; Jung Kyung-ho (“Men of Plastic”), who believes it is his destiny to be a Tango dancer; and Park Ji-hwan (“The Roundup” film series), who is the most eager member to be the boss, but nobody wants him.
Production is by Hive Media Corp., the company behind the late 2023 box office hit “12.12: The Day,” which garnered over 13 million admissions.
Finecut will be screening the first footage from the new title at its booth in FilMart.
Directed by Ra Hee-chan, the film follows gang members embroiled in fierce competition. They struggle not just for supremacy within their clan, but also to achieve their own dreams in everyday life.
“Boss” stars Jo Woo-jin as a man who wants to run his family’s Chinese restaurant; Jung Kyung-ho (“Men of Plastic”), who believes it is his destiny to be a Tango dancer; and Park Ji-hwan (“The Roundup” film series), who is the most eager member to be the boss, but nobody wants him.
Production is by Hive Media Corp., the company behind the late 2023 box office hit “12.12: The Day,” which garnered over 13 million admissions.
Finecut will be screening the first footage from the new title at its booth in FilMart.
- 3/11/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist was named best film at the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong on Sunday evening (March 10).
The Japanese drama, which premiered in competition at Venice where it won five awards including the grand jury prize, also picked up best original music for composer Eiko Ishibashi.
Scroll down for full list of winners
While Hamaguchi was not at the ceremony, held in the Grand Theatre of the Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, the top prize was accepted in-person by Ishibashi, cinematographer Yoshio Kitagawa and co-editor Azusa Yamzaki – presented by...
The Japanese drama, which premiered in competition at Venice where it won five awards including the grand jury prize, also picked up best original music for composer Eiko Ishibashi.
Scroll down for full list of winners
While Hamaguchi was not at the ceremony, held in the Grand Theatre of the Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, the top prize was accepted in-person by Ishibashi, cinematographer Yoshio Kitagawa and co-editor Azusa Yamzaki – presented by...
- 3/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Oscar winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s formalist arthouse drama Evil Does Not Exist won the best film prize Sunday night at the Asia Film Awards in Hong Kong.
The Japanese film industry had a big night overall at the 17th edition of the awards ceremony, which was hosted this year in Hong Kong’s gleaming new Xiqu Centre, part of the city’s $2.7 billion West Kowloon Cultural District development. Japanese festival favorite Hirokazu Kore-eda won best director for his mystery drama Monster, while the great Koji Yakusho took best actor for Wim Wender’s moving minimalist drama Perfect Days. Hamaguchi’s chief collaborator on Evil Does Not Exist, Eiko Ishibashi, won best music and the Kaiju critical and commercial sensation Godzilla Minus One claimed both best visual effects and best sound.
In many ways, it was Zhang Yimou’s night, however. The venerated Chinese director took the stage twice, once to...
The Japanese film industry had a big night overall at the 17th edition of the awards ceremony, which was hosted this year in Hong Kong’s gleaming new Xiqu Centre, part of the city’s $2.7 billion West Kowloon Cultural District development. Japanese festival favorite Hirokazu Kore-eda won best director for his mystery drama Monster, while the great Koji Yakusho took best actor for Wim Wender’s moving minimalist drama Perfect Days. Hamaguchi’s chief collaborator on Evil Does Not Exist, Eiko Ishibashi, won best music and the Kaiju critical and commercial sensation Godzilla Minus One claimed both best visual effects and best sound.
In many ways, it was Zhang Yimou’s night, however. The venerated Chinese director took the stage twice, once to...
- 3/10/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” was Sunday evening named as the best picture at the Asian Film Awards.
The 17th edition of the prizes was held at the Xiqu Centre, part of the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong.
While “Evil Does Not Exist” and Korean blockbuster “12.12: The Day” had dominated the nominations with six each, including those in the best film category, the prizes on Sunday were much more evenly distributed. No title collected more than two prizes.
Outside, crowds failed to be muted by the March drizzle, though VIP guests were given escorts with purple umbrellas.
Filmmaker and industry attendance was also robust. Those spotted on the red carpet and pre-event cocktails included: Lee Yong Kwan (former chair of the Busan film festival), Tom Yoda, Udine festival heads Sabrina Baracetti and Thomas Bertacche, Anthony Chen, Stanley Kwan, Rina Damayanti, Hong Kong distributor Winnie Tsang,...
The 17th edition of the prizes was held at the Xiqu Centre, part of the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong.
While “Evil Does Not Exist” and Korean blockbuster “12.12: The Day” had dominated the nominations with six each, including those in the best film category, the prizes on Sunday were much more evenly distributed. No title collected more than two prizes.
Outside, crowds failed to be muted by the March drizzle, though VIP guests were given escorts with purple umbrellas.
Filmmaker and industry attendance was also robust. Those spotted on the red carpet and pre-event cocktails included: Lee Yong Kwan (former chair of the Busan film festival), Tom Yoda, Udine festival heads Sabrina Baracetti and Thomas Bertacche, Anthony Chen, Stanley Kwan, Rina Damayanti, Hong Kong distributor Winnie Tsang,...
- 3/10/2024
- by Patrick Frater and Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Worldwide box office March 1-3 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros) $178.5m $178.5m $97m $97m 72 2. Exhuma (Showbox)
$17.2m $43.6m $17.2m $43.6m 1 3. Bob Marley: One Love (Paramount) $16.2m $146.1m $8.8m $63.3m 57 4. Article 20 (various) $14.4m $319.4m $14.3m $318.9m 4 5. The Pig, The Snake And The Pigeon (various)
$13.3m $17.6m $13.3m $17.6m 1 6. Pegasus 2 (various)
$12.8m $459.4m $12.7m $457.6m 4 7. Madame Web (Sony)
$8.2m $91m $5m $50.6m 66 8. Boonie Bears: Time Twist (various) $7.9m $268.1m $7.9m $268.1m 1 9. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - To The Hashira Training (various) $7.7m $56.9m...
$17.2m $43.6m $17.2m $43.6m 1 3. Bob Marley: One Love (Paramount) $16.2m $146.1m $8.8m $63.3m 57 4. Article 20 (various) $14.4m $319.4m $14.3m $318.9m 4 5. The Pig, The Snake And The Pigeon (various)
$13.3m $17.6m $13.3m $17.6m 1 6. Pegasus 2 (various)
$12.8m $459.4m $12.7m $457.6m 4 7. Madame Web (Sony)
$8.2m $91m $5m $50.6m 66 8. Boonie Bears: Time Twist (various) $7.9m $268.1m $7.9m $268.1m 1 9. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - To The Hashira Training (various) $7.7m $56.9m...
- 3/4/2024
- ScreenDaily
Essentially a sequel o f”Man Standing Next”, in terms of the succession of historical events, “12.12: The Day” became the highest-grossing Korean film of 2023, with many citing it as the movie that saved Korean cinema in the particular year.
“12.12: The Day” is available from Echelon Studios
The story begins in December 1979, after the assassinaton of President Park, with the whole country being in turmoil and martial law having been declared. The initial 30 minutes of the 140 of the movie set the base of what happened after the aforementioned events, additionally introducing the two main rivals, Defense Security Commander Chun Doo-gwan and Capital Defense Commander Lee Tae-sin, while the rest focus on the 9 hours which the coup unfolded, starting with the arrest of the Army Chief of Staff, Jeong Sang-ho.
Check also this article The 20 Best Korean Movies of 2023
Kim Seong-su directs the movie in a style that will remind...
“12.12: The Day” is available from Echelon Studios
The story begins in December 1979, after the assassinaton of President Park, with the whole country being in turmoil and martial law having been declared. The initial 30 minutes of the 140 of the movie set the base of what happened after the aforementioned events, additionally introducing the two main rivals, Defense Security Commander Chun Doo-gwan and Capital Defense Commander Lee Tae-sin, while the rest focus on the 9 hours which the coup unfolded, starting with the arrest of the Army Chief of Staff, Jeong Sang-ho.
Check also this article The 20 Best Korean Movies of 2023
Kim Seong-su directs the movie in a style that will remind...
- 2/26/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
North American Digital Release
North American digital distributor Echelon Studios has come on board “12.12: The Day,” the highest grossing film from Korea last year.
The film has been on theatrical release in North America, through 815 Pictures since last year and grossed over $1 million. Echelon said that the film will have a streaming release later this year. It will also be available to pre-order to own on iTunes, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube Movies, Vudu, Vimeo OnDemand and OnDemand Korea shortly.
Directed by Kim Sung-su and with a Korean gross exceeding $90 million, the action drama is based on true events in December 1979, which resulted in an eight-year military junta in South Korea.
The film stars Hwang Jung-min (“Deliver Us from Evil”), Jung Woo-sung (“Asura: The City of Madness”), Lee Sung-min (“The Spy Gone North”), Park Hae-joon (“Believer”), Kang Gil-woo (Netflix series “The Glory”), and Jung Hae-in (Netflix’s “D.P.”).
Treasure Island...
North American digital distributor Echelon Studios has come on board “12.12: The Day,” the highest grossing film from Korea last year.
The film has been on theatrical release in North America, through 815 Pictures since last year and grossed over $1 million. Echelon said that the film will have a streaming release later this year. It will also be available to pre-order to own on iTunes, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube Movies, Vudu, Vimeo OnDemand and OnDemand Korea shortly.
Directed by Kim Sung-su and with a Korean gross exceeding $90 million, the action drama is based on true events in December 1979, which resulted in an eight-year military junta in South Korea.
The film stars Hwang Jung-min (“Deliver Us from Evil”), Jung Woo-sung (“Asura: The City of Madness”), Lee Sung-min (“The Spy Gone North”), Park Hae-joon (“Believer”), Kang Gil-woo (Netflix series “The Glory”), and Jung Hae-in (Netflix’s “D.P.”).
Treasure Island...
- 2/21/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Timothee Chalamet’s Wonka Vs Henry Cavill’s Argylle At South Korean Box Office (Picture Credit: IMDb)
Timothee Chalamet, ahead of the release of Dune: Part Two, got the highest-grossing film of his career with the musical fantasy Wonka. The film did an incredible business at the North American box office. It is also doing well in South Korea. Meanwhile, Henry Cavill-led Argylle opened to a poor reception here, and it is also the same at the South Korean box office. Keep scrolling to know.
The film, directed by Paul King, tells the origin story of Willy Wonka. The fictional character first appeared in the children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. In 2005, Johnny Depp appeared as Willy Wonka in Tim Burton’s movie and was widely appreciated by the people. He and Gene Wilder set the standards too high for this character with their performances,...
Timothee Chalamet, ahead of the release of Dune: Part Two, got the highest-grossing film of his career with the musical fantasy Wonka. The film did an incredible business at the North American box office. It is also doing well in South Korea. Meanwhile, Henry Cavill-led Argylle opened to a poor reception here, and it is also the same at the South Korean box office. Keep scrolling to know.
The film, directed by Paul King, tells the origin story of Willy Wonka. The fictional character first appeared in the children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. In 2005, Johnny Depp appeared as Willy Wonka in Tim Burton’s movie and was widely appreciated by the people. He and Gene Wilder set the standards too high for this character with their performances,...
- 2/12/2024
- by Esita Mallik
- KoiMoi
Hollywood fantasy film “Wonka” held strongly at the top of the South Korean box office on a weekend boosted by the Lunar New Year holidays. But Hollywood spy comedy “Argylle” opened disappointingly in seventh position.
Korea allocates three days of public holiday to the Lunar New Year and took them this time from Friday to Sunday. The extra holiday footfall in cinemas drove up box office and gave “Wonka” an almost unchanged weekend haul, despite a declining share of the overall market.
“Wonka” earned $3.88 million in its second weekend, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). After 12 days in Korean cinemas, it has a cumulative total of $11.6 million.
The overall theatrical market climbed 50% due to the holiday, from $7.47 million to $11.3 million this weekend.
“Citizen of a Kind” was also boosted by the holiday traffic. It expanded so that its third weekend score...
Korea allocates three days of public holiday to the Lunar New Year and took them this time from Friday to Sunday. The extra holiday footfall in cinemas drove up box office and gave “Wonka” an almost unchanged weekend haul, despite a declining share of the overall market.
“Wonka” earned $3.88 million in its second weekend, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). After 12 days in Korean cinemas, it has a cumulative total of $11.6 million.
The overall theatrical market climbed 50% due to the holiday, from $7.47 million to $11.3 million this weekend.
“Citizen of a Kind” was also boosted by the holiday traffic. It expanded so that its third weekend score...
- 2/11/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Timothee Chalamet-starring fantasy “Wonka” claimed the top spot in the weekend’s South Korean box office chart, in an opening that was nearly two months later than many other territories. It delivered a modest jolt to the otherwise slow theatrical market.
“Wonka” earned $3.97 million between Friday and Sunday in Korea, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). It accounted for 53% of cinema business over the weekend. Over the film’s first five days on release, since its Wednesday Korean debut, “Wonka” accumulated $5.67 million.
That counts a decent opening in a traditionally slow month and in a currently depressed Korean box office market. The nationwide cinema market expanded by 25% week-on-week to a weekend size of $7.46 million.
“Citizen of a Kind,” a comedy-drama about a woman who takes matters into her own hands after becoming the victim of a scam, and which topped...
“Wonka” earned $3.97 million between Friday and Sunday in Korea, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). It accounted for 53% of cinema business over the weekend. Over the film’s first five days on release, since its Wednesday Korean debut, “Wonka” accumulated $5.67 million.
That counts a decent opening in a traditionally slow month and in a currently depressed Korean box office market. The nationwide cinema market expanded by 25% week-on-week to a weekend size of $7.46 million.
“Citizen of a Kind,” a comedy-drama about a woman who takes matters into her own hands after becoming the victim of a scam, and which topped...
- 2/5/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
“Citizen of a Kind,” a comedy-drama about a woman who takes matters into her own hands after becoming the victim of a scam, fulfilled its promise from an earlier week of previews. “Citizen” topped the South Korean box office on its opening weekend, accounting for a more than 40% market share. But, with few other fresh titles reaching cinemas, overall theatrical revenues were at their lowest for several months.
“Citizen” earned $2.59 million between Friday and Sunday, according to figures from Kobis, the data service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). Over five days since release on Wednesday, and with the addition of its earlier previews, “Citizen” finished its opening weekend with a cumulative of $3.58 million.
Directed by Park Young-ju, “Citizen” tells the tale of woman whose business has gone up in flames and takes a hefty loan in an attempt to restart it. When she discovers that the loan is...
“Citizen” earned $2.59 million between Friday and Sunday, according to figures from Kobis, the data service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). Over five days since release on Wednesday, and with the addition of its earlier previews, “Citizen” finished its opening weekend with a cumulative of $3.58 million.
Directed by Park Young-ju, “Citizen” tells the tale of woman whose business has gone up in flames and takes a hefty loan in an attempt to restart it. When she discovers that the loan is...
- 1/29/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Time traveling-fantasy-adventure movie “Alienoid 2” was a comfortable winner at the South Korea box office over the weekend. But with few fresh films on release the cinema-going market slowed.
“Alienoid 2” earned $2.06 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). That was down by 42% compared with its opening session a week earlier and leaves it with a total of $7.96 million after 12 days on release.
The first instalment of “Alienoid” was one of the biggest flops of 2022. It opened brightly with a $5.19 million weekend in July that year. But it suffered terrible reviews and finished with just $12.2 million.
Whether the second part does better than the first may be a matter of market timing and competition. January is usually a quiet month in Korean cinemas and the lack of blockbuster titles competing for screen space may help “Alienoid 2.”
The overall market...
“Alienoid 2” earned $2.06 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). That was down by 42% compared with its opening session a week earlier and leaves it with a total of $7.96 million after 12 days on release.
The first instalment of “Alienoid” was one of the biggest flops of 2022. It opened brightly with a $5.19 million weekend in July that year. But it suffered terrible reviews and finished with just $12.2 million.
Whether the second part does better than the first may be a matter of market timing and competition. January is usually a quiet month in Korean cinemas and the lack of blockbuster titles competing for screen space may help “Alienoid 2.”
The overall market...
- 1/22/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Sci-fi fantasy comedy “Alienoid 2” opened on top of the South Korean box office with $3.57 million on a weekend that otherwise saw five animation titles and a political documentary in the top ten.
The big-budget, time-traveling “Alienoid 2” earned $3.57 million between Friday and Sunday with a market share of 39% and $4.77 million over its opening five days, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council. Imax reports that some $370,000 of the film’s total was earned from 24 Imax screens.
The film was made as a two-parter. The first instalment of “Alienoid” was one of the biggest flops of 2022. It opened with a $5.19 million weekend in July that year. But it suffered terrible reviews and word of mouth and finished with just $12.2 million. Director Choi Dong-hoon has recently spent several weeks pushing the message that the second part is better than the first.
Its opening performance was enough...
The big-budget, time-traveling “Alienoid 2” earned $3.57 million between Friday and Sunday with a market share of 39% and $4.77 million over its opening five days, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council. Imax reports that some $370,000 of the film’s total was earned from 24 Imax screens.
The film was made as a two-parter. The first instalment of “Alienoid” was one of the biggest flops of 2022. It opened with a $5.19 million weekend in July that year. But it suffered terrible reviews and word of mouth and finished with just $12.2 million. Director Choi Dong-hoon has recently spent several weeks pushing the message that the second part is better than the first.
Its opening performance was enough...
- 1/15/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
A total of 35 films from 24 countries and regions have been shortlisted to compete for 16 awards at this year's Asian Film Awards.
Renowned Japanese director Kurosawa Kiyoshi will serve as the Jury President for this year's Awards. As the first Japanese director to hold this position, Kurosawa Kiyoshi is deeply honored. He will lead the Jury and over 200 Voting Members in selecting the winners for this year's Asian Film Awards.
The winners of other Afa awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, Excellence in Asian Cinema Award, Afa Next Generation Award, and Rising Star Award, will be announced later.
The 17th Asian Film Awards Nomination List
Best Film
12.12: The Day (South Korea)
Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)
Paradise
Perfect Days (Japan)
Snow Leopard (Mainland China)
Best Director
Kim Sung-soo | 12.12: The Day (South Korea)
Gu Xiaogang | Dwelling by the West Lake (Mainland China)
Hamaguchi Ryusuke | Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)
Kore-eda Hirokazu...
Renowned Japanese director Kurosawa Kiyoshi will serve as the Jury President for this year's Awards. As the first Japanese director to hold this position, Kurosawa Kiyoshi is deeply honored. He will lead the Jury and over 200 Voting Members in selecting the winners for this year's Asian Film Awards.
The winners of other Afa awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, Excellence in Asian Cinema Award, Afa Next Generation Award, and Rising Star Award, will be announced later.
The 17th Asian Film Awards Nomination List
Best Film
12.12: The Day (South Korea)
Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)
Paradise
Perfect Days (Japan)
Snow Leopard (Mainland China)
Best Director
Kim Sung-soo | 12.12: The Day (South Korea)
Gu Xiaogang | Dwelling by the West Lake (Mainland China)
Hamaguchi Ryusuke | Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)
Kore-eda Hirokazu...
- 1/12/2024
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
‘Snow Leopard’, ‘Paradise’, ‘The Goldfinger’ and ‘Godzilla Minus One’ also land multiple nods.
South Korean box office hit 12.12: The Day and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist lead the nominations for the 17th Asian Film Awards, with six nods each including best film.
Also up for best film is Prasanna Vithanage’s Paradise from Sri Lanka-India, Wim Wenders Perfect Days from Japan and Chinese feature Snow Leopard by the late Pema Tseden.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Hong Kong on March 10 and will be decided by a...
South Korean box office hit 12.12: The Day and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist lead the nominations for the 17th Asian Film Awards, with six nods each including best film.
Also up for best film is Prasanna Vithanage’s Paradise from Sri Lanka-India, Wim Wenders Perfect Days from Japan and Chinese feature Snow Leopard by the late Pema Tseden.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Hong Kong on March 10 and will be decided by a...
- 1/12/2024
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Disney animation film, “Wish” topped the South Korean box office on its opening weekend. It toppled local epic “Noryang: Deadly Sea,” which had dominated over Christmas and New Year.
“Wish,” which has slowly been rolling out worldwide since a late November start in North America, made a respectable $3.29 million debut between Friday and Sunday according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). After five days on release in Korea, it has garnered $4.57 million.
“Noryang,” which released on Dec. 20, took a steep decline of 66% in its third weekend but still retained second place in the weekend chart. It earned $2.03 million, for a cumulative total of $31.3 million.
“12.12: The Day,” the political thriller that finished 2023 as the year’s top-grossing title, earned another $1.99 million in third place over the latest weekend. Since releasing on Nov. 23, it has amassed a total of $93.1 million and been seen by 12.5 million people.
“Wish,” which has slowly been rolling out worldwide since a late November start in North America, made a respectable $3.29 million debut between Friday and Sunday according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). After five days on release in Korea, it has garnered $4.57 million.
“Noryang,” which released on Dec. 20, took a steep decline of 66% in its third weekend but still retained second place in the weekend chart. It earned $2.03 million, for a cumulative total of $31.3 million.
“12.12: The Day,” the political thriller that finished 2023 as the year’s top-grossing title, earned another $1.99 million in third place over the latest weekend. Since releasing on Nov. 23, it has amassed a total of $93.1 million and been seen by 12.5 million people.
- 1/8/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Hit local titles include ’12.12: The Day’ and ‘The Roundup: No Way Out’.
South Korea’s box office admissions recorded a rise of 11% in 2023, boosted by two local hits, but saw 44.8% fewer cinemagoers than in pre-Covid 2019.
There was a total of 125.1 million admissions in 2023, according to the Korea Box-office Information System (Kobis), demonstrating steady growth year-on-year.
However, with audiences still not returning to cinemas at pre-pandemic levels, the number is a 44.8% decrease from 2019, which was year before the Covid-19 outbreak but also the all-time highest box office year on record in terms of admissions and gross.
Total box office gross...
South Korea’s box office admissions recorded a rise of 11% in 2023, boosted by two local hits, but saw 44.8% fewer cinemagoers than in pre-Covid 2019.
There was a total of 125.1 million admissions in 2023, according to the Korea Box-office Information System (Kobis), demonstrating steady growth year-on-year.
However, with audiences still not returning to cinemas at pre-pandemic levels, the number is a 44.8% decrease from 2019, which was year before the Covid-19 outbreak but also the all-time highest box office year on record in terms of admissions and gross.
Total box office gross...
- 1/3/2024
- by Jean Noh
- ScreenDaily
A strong December for local films helped make up for an otherwise miserable 2023 at the South Korean box office – previously the fifth largest cinema territory worldwide.
And while theatrical markets in other major territories have recovered to reach at or near pre-pandemic levels, Korea finished 44% below 2019.
Data from the Korean Film Council’s Kobis tracking service showed annual gross revenues of KRW1.261 trillion ($964 million at Jan 2024 rates of exchange) in 2023. That represented a gain of 9% on 2022, but it was far below the KRW1.91 trillion ($1.46 billion) recorded in 2019, the last pre-covid year.
The bleak trend was mirrored in terms of attendance or ticket sales, which remains the country’s preferred performance measure. Cinema attendance reached 125 million in 2023, an 11% increase compared with the 113 million recorded in 2022, but 45% below 2019’s 227 million.
Kobis’ monthly data describe a year of peaks and troughs. Powered by holdover title “Avatar: The Way of Water,” 2023 started brightly enough,...
And while theatrical markets in other major territories have recovered to reach at or near pre-pandemic levels, Korea finished 44% below 2019.
Data from the Korean Film Council’s Kobis tracking service showed annual gross revenues of KRW1.261 trillion ($964 million at Jan 2024 rates of exchange) in 2023. That represented a gain of 9% on 2022, but it was far below the KRW1.91 trillion ($1.46 billion) recorded in 2019, the last pre-covid year.
The bleak trend was mirrored in terms of attendance or ticket sales, which remains the country’s preferred performance measure. Cinema attendance reached 125 million in 2023, an 11% increase compared with the 113 million recorded in 2022, but 45% below 2019’s 227 million.
Kobis’ monthly data describe a year of peaks and troughs. Powered by holdover title “Avatar: The Way of Water,” 2023 started brightly enough,...
- 1/3/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Korean Action Drama ‘12.12: The Day’ Grosses $90M At Local Box Office To Become Biggest Film Of 2023
Korean historical action drama 12.12: The Day has grossed $90.5M and sailed past the 12 million admissions mark at the Korean box office over the Christmas holiday period to become the highest grossing film of 2023.
Released on November 22, the film overtook The Roundup: No Way Out in both admissions and revenue terms on Christmas Day. It marks the first time in four years since the release of Oscar-winning drama Parasite that a non franchise local title has crossed 12 million admissions.
Disney’s Elemental is the third highest grossing film of 2023 in Korea, grossing $54M from 7.2 million admissions following its June 2023 release.
Directed by Kim Sung-soo, whose credits include Asura: The City Of Madness and The Flu, 12.12: The Day is set against the backdrop of the real-life military coup of 1979, which resulted in an eight-year military junta in South Korea. The cast includes Hwang Jung-min (The Wailing), Jung Woo-sung (Asura: The City Of Madness...
Released on November 22, the film overtook The Roundup: No Way Out in both admissions and revenue terms on Christmas Day. It marks the first time in four years since the release of Oscar-winning drama Parasite that a non franchise local title has crossed 12 million admissions.
Disney’s Elemental is the third highest grossing film of 2023 in Korea, grossing $54M from 7.2 million admissions following its June 2023 release.
Directed by Kim Sung-soo, whose credits include Asura: The City Of Madness and The Flu, 12.12: The Day is set against the backdrop of the real-life military coup of 1979, which resulted in an eight-year military junta in South Korea. The cast includes Hwang Jung-min (The Wailing), Jung Woo-sung (Asura: The City Of Madness...
- 1/3/2024
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
The historial action drama has become the biggest film of 2023 at the local box office.
Historical action drama 12.12: The Day has surpassed 12 million admissions and $90m at the South Korea box office as of today (January 2), according to the Korea Box-office Information System (Kobis).
The Korean film has been revitalising the local box office, where the only stand-out hit of 2023 had been Don Lee’s crime action franchise film The Roundup: No Way Out, with 10.6 million admissions and $79.8m.
12.12: The Day, released by Plus M Entertainment on November 22, ended the year with more than 11.8 million admissions and $88m,...
Historical action drama 12.12: The Day has surpassed 12 million admissions and $90m at the South Korea box office as of today (January 2), according to the Korea Box-office Information System (Kobis).
The Korean film has been revitalising the local box office, where the only stand-out hit of 2023 had been Don Lee’s crime action franchise film The Roundup: No Way Out, with 10.6 million admissions and $79.8m.
12.12: The Day, released by Plus M Entertainment on November 22, ended the year with more than 11.8 million admissions and $88m,...
- 1/2/2024
- by Jean Noh
- ScreenDaily
“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” led the worldwide box office with a $108 million debut weekend, according to numbers released by Comscore.
Warner Bros. and DC Studio’s “Aquaman 2” also topped the U.S. box office over the weekend.
In second place, “Wonka” continued its stellar run with a worldwide weekend of $50.9 million and now has a total of $247 million.
Indian action epic “Salaar Part 1 – Ceasefire,” led by “Baahubali” star Prabhas and directed by “K.G.F.” filmmaker Prashant Neel, debuted in third position with $39 million. This included $5.5 million in North America, where it also bowed in third place.
Another Indian film, immigration drama-comedy “Dunki,” headlined by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and directed by hitmaker Rajkumar Hirani, was in fourth position with $22.9 million over the weekend. The film has a total of $23.8 million as it opened on Thursday, Dec. 21.
Monday, Christmas Day, is a public holiday in India, but as the festival...
Warner Bros. and DC Studio’s “Aquaman 2” also topped the U.S. box office over the weekend.
In second place, “Wonka” continued its stellar run with a worldwide weekend of $50.9 million and now has a total of $247 million.
Indian action epic “Salaar Part 1 – Ceasefire,” led by “Baahubali” star Prabhas and directed by “K.G.F.” filmmaker Prashant Neel, debuted in third position with $39 million. This included $5.5 million in North America, where it also bowed in third place.
Another Indian film, immigration drama-comedy “Dunki,” headlined by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and directed by hitmaker Rajkumar Hirani, was in fourth position with $22.9 million over the weekend. The film has a total of $23.8 million as it opened on Thursday, Dec. 21.
Monday, Christmas Day, is a public holiday in India, but as the festival...
- 12/25/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
’Wonka’ topped the box office in 60 of its 77 international markets
Worldwide box office December 15-17 RankFilm (distributor)3-day (world) Cume (world)3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Wonka (Warner Bros) $92.6m $151.4m $53.6m $112.4m 78 2. Endless Journey (various) $20.5m $34.6m $20.5m $34.6m 1 3. Wish (Disney) $15.4m $126.2m $12.2m $71.9m 40 4. The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes (Lionsgate) $12.3 $300.5m $6.5m $155.3m 85 5. Wolf Hiding (various) $11.2m $12.2m $11.2m $12.2m 1 6. 12:12 The Day (Seoul Spring) (various) $10.6m $62.7m $10.6m $62.7m 5 7. Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine (various) $10.3m $129.1m $10.3m $129.1m 3 8. Napoleon (Sony) $10.3m $188.4m $8m $131.4m 66 9. The Boy And The Heron (GKids...
Worldwide box office December 15-17 RankFilm (distributor)3-day (world) Cume (world)3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Wonka (Warner Bros) $92.6m $151.4m $53.6m $112.4m 78 2. Endless Journey (various) $20.5m $34.6m $20.5m $34.6m 1 3. Wish (Disney) $15.4m $126.2m $12.2m $71.9m 40 4. The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes (Lionsgate) $12.3 $300.5m $6.5m $155.3m 85 5. Wolf Hiding (various) $11.2m $12.2m $11.2m $12.2m 1 6. 12:12 The Day (Seoul Spring) (various) $10.6m $62.7m $10.6m $62.7m 5 7. Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine (various) $10.3m $129.1m $10.3m $129.1m 3 8. Napoleon (Sony) $10.3m $188.4m $8m $131.4m 66 9. The Boy And The Heron (GKids...
- 12/18/2023
- by Charles Gant
- ScreenDaily
Fact-based action drama “12.12: The Day” won a fourth weekend at the South Korea box office and became the second highest grossing film of the year.
The political thriller incurred a steep week-on-week drop in takings, managing only $5.89 million in its fourth weekend, compared with $11.4 million in its third. But it still hogged a 72% market share, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic).
After releasing on Nov. 22, the film now has a cumulative box office of $62.9 million earned from 8.50 million ticket sales. That total means it has overtaken “Elemental” to become the number two film of the year in Korea. The year-to-dater table is still lead by behind summer hit “The Roundup: No Way Out,” with $80.3 million earned from 10.7 million spectators.
The reduced pace of the frontrunner brought the nationwide weekend box office total to a more humdrum $8.18 million, after three weekends above $10 million.
The political thriller incurred a steep week-on-week drop in takings, managing only $5.89 million in its fourth weekend, compared with $11.4 million in its third. But it still hogged a 72% market share, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic).
After releasing on Nov. 22, the film now has a cumulative box office of $62.9 million earned from 8.50 million ticket sales. That total means it has overtaken “Elemental” to become the number two film of the year in Korea. The year-to-dater table is still lead by behind summer hit “The Roundup: No Way Out,” with $80.3 million earned from 10.7 million spectators.
The reduced pace of the frontrunner brought the nationwide weekend box office total to a more humdrum $8.18 million, after three weekends above $10 million.
- 12/17/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Although the Korean movie industry recently announced that the local box office recovered to 70% of Pre-pandemic Level, largely due to the success of “12.12: The Day” which was released on November 22nd and has earned 7,729,273 admissions by December 14, the situation with local cinema is not exactly hopeful, as a number of key figures and specialists mention. Particularly the fact that the majority of talent, including movie stars and filmmakers seem to move towards the rather more popular dramas, the gap left in the movie industry is felt more than ever. At the same time, though, not everything is all bad, since the mainstream movies still find ways out in festivals, streaming and distribution, while a number of intense social dramas remind of the second reason Korean cinema reached the heights it holds now (apart from crime thrillers).
In any case, here are the best South Korean films of 2023, in reverse order.
In any case, here are the best South Korean films of 2023, in reverse order.
- 12/16/2023
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
Prequel story ‘Wonka’ leads the box office in 32 out of 37 first-wave territories.
Worldwide box office Dec 8-10 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Wonka (Warner Bros)
$43.2m $43.2m $43.2m $43.2m 37 2. The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes (Lionsgate)
$20.4m $279m $11m $143.3m 88 3. Napolean (Sony) $20.3m $170.8m $16.1m $117.7m 65 4. Animal (various) $18.4m $84.6m $16.1m $73m 35 5. Wish (Disney) $17.4m $105.5m $12.1m $56.1m 38 6. The Boy And The Heron (various) $15.3m $114.2m $2.5m $101.4m 22 7. 12:12 The Day (Seoul Spring) (various) $12.6m $47m $12.6m $46.4m 4 8. The Invisible Guest (various) $12.5m $12.7m $12.5m $12.7m 1 9. Godzilla Minus One...
Worldwide box office Dec 8-10 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Wonka (Warner Bros)
$43.2m $43.2m $43.2m $43.2m 37 2. The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes (Lionsgate)
$20.4m $279m $11m $143.3m 88 3. Napolean (Sony) $20.3m $170.8m $16.1m $117.7m 65 4. Animal (various) $18.4m $84.6m $16.1m $73m 35 5. Wish (Disney) $17.4m $105.5m $12.1m $56.1m 38 6. The Boy And The Heron (various) $15.3m $114.2m $2.5m $101.4m 22 7. 12:12 The Day (Seoul Spring) (various) $12.6m $47m $12.6m $46.4m 4 8. The Invisible Guest (various) $12.5m $12.7m $12.5m $12.7m 1 9. Godzilla Minus One...
- 12/11/2023
- by Charles Gant
- ScreenDaily
Fact-based political thriller “12.12: The Day” dominated the Korean box office for the third successive weekend and advanced its takings haul beyond $50 million. It was far ahead of “Napoleon,” which opened a disappointing third.
The Kim Sung-soo-directed picture earned $11.4 million between Friday and Sunday, accounting for 75.8% of nationwide weekend cinema revenues, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic).
It has held up particularly strongly and dropped by only 12% in its third weekend. The latest weekend score was again higher than its opening frame. It earned $11.3 million in its opening weekend and expanded to $12.95 million in its second weekend.
Over 19 days of release, “12.12: The Day” (aka “Seoul Spring”) has earned $50.9 million from 6.97 million admissions. On both measures, that is the second highest performance this year by any Korean-produced movie and the third highest score in Korean cinemas in 2023. Disney/Pixar’s...
The Kim Sung-soo-directed picture earned $11.4 million between Friday and Sunday, accounting for 75.8% of nationwide weekend cinema revenues, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic).
It has held up particularly strongly and dropped by only 12% in its third weekend. The latest weekend score was again higher than its opening frame. It earned $11.3 million in its opening weekend and expanded to $12.95 million in its second weekend.
Over 19 days of release, “12.12: The Day” (aka “Seoul Spring”) has earned $50.9 million from 6.97 million admissions. On both measures, that is the second highest performance this year by any Korean-produced movie and the third highest score in Korean cinemas in 2023. Disney/Pixar’s...
- 12/10/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
‘Napoleon’ dropped to second in global chart; hits $137m after second session.
Worldwide box office Dec 1-3 RankFilm (distributor)3-day (world) Cume (world)3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Animal (various) $42.1m $42.1m $36.1m $36.1m 38 2. Napoleon (Sony) $35.7m $136.6m $28.6m $90.9m 64 3. The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes (Lionsgate) $29.4m $243.9m $14.9m $122.7m 88 4. Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce (Trafalgar) $27.4m $27.4m $6.4m $6.4m 95 5. Wish (Disney) $26.2m $81.5m $18.8m $39.6m 34 6. Across The Furious Sea (various) $19.5m $59.5m $19.5m $59.5m 1 7. 12:12: The Day (Seoul Spring) $14.4m $28.5m $14.4m $28.5m 1 8. So Long For Love (various) $11.6m $12.7m $11.6m $12.7m...
Worldwide box office Dec 1-3 RankFilm (distributor)3-day (world) Cume (world)3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Animal (various) $42.1m $42.1m $36.1m $36.1m 38 2. Napoleon (Sony) $35.7m $136.6m $28.6m $90.9m 64 3. The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes (Lionsgate) $29.4m $243.9m $14.9m $122.7m 88 4. Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce (Trafalgar) $27.4m $27.4m $6.4m $6.4m 95 5. Wish (Disney) $26.2m $81.5m $18.8m $39.6m 34 6. Across The Furious Sea (various) $19.5m $59.5m $19.5m $59.5m 1 7. 12:12: The Day (Seoul Spring) $14.4m $28.5m $14.4m $28.5m 1 8. So Long For Love (various) $11.6m $12.7m $11.6m $12.7m...
- 12/4/2023
- by Charles Gant
- ScreenDaily
Political drama thriller “12.12: The Day” dominated the South Korean box office for a second weekend with a $13 million haul.
Its second weekend outing topped its first session, when it earned $11.2 million, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). And the film (aka “Seoul Spring”) increased its share of the weekend’s total cinema market to a crushing 81%.
Separately, ComScore calculated that the film’s single country receipts made it the seventh highest grossing film in the world over the weekend.
After two weekends on release, “12.12: The Day” has garnered $34.2 million, making it already the sixth ranking film in Korea this year and the third biggest Korean-produced picture. On this track, it will overtake “Smugglers” before the next weekend.
In terms of admissions, “12.12: The Day” enjoyed 1.7 million ticket sales over the weekend, for a running total of 4.66 million. The traditional...
Its second weekend outing topped its first session, when it earned $11.2 million, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). And the film (aka “Seoul Spring”) increased its share of the weekend’s total cinema market to a crushing 81%.
Separately, ComScore calculated that the film’s single country receipts made it the seventh highest grossing film in the world over the weekend.
After two weekends on release, “12.12: The Day” has garnered $34.2 million, making it already the sixth ranking film in Korea this year and the third biggest Korean-produced picture. On this track, it will overtake “Smugglers” before the next weekend.
In terms of admissions, “12.12: The Day” enjoyed 1.7 million ticket sales over the weekend, for a running total of 4.66 million. The traditional...
- 12/4/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
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