Well, looks like I was pretty wrong about the new Park Chan-wook film, I’M A CYBORG, BUT THAT’S OKAY. I predicted the film would end up with between 3 and 4 million admissions. But with an opening weekend of just 472,000, I doubt it will make it to 2 million. Especially with the Christmas competition about to come flooding out.
Interesting to see that the Uhm Jung-hwa/Daniel Henney romantic comedy SEDUCING MR. PERFECT opened in 19 more theaters than CYBORG did. Apparently theater owners thought this film would be more accessible than Park Chan-wook’s latest. I would not be surprised if it ended up doing better than CYBORG, once both films leave the theaters in a few weeks.
A note on MR. PERFECT — I have no inside information about the film at all, but I heard people saying that the reason the producers cast Uhm Jung-hwa was that they wanted an older, less attractive woman in the role, one none of the teenage girls who like Daniel Henney would feel threatened by. No idea if that is true, but it seemed rather funny to me, albeit in a cruel way. I can still remember when Ms Uhm was incredibly attractive. (Then again, I can remember when I looked a lot better than I do now, too).
I also noticed that the Aardman animated film FLUSHED AWAY is nowhere on the top-10… which makes me wonder if it died a quick death, or if this week’s Film 2.0 chart is incomplete.
The big surprise to me is film No. 10, the re-release of NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (in 3D). Selling 27,800 tickets nationwide on just 26 screens? For a movie over a decade old? Not bad at all.
| This Week | Title…………………………………. | Release Date | Screens Nationwide | Weekend Attendance (Seoul only) | Total Attendance | 1. | I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Okay | 12.07 | 332 | 112,000 | 472,000 | 2. | Seducing Mr. Perfect | 12.07 | 351 | 93,300 | 390,700 | 3. | Sunflower | 11.23 | 254 | 48,200 | 1,237,300 | 4. | Just Friends | 12.07 | 140 | 44,100 | 131,300 | 5. | Pan’s Labyrinth | 11.30 | 160 | 34,700 | 415,500 | 6. | Saw 3 | 11.30 | 195 | 24,400 | 385,000 | 7. | The Departed | 11.23 | 126 | 14,400 | 724,300 | 8. | Step Up | 11.23 | 80 | 14,200 | 395,400 | 9. | Once in a Summer | 11.30 | 255 | 13,100 | 307,200 | 10. | Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D | 12.07 | 26 | 12,900 | 27,800 |
(Source: Film2.0)
Next week things step up a bit, with 200 POUND BEAUTY and WORLD OF SILENCE coming out. But the weekend after that, beginning Dec. 21, is when all hell should break loose. It is staggering the number of films coming out for the Christmas weekend — CASINO ROYALE, HAPPY FEET, NATIVITY STORY, NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, OLD MISS DIARY and the RESTLESS (the new Nabi Pictures/CJ mystical martial arts spectacular).
Hey, when did BORAT get moved to January? Bah…
UPDATE: Chart fixed
BORAT did in fact get moved to January? Aw damn it. cine21.com is still saying December, and the official Korean BORAT site removed the date altogether a while ago, so where have you gotten your info from? And when in Jan will it be coming (because, as luck would have it, I’m going on a trip to Australia for most of January, and it would really, really irk me if I missed the BORAT window altogether)?
Anyway, side note: just discovered your site a couple of weeks ago, but I like what you’re doing. The more info out there on Korean film for the expat like me, the better. Keep it up.
I checked out Fox Korea’s website:
http://www.foxkorea.co.kr/movie/movie_info/movie_info.asp?id=98
Cine21 says December still? I could not find the film on their website at all anymore.
Anyhow, thanks for the nice feedback.
Dear Mr. Russell, thanks very much for the weekend Box office reports. I especially like reading your experience meeting Mr. Lee Byung Hun in the B.O. Dec 1-3 report.
Just want to let you know that for the B.O. list of Dec 8-10, there seems to be #7 included twice (for The Departed & Step Up). I’m wondering, if Solace is still in the running for the Top Ten.
Keep the good blog going, love the layout & thoughts especially.
Thanks for the catch.