Time travel, fantasy, and adventure blend seamlessly in the thrilling movie “Alienoid 2,” securing its position as the reigning champion at the South Korea box office for the second weekend in a row. However, with a lack of new releases, the cinema market experienced a slowdown.
“Alienoid 2” garnered $2.06 million from Friday to Sunday, as reported by Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). Although this figure represented a 42% decline from its opening weekend, the film has amassed a total of $7.96 million after just 12 days in theaters.
The first installment of “Alienoid” was perceived as one of 2022’s biggest flops. Despite an impressive $5.19 million weekend opening in July, the movie received scathing reviews and ultimately only accumulated $12.2 million.
Whether or not the second installment surpasses its predecessor will depend on market timing and competition. As January typically remains a quiet month for Korean cinemas, the absence of blockbuster titles vying for screen space might prove advantageous for “Alienoid 2.”
The overall box office experienced a significant 34% plunge over the latest weekend, reaching a meager $6.04 million—a figure reminiscent of the weakest weekends in 2023. It’s worth noting that all three weekends of this year have seen box office numbers fall below the corresponding periods in 2023. However, this comparison is skewed due to the exceptional success of “Avatar 2” during the same timeframe.
“Wish” continued to hold onto second place, earning an additional $968,000 and bringing its total to $8.72 million since its January 3 release in Korea. In third place, “12.12: The Day,” the highest-grossing film of 2023, secured $688,000 over the weekend and achieved a cumulative gross of $94.6 million since its debut on November 22.
Meanwhile, “Migration” climbed to fourth place, accumulating $473,000 over the weekend and reaching a total of $1.69 million after 12 days in theaters. “Noryang: Deadly Sea,” which had previously held the fourth spot, slipped to fifth place, recording $452,000 over the weekend and a cumulative total of $33.3 million after five weekends.
In sixth place, the Japanese animated film “New Dimension! Crayon Shinchan the Movie: Battle of Supernatural Powers – Flying Sushi” maintained its position, earning $246,000 and bringing its cumulative total to $6.34 million.
Receiving significant attention even prior to its official release this Wednesday, the drama “Citizen of a Kind” entered the chart in seventh place solely based on preview screenings, accumulating $165,000 over the weekend and a total of $220,000 thus far.
The political documentary “Kim Dae Jung On the Road” earned $148,000 during its second weekend, reaching a running score of $668,000.
Finally, the U.S. financial drama “Dumb Money,” centered around meme stock GameStop and the antics of Roaring Kitty, emerged as the highest-ranking film that officially opened over the weekend. It earned $99,000 over the weekend and $174,000 during the first five days of its release.
Featured in the charts since late November, the Japanese drama film “Monster” garnered $74,000 over the latest weekend, reaching a cumulative total of $3.51 million.
Source link: F5 Magazine