The highly anticipated fantasy film “Wonka,” starring Timothee Chalamet, has finally arrived in South Korea and made its mark on the box office chart. Despite its delayed release compared to other territories, the movie managed to generate excitement and inject some energy into the currently slow theatrical market.
A Strong Opening for “Wonka” in Korea
According to data from Kobis, the Korean Film Council’s tracking service, “Wonka” earned an impressive $3.97 million between Friday and Sunday, making it the top-grossing film of the weekend. This accounted for 53% of the total cinema business during this period. Over its first five days since opening on Wednesday, “Wonka” accumulated a total of $5.67 million.
Even in a traditionally sluggish month and a currently depressed Korean box office market, “Wonka” managed to deliver a decent opening. The nationwide cinema market expanded by 25% week-on-week, reaching a total weekend size of $7.46 million.
The Box Office Rankings
The previous week’s chart-topper, the comedy-drama “Citizen of a Kind,” slipped to second place, experiencing a 36% decline in earnings. It added $1.65 million to its cumulative total, which now stands at $6.47 million after 12 days in theaters.
In its fifth weekend, the fantasy action film “Alienoid 2” dropped to third place. It earned $354,000 between Friday and Sunday, pushing its total earnings since its release on January 10 to $10.1 million. The first installment of the series had earned $12.2 million in 2022.
“The Birth of Korea,” a biopic about a 19th-century Catholic priest, secured fourth place with a weekend earning of $219,000. Over its opening five days, the film collected $270,000.
The U.S. animation “Wish” drifted down to fifth place, accumulating $172,000 over the latest weekend. Since its release on January 3, the film has amassed a total of $9.88 million.
Other films that made the box office chart include the political-historical drama “12.12: The Day,” holding onto sixth place with a weekend earning of $158,000 and a cumulative total of $95.3 million since its release on November 22. The highly acclaimed “Anatomy of a Fall,” winner of the Cannes Palme d’Or and multiple Oscar nominee, debuted in seventh place, earning $129,000 over the weekend and $230,000 over its first five days since Wednesday.
Additionally, the French animation film “The Jungle Bunch 2: Operation Meltdown,” known as “The Jungle Bunch: World Tour” in Korea, earned $123,000 over its opening five days. “Migration,” which has been in Korean cinemas since January 10, added $96,000 to its total earnings of $2.26 million.
Lastly, the Japanese animation “New Dimension! Crayon Shinchan the Movie: Battle of Supernatural Powers – Flying Sushi” rounded off the list, securing the tenth place with $73,000. Since its release on December 22, the film has accumulated $6.68 million.
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