South Korean cinema witnessed a chillingly successful debut this past weekend with the occult drama-thriller “Exhuma” dominating the box office. The film, directed by Jang Jae-hyun of “Svaha: The Sixth Finger” fame, raked in a staggering $16.8 million in its opening session, grabbing a whopping 77% share of the entire market.
“Exhuma,” starring veteran actor Choi Min-sik and rising star Kim Go-eun, tells the story of two shamans, a feng shui master, and a mortician who join forces to unravel the mysterious events plaguing a Korean family living in the US. This powerful opening puts the film on track to become the second-highest grossing film of the year in Korea, surpassing “Citizen of a Kind” and trailing only behind “Wonka.”
The success of “Exhuma” not only bolstered its own performance but also lifted the entire Korean box office to its best weekend of 2024 so far, with nationwide revenue reaching $19 million. While “Exhuma” reigned supreme, previously dominant “Wonka” slipped into second place with a $2 million score, bringing its total earnings to over $21.5 million since its January release.
Meanwhile, surprise hit “The Birth of Korea,” a biopic about a 19th-century Catholic priest, held onto third place with a $790,000 weekend take. Japanese animation “Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba” dropped to fourth with $490,000, accumulating a total of $3.44 million after two weeks.
In its opening weekend, “The Sound of Freedom,” the US faith-based film aiming to replicate its American success in Korea, landed in fifth place with a $135,000 weekend gross. The distributor attempted to introduce the “pay it forward” ticketing system, where viewers can buy tickets for others, but its impact remains unclear.
Rounding out the top ten were Korean drama “Picnic” ($130,000), upcoming animated film “Bread Barbershop” ($127,000), “Citizen of a Kind” ($100,000), and Oscar-nominated US drama “The Holdovers” ($55,000).
This box office dominance extends beyond the opening weekend. “Exhuma” has surpassed 3 million moviegoers within just a week, further solidifying its success. Congratulations to the cast and crew of this thrilling film as they continue to captivate audiences nationwide!
Image—Net
