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The rise of “Escape”: A new Korean action drama takes the lead
A gripping tale of defection and pursuit
“Escape,” a Korean-made action drama, has captivated audiences and taken the lead at the South Korean box office over the latest weekend. Directed by Lee Jong-pil, known for his surprise 2020 hit “Samjin Company English Class,” the film stars Lee Je-hoon and Koo Kyo-hwan in the lead roles. The narrative revolves around a North Korean soldier who dreams of defecting and the South Korean officer who pursues him, creating a tense and thrilling storyline.
Watch the trailer for “Escape”
Box office success and word of mouth
“Escape” earned $2.61 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). This represented an unusual 7% week-on-week gain for the film, suggesting strong word-of-mouth sentiment. After 19 days on release, “Escape” has accumulated $13.0 million, earned from 1.9 million spectators.
The fall of “Inside Out 2”: A shift in the box office
A long-standing favorite slips
“Inside Out 2,” which had dominated the chart for the previous five weeks, slipped to second place. It earned $1.98 million over the weekend, extending its cumulative total to $55.8 million. This further cements its place as the top import title of the year-to-date in Korea.
Watch the trailer for “Inside Out 2”
New releases and their impact
Detective Conan’s latest adventure
The weekend’s top new release was the Japanese animation title “Detective Conan the Movie: The Million Dollar Pentagram.” It took the top spot on Wednesday, the day of its release, and slipped to second position on Thursday and Friday, before falling further to third on Saturday and Sunday. Over the standard Friday to Sunday weekend, “Conan” earned $1.58 million. Over its full five-day opening run, it managed $2.71 million.
Watch the trailer for “Detective Conan the Movie: The Million Dollar Pentagram”
The enduring appeal of “Handsome Guys”
“Handsome Guys,” a modestly-budgeted Korean adaptation of “Tucker & Dale vs Evil,” held strongly in its fourth weekend of release. It earned $1.23 million for a cumulative of $10.7 million since debuting on June 26.
Watch the trailer for “Handsome Guys”
The summer season’s struggle
A decline in nationwide receipts
Notwithstanding the better-than-expected endurance of “Escape” and “Handsome Guys,” the summer season, once a high point for the box office in Korea, is losing momentum. Aggregate nationwide receipts over the weekend slipped 12% and were a lackluster $10.4 million.
Other notable releases
“Project Silence” and its challenges
“Project Silence,” a Korean disaster actioner, fared less well. It dropped 65% from its opening weekend to earn just $870,000 in its second weekend session. Directed and co-written by Kim Tae-gon, “Project Silence” takes a road bridge near Incheon Airport as the setting for a chain reaction of accidents, explosions, and mayhem, including an attack from genetically engineered dogs trained to target people according to their voice. Its cumulative after 11 days in cinemas is $4.22 million.
Watch the trailer for “Project Silence”
“Despicable Me 4” and its previews
“Despicable Me 4,” which had two days of previews ahead of a Wednesday (July 24) wide release, took sixth place over the latest weekend, earning $713,000.
Watch the trailer for “Despicable Me 4”
“Hijack 1971” and its historical narrative
“Hijack 1971,” a fact-based Korean kidnap story about an airplane hijacking during which an explosion caused the pilot to lose an eye, took $345,000 over the weekend, extending its cumulative to $11.9 million after five weeks on release.
Watch the trailer for “Hijack 1971”
Concert films and animation
“2023 Youngtak Concert: Tak Show 2,” a concert film made up of excerpts from singer Youngtak’s 2023 Korean tour performances, earned $191,000 over the weekend. Over its four-day cinema opening, it earned $348,000 for eighth place over the weekend.
Watch the trailer for “2023 Youngtak Concert: Tak Show 2”
Japanese animation “Doraemon: Nobita’s Earth Symphony” took ninth place with $91,000 for a two-week cumulative of $386,000. Japanese art house film “Perfect Days” came in tenth with $59,000 for a cumulative of $339,000.
Watch the trailer for “Doraemon: Nobita’s Earth Symphony”
Watch the trailer for “Perfect Days”
Reflecting on the current trends
The current trends in the South Korean box office reveal a dynamic and ever-changing landscape. While some films like “Escape” and “Handsome Guys” show remarkable endurance, others struggle to maintain their initial momentum. The summer season’s decline in nationwide receipts also highlights the challenges faced by the industry. As we continue to watch these trends unfold, it will be interesting to see how new releases and audience preferences shape the future of cinema in South Korea.
