[HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2016.05.20 ~ 2016.05.22

"The Wailing" screams to 4.5 million admissions...

Na Hong-jin's mystery thriller "The Wailing" managed to retained pole position over the penultimate weekend of May. The film entered the fray last week where it dislodged Marvel's "Captain America: Civil War" at the top of the pile by capturing 64% of the box office pie. This week, "The Wailing" claimed 1.3 million admissions (58.3%) across 1,391 screens to move its total tally to 4.5 million. Since its release mid-May, Na Hong-jin's third flick (the other films include the critically acclaimed "The Yellow Sea" and iconic "The Chaser") has grossed $31.3 million.

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"The Angry Birds Movie" arrived in Korea last Thursday and was given 658 screens from which to pool support. 248 thousand admissions (9.8%) was enough for this animated comedy to secure second, pushing "Captain America: Civil War" down to third (182 thousand, 7.8%). Since its release in Korea late April, "Civil War" (the third film in Marvel's "Captain America" series after "Captain America: The First Avenger" and "Captain America: The Winter Soldier") has sold 8.5 million admissions in Korea alone ($60.5 million), and worldwide Marvel's latest has banked over a billion.

Falling just short of a podium finished entered a new local drama starring Youn Yuh-jung, Kim Go-eun, and Kim Hee-won. Director Chang's "Canola" claimed 6.9% of the box office activity in its first weekend out (168 thousand admissions), followed by another new release: the Irish-British-American musical comedy-drama "Sing Street" by John Carney. "Sing Street" had its premiere earlier this year a Sundance, but was only released in Korea last Thursday, and was welcomed by 136.6 thousand filmgoers across 492 screens to feature in fifth.

Last weekend Jo Sung-hee's "Phantom Detective" occupied third place with 7.8% of the box office revenue (226 thousand admissions), but week three for Jo's fourth film saw it sink to sixth with 82.9 thousand (3.4%). Since its release at the beginning of May, "Phantom Detective" has grossed $9.4 million, that's 1.3 million admissions. Hot on its heel with 82.6 thousand admissions was the Taiwanese film "Our Times", which remained unmoved in seventh place, followed by the Russian sci-fi action film "Hardcore Henry" on 22.8 thousand (1%).

Son Seok-woo's animation "Theatrical Cut - Hello Jadu" fell four places to nestle in ninth with 9.5 thousand admissions (0.3%), and the weekend was rounded out by Kwon Jong-gwan's crime drama "Proof on Innocence" starring Kim Myung-min. "Proof on Innocence" (also known as "A Letter From Prison" and "Special Investigation: The Prisoner's Letter") captured the attention of 8.1 thousand filmgoers across just 25 screenings to round out this week's top ten.

Korean Box Office - Admissions for the Weekend 2016.05.20 - 2016.05.22 (www.kobis.or.kr)

- Chris Wheeler