The South Korean box office for the weekend of Jan. 24-26 was led by horror film “Dark Nuns,” which debuted with a commanding performance, while action sequel “Hitman 2” also had an impressive start.
“Dark Nuns,” a horror film where two nuns are driven to perform an exorcism, opened at the top of the chart, earning KRW5.71 billion ($3.9 million) over the weekend. With 588,498 admissions and 42.8% of the market share, the film has a cumulative total of $4 million, including previews.
Action-comedy sequel “Hitman 2” claimed the second spot with a $2.8 million weekend, capturing 30.3% of the market share and drawing 425,198 admissions. Its cumulative total, including midweek previews, stands at $3.9 million.
“Harbin,” the historical thriller about Korean independence fighters, dropped to third place after weeks at the top, earning $495,464. With 72,827 weekend admissions, the film’s cumulative total now stands at $30.9 million.
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Animation “Pokémon the Movie AG: Mew and the Wave Hero Lucario” debuted in fourth place with $285,445 from 45,984 admissions. Its cumulative gross is $397,778.
In fifth place, documentary “IU Concert: The Winning” grossed $542,261 from 28,063 admissions. “The Substance,” which had shown growth in previous weeks, slipped to sixth place, earning $177,292. The film’s cumulative gross now stands at $2 million with 302,870 admissions.
Further down, supernatural comedy “Ghost Police” debuted at seventh with $117,412. Animation “Pororo the Movie: Great Adventure Under the Sea” fell to eighth, earning $92,129.
“Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Our Dinosaur Diary” and “The Firefighters” rounded out the top 10, earning $70,164 and $69,127, respectively, with cumulative totals of $5 million and $25.1 million.
According to Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council, the top 10 films grossed approximately $8.6 million, reflecting a strong resurgence compared to last week’s $5 million.
With new releases dominating the weekend and “Dark Nuns” claiming the spotlight, the Korean box office saw renewed energy as January draws to a close and the Lunar New Year holidays begin.