Opening on Wednesday (Oct. 2), “Joker” landed on top of the South Korean box office. The Warner Bros. Korea release earned $16.2 million from 2.2 million admissions over opening five days, including $9.57 million earned over the weekend proper. Showing on 1,418 screens nationwide, the Joaquin Phoenix-starring psychological thriller accounted for 52% of the weekend box office.
“Crazy Romance” and “Man of Men,” two Korean titles that also opened on Wednesday, took second and third places, respectively. Next Entertainment World’s “Crazy Romance” earned $7.62 from between Wednesday and Sunday. Showbox’s “Man” earned $4.62 million over five days. Director Yong Soo’s feature debut, the comedy drama revolves around a lawyer who is diagnosed with a terminal illness and asks a low-level hoodlum to help him complete his bucket list.
“Battle of Jangsari” incurred an 80% week-on-week tumble and dropped to fourth from the previous weekend’s top spot. The Korean war drama earned $709,000 for a two-weekend total of $6.9 million. “By Quantum Physics: A Nightlife Venture,” another Korean title that opened on the same date as “Jangsari,” took a heftier 92% fall in its second weekend and slipped to sixth. It earned $158,000 over the weekend for a total of $3.71 million after two weekends.