Theatrical box office in South Korean capital, Seoul dipped to a 16-year low, as ticket sales have moved in inverse proportion to the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus rises. Exhibitors have turned to re-releases to try to entice audiences.
Data from the Korean Film Council’s KOBIS service showed that just 244,000 tickets were sold over the weekend, down from 299,600 the previous weekend. On Thursday, fewer than 50,000 tickets were sold, the lowest daily total since KOBIS began.
In what was left of the box office, “The Invisible Man” remained on top for the third consecutive weekend, earning $423,800 between Friday and Sunday for a total of $3 million after three weekends on release.
Opening on Wednesday, Todd Haynes’ “Dark Waters” landed in second. The American drama earned $447,600 over five days, including $329,000 between Friday and Sunday.
“1917” slipped to third place, earning $291,000. The Sam Mendes film has accumulated a total of $4.58 million from 610,700 admissions since its Feb. 19 release.
Korean crime thriller “Beasts Clawing at Straws” and American drama “Little Women” took fourth and fifth places, respectively. Megabox’s “Beasts” earned $104,000 between Friday and Sunday for a total of $4.23 million after four weekends. Sony’s “Women” added $75,900 to extend its five-weekend total to $5.74 million. Next Entertainment World’s comedy “Honest Candidate” earned $68,900 for a total of $10.3 million after five weekends.
As most major films have postponed their releases, re-releases have been favored. “A Star is Born” and “Memento” were re-released and took seventh and eighth places, respectively. Earlier, hit foreign titles “About Time,” “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” and “Begin Again” were given new outings.