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A still image from ″Once We Were Us″ (2025), featuring actors Koo Kyo-hwan, left, and Moon Ga-young. [SHOWBOX]

Director Kim Do-young's romantic drama "Once We Were Us" has dethroned James Cameron's "Avatar: Fire and Ash" to claim the top spot at the Korean weekend box office for three consecutive weeks. According to the Korean Film Council, the film drew approximately 316,000 viewers from January 16 to 18, pushing its cumulative total past 1.57 million admissions.

What stands out is the film's unusual box office trajectory. Unlike the typical pattern where audience numbers decline after opening weekend, "Once We Were Us" actually saw higher attendance in its third weekend than its first. Maintaining a 97% approval rating on CGV's Golden Egg index and a 9-point-plus score among verified Naver viewers, the film continues to draw audiences through word-of-mouth. Released on December 31, 2025, it crossed the break-even point of 1.1 million admissions in just 13 days, establishing itself as the first box office hit of 2026 in Korea.

"Once We Were Us" follows Eun-ho (Koo Kyo-hwan) and Jung-won (Mun Ka-young), former lovers who reunite by chance after ten years and revisit memories of their past relationship. The film is a remake of Liu Ruoying's "Us and Them" (2018), which topped the Chinese box office for romantic films that year.

Director Kim Do-young first gained attention with her 2019 feature debut "Kim Ji-young, Born 1982." Based on Cho Nam-joo's novel of the same name, the film directly addressed gender inequality in Korean society, drawing 3.67 million viewers and sparking widespread social discourse. That a director who debuted with socially critical drama has now found commercial success in the romance genre demonstrates Kim's versatility as a filmmaker.

The casting also contributed to the film's success. Koo Kyo-hwan has built a reputation through intense performances in genre films such as "Exhuma" (2024), "Escape from Mogadishu" (2021), and "Peninsula" (2020). In this film, he has won praise for a departure from his established image, delivering nuanced romantic performance. Mun Ka-young established a strong fan base in the romance genre through TV dramas including "True Beauty" (2020) and "Doom at Your Service" (2021), and is now proving her strengths translate effectively to the big screen.

The success of "Once We Were Us" offers several insights. First, the fact that a Korean romance film has topped the box office in January—typically dominated by Hollywood blockbusters—reflects diversifying audience preferences. While "Avatar: Fire and Ash" remains strong with 6.37 million cumulative admissions, weekend audiences have favored local content offering intimate emotional experiences.

The film also stands out as a successful case of remaking Asian content. While Korean films and dramas have frequently been remade abroad, instances of Korean productions successfully remaking Asian hits have been relatively rare. "Once We Were Us" reinterprets the original's emotional core within a Korean context while maintaining broad appeal, suggesting possibilities for two-way content exchange in the future.

Given its current momentum, "Once We Were Us" appears poised to surpass 2 million admissions. Although competing releases are scheduled ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday (January 28-30), the film's solid word-of-mouth suggests a sustained theatrical run.

Sources

• Korea JoongAng Daily, "'Once We Were Us' dethrones 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' after 3-week box-office reign", 2026.01.12

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2026-01-12/entertainment/movies/Once-We-Were-Us-dethrones-Avatar-Fire-and-Ash-after-3week-boxoffice-reign/2497925

• The Fact, “‘If We Were’ Tops the Weekend Box Office for Two Consecutive Weeks, Surpasses 1.57 Million Admissions,”, 2026.01.19

https://news.tf.co.kr/read/entertain/2283401.htm

• Sports Chosun, “‘If We Were’ Overtakes ‘Avatar 3’ to Remain at the Top of the Box Office for Seven Consecutive Days,”, 2026.01.19

https://www.sportschosun.com/entertainment/2026-01-19/202601190100106500014716#_enliple