Report
FROZEN 2 Ices the Competition in Record Debut
Animated Hit Scored 3rd Best Opening Weekend of All Time
Disney returned to the top charts with one of the largest debuts in history as their latest animation dominated theaters across the country. All told, business jumped almost 150% as 4.45 million tickets were snatched up over the weekend, though the local industry took a back seat as its take fell to just 12%.
Coming three years after Frozen, one of only seven foreign films to cross ten million admissions at the Korean box office and the only animation to ever do so, Frozen 2 benefitted from a massive build-up of anticipation as it welcomed 3.83 million viewers (USD 28.13 million) over the weekend, the third largest opening weekend ever, behind only Avengers: Endgame and Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days (2018), and the top start for an animation. Over four days, the behemoth drew 4.44 million spectators (USD 32.35 million). There’s no doubt that Disney can expect more large crowds in the weeks to come, the only question being if it will become the eighth foreign film to join the 10 million viewer club and how quickly it may do so.
All other business took a big hit this weekend as theaters were snatched up by Disney but BLACK MONEY fared best in its second weekend with a reasonable 54% decline, with 362,000 entries (USD 2.72 million) counted. The local corruption thriller’s total now stands at 1.82 million admissions (USD 13.22 million).
Down 74% in week three was The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful, which filled 95,000 seats (USD 710,000) over the weekend, raising its take to 2.09 million sales (USD 15.24 million).
Fourth place went to KIM JI-YOUNG, BORN 1982, which dipped 69% as it sold 48,000 more tickets (USD 359,000). To date the hit has accrued 3.62 million viewers (USD 25.39 million).
Crashing 83% as it exits theaters was Terminator: Dark Fate, with another 23,000 seats (USD 173,000) filled. The sci-fi action’s total now stands at 2.38 million admissions (USD 16.97 million), a better score compared to the many markets where the sequel has failed.
While Frozen 2 is expected to retain its crown this coming weekend, the local market share should get a boost from the entry of the new thriller Bring Me Home, the long-awaited feature film comeback of star LEE Young-ae, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival this fall.
