Choi Min Sik and Han So Hee‘s The Intern has ended The Odyssey‘s run atop South Korea’s weekend box office, while upcoming film The Assassin(s) has also overtaken Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster in advance ticket sales.
According to the Korean Film Council, The Intern drew 275,182 moviegoers from September 18th to 20th, topping the weekend box office with a cumulative audience of 403,902.
The Korean remake of the 2015 Hollywood film opened September 16th and immediately knocked The Odyssey out of first place, remaining No. 1 at the daily box office for five consecutive days. It also became the first Korean film since Hope 50 days earlier to top the box office.
Audience response has been strong, with the film currently holding a 95% Golden Egg score on CGV and a 9.1 audience rating on Lotte Cinema.
The Odyssey placed second over the weekend with 256,792 admissions, bringing its cumulative Korean audience to 11.22 million, passing the impressive 10 million mark.
Meanwhile, Hur Jin Ho’s The Assassin(s), starring Yoo Hae Jin, Park Hae Il and Lee Min Ho, has taken the No. 1 spot in advance ticket sales ahead of its September 23rd release. It ended The Odyssey‘s 49-day streak at No. 1 and became the first Korean film in 64 days to lead overall advance sales.
The Assassin(s) is also currently ahead of fellow September 23rd releases Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub and Possible Love.
Early reviews have also been strong. The People’s Movies called it “easily one of the finest films of the year,” while Screen Daily described it as a “gripping, propulsive thriller.” NEXT Magazine praised the film as “action-packed with plenty of twists and mystery” and named it one of the best films of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
The Assassin(s) opens in theaters September 23rd.
>> ‘The Intern’ Audience Reactions: ‘Perfect Family Movie’, ‘Completely Forgot About the Original’
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