Rain's "Ninja Assassin" outsells Cusack's "2012"

Korean entertainer Rain's Hollywood blockbuster film "Ninja Assassin" has topped advance ticket sales in Korea on its opening Thursday.

As of today morning, the real-time ticket reservation rate for "Ninja" clocked in at 31.5 percent compared to 29.16 percent for the John Cusack vehicle "2012", according to statistics posted on the KOFIC (Korean Film Council) electronic network.

The figure is considered impressive for a film with an R-rating and will also only be shown on 210 screens in the country.

In the U.S., the martial arts action flick opened on November 25 over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and distributor Warner Brothers increased the number of screens from 2,800 to 3,000. The U.S. box office results will be available the following Monday.

"Ninja" has drawn worldwide publicity since its early stages with the casting of Asian superstar Rain, who caught the eyes of the famous Wachowski Brothers while working on the movie "Speed Racer" last year. The singer underwent rigorous martial arts training for months to prepare for his role as an assassin who plots revenge on his former crime organization.

Rain is currently in Hong Kong, wrapping up the final leg of his promotion tour for the film.

Reporter : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr