[Box Office] 'Tteugeoun Pi' Starts at No. 1... Weekend Theaters Show 'Standing Still'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] The film Hot Blood topped the box office during its opening weekend amid mixed reactions. However, the number of viewers remained at a low level last weekend as well.

According to the Korea Film Council's integrated ticket sales network on the 28th, Hot Blood (directed by Cheon Myeong-gwan) attracted 156,449 viewers over the three days from the 25th to the 27th, securing the number one spot at the box office. Since its release on the 23rd, the cumulative audience reached 218,028.

Adapted from Kim Eon-su's novel of the same name, Hot Blood depicts the struggles of low-level gangsters fighting over the small fishing port of Guam in the outskirts of Busan in the early 1990s. This is writer Cheon Myeong-gwan's directorial debut, receiving mixed responses?some criticize its anachronistic setting, while others praise the impressive performances of the actors.

Starring Choi Min-sik, The Mathematician in a Strange Land (directed by Park Dong-hoon) attracted 56,730 viewers, ranking second. Since its release on the 9th, it has recorded a cumulative audience of 470,149.

The Japanese animation Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie, released on the 17th of last month, drew 33,216 viewers, placing third. Its cumulative audience stands at 540,548, maintaining a steady flow of viewers and holding a top position at the box office for over a month.

The superhero film The Batman ranked fourth, the disaster film Moonfall came in fifth, and Spencer took sixth place. The Academy Award nominees Belfast and King Richard ranked seventh and ninth, respectively.

The number of moviegoers last weekend was 352,321, marking the lowest level this year. The past two weekends also failed to break out of the low 340,000 range for weekend audiences. Recently, the cinema industry has struggled to rebound due to the absence of strong new releases and the spread of the Omicron variant.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.