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Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi opus Interstellar continues to be a phenomenon in South Korea, where it has amassed 7.01 million admissions and KRW 56.05 billion (USD 50.35 million) in just 19 days. Per capita, the film has performed better in Korea than in any other market and trails only the United States and China in terms of total gross. Falling just 29.6% (following a gain of 8.1% last week), the film topped the Korean chart for the third time this past weekend with 1.27 million admissions and 54.7% of the market.

 

Interstellar has become the must-see event of the season in Korea and IMAX showings have been fully booked for weeks, which has even led to a scalping problem where black market tickets are being sold for up to USD 40. As a visual spectacle with a strong emotional undercurrent, the film has proven an ideal fit for the local market. Currently occupying the fifth position on the yearly chart, the sci-fi is the second most popular foreign release of the year, behind Disney’s breakout hit Frozen. With reservations still sky high, it may yet soar further up the chart.

 

Hollywood WWII pic Fury only managed a second place opening with 389,243 spectator (KRW 3.08 billion/USD 2.77 million), despite a publicity tour featuring star Brad Pitt in Korea earlier in the month. Less impressive still was the performance of Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part I. While it laid waste to box office charts around the world, the massive franchise still struggles in the Korean market, where it debuted with a tally of 387,785 viewers (KRW 3.02 billion/USD 2.71 million).

 

In fourth place, BOO Ji-young’s social drama Cart fell 61.3% during its sophomore weekend as it added another 115,367 tickets (KRW 853.56 million/USD 766,582). Opening in fifth place was Dad for Rent, a local family comedy starring KIM Sang-kyung, with 84,268 filmgoers earning it KRW 616.63 million (USD 553,835).