[NC Box Office] ‘Final Interview’ Arrives With 41,000 Presales as Korea’s Box Office Hits a Lull

‘Heart of the Beast.’ Photo courtesy of Lotte Entertainment.

[News Culture] With fewer than 18,000 admissions enough to lead Korea’s box office, the market is badly in need of a fresh draw. ‘Final Interview’ will get the next chance, opening Nov. 4 with more than 41,000 tickets already sold.

For now, Brad Pitt’s ‘Heart of the Beast’ remains on top. The survival drama drew 17,286 admissions on Nov. 3, taking its Korean total to 253,386, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).

The figure reflects just how quiet theaters have become. Even the No. 1 film remained below 20,000 admissions, while only ‘Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island’ managed to stay within striking distance.

‘Heart of the Beast’ stars Pitt as James, a former Army Special Forces soldier stranded in the Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash. His only companion is Odin, his retired military dog, as the two try to survive a hostile landscape with no one else to rely on.

‘Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island’ added 14,560 admissions, bringing its Korean total to 2,613,565.

The Japanese animated hit has remained one of the market’s most durable performers over the past month. Based on Nagano’s popular manga, the film follows Chiikawa and friends to a mysterious island after the promise of an unusually large reward pulls them into a dangerous mission.

‘Ugly Duckling Ms. Maeng.’ Photo courtesy of Barunson E&A and BY4M Studio.

‘Ugly Duckling Ms. Maeng’ drew 5,353 admissions, lifting its total to 81,967.

Lee Sun-bin stars as Maeng Bo-ram, a Korean-language teacher unexpectedly recruited into the secretive operation that writes South Korea’s national college entrance exam. Yoo Jae-myung co-stars in the workplace comedy.

‘The Assassin(s)’ added 4,437 admissions for a cumulative 3,457,554.

Hur Jin-ho’s historical thriller revisits the unresolved questions surrounding the Aug. 15, 1974 assassination attempt that killed South Korean First Lady Yuk Young-soo. Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho lead the cast.

The rerelease of ‘Attack on Titan: Crimson Arrows’ drew another 3,996 admissions, taking its Korean total to 80,393.

‘Final Interview.’ Photo courtesy of NEW.

The more consequential number for the market came before ‘Final Interview’ had even opened.

The Korean mystery thriller had sold 41,232 advance tickets as of 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 4, enough to lead the presale chart and more than double the previous day’s audience for the No. 1 film.

Directed by Kim Jung-hoon, ‘Final Interview’ puts six applicants in the same room for the last stage of a high-stakes hiring process. The interview begins to unravel when each candidate finds a mysterious envelope containing damaging information about someone else in the room.

Jo Yi-hyun, Kim Jae-won, Kang You-seok, Bae Gang-hee, Shin Seung-ho and Kwak Dong-yeon lead the ensemble.

Reported by News Culture [e-mail]