[Weekend Box Office] ‘Michael’ Takes #1 at the Weekend Theater… ‘Salmogji’ Sets a New Record for Korean Horror Box Office Hits

The Emperor of Pop Returns, Dominating the Theaters with 'Michael'

The biopic film 'Michael', featuring the pop emperor 'Michael Jackson'

According to the Integrated Computerized Ticket Reservation Network announcement for entries to theaters on the 18th, 'Michael' drew more than 470,000 viewers over the three-day weekend period from the 15th to the 17th. Its share of sales is a whopping 51.0%. Since its release on the 13th, 'Michael Jackson' has been depicted in a high-density journey—from his childhood to becoming a top-tier pop star—winning praise from both critics and audiences. In particular, the timeless classics that have been perfectly brought back to the screen are driving the theater scene into a frenzy of excitement.

Meanwhile, #2 went to the animated film 'Super Mario Galaxy', which attracted about 123,000 viewers (11.7% share). With cumulative admissions of roughly 1.469 million, it has firmly settled into a long-running box-office trajectory. #3 was 'The Devil Wears Prada 2', starring 'Meryl Streep' and 'Anne Hathaway', which gathered about 120,000 viewers (12.7%) and proved its solid staying power.

A New Chapter in Korean Horror, 'Salmogji' Sets a Record

The occult horror film 'Salmogji', starring 'Kim Hye-yoon', landed in 4th place at the box office after drawing about 90,000 weekend viewers (9.5%). Above all, the key point to pay attention to is the cumulative audience count indicator.

'Salmogji' surpassed 3.169 million cumulative viewers, setting a fresh milestone in the Korean film industry. It finally beat the record of 'A Tale of Two Sisters', which was released in 2003 and guarded the throne for more than 20 years, with about 3.146 million admissions. By achieving the all-time top spot for Korean horror box office, it simultaneously proved explosive demand for the 'occult' genre and the quality of its filmmaking.

The Evolution of K-Zombies—'Gunchae' Leads with an Overwhelming Advance Ticket Sales Rate

The theaters coming up are expected to be shaken up again by a new 'K-zombie' syndrome. As of 9 a.m. on the 18th, the blockbuster 'Gunchae', directed by 'Yeon Sang-ho' with 'Jun Ji-hyun' starring, is sprinting ahead in first place, recording an advance ticket sales rate of 46.9% (about 114,000 advance ticket buyers).

'Gunchae' is a work set in a large urban shopping mall where an unknown cause leads to a mass infection, depicting the desperate fight of the survivors. It has already received official invitations to the 79th 'Cannes International Film Festival' and earned acclaim from critics around the world, and it will officially arrive in domestic theaters on the 21st.

Even amid the fierce push from new releases, 'Michael' is mounting a solid defense with an advance ticket sales rate of 14.4%, while the comedy film 'Wild Thing', starring 'Kang Dong-won', is moving into the top tier with 8.3%. It promises an intense box-office race where you can’t predict what will happen even a step ahead.