[Weekend Theater] Live-Action ‘Moana’ Takes No. 1 at the Box Office, Reservation-Rate Surge for Na Hong-jin’s ‘Hope’

A new blockbuster formula for Disney’s live-action remake, as the ocean fantasy swept the theater scene

Disney’s ambitious live-action project ‘Moana’ has finally lifted the curtain and seized full control of the local theater scene. According to data from the Integrated Ticketing Network on movie theater admissions for the 10th, ‘Moana’ drew in nearly 39,000 viewers over the course of the 9th (sales share 30.0%), clinching the overwhelming No. 1 spot at the box office. After an opening-day score of about 66,000 viewers on the 8th, the film turned the weekend screens entirely into its own stage.

Based on the namesake legendary animated film, this movie turns ‘Moana’ (‘Catherine Laga‘aia’)—the daughter of the chief of the island of Motunui—into an action hero as she teams up with the half-human, half-god hero ‘Maui’ (‘Dwayne Johnson’) to lift the terrifying curse cast on the island. It is a grand ocean action adventure in which they plunge into the vast sea. With visual spectacle that goes beyond the emotional impact of the original, it is winning praise from both critics and audiences.

In second place, the strength of Korean thrillers showed. The suspense thriller ‘Nundongja’, starring ‘Shin Mina’, brought in about 38,000 viewers the previous day (sales share 27.2%) and is closing in on the top spot. After opening on the 24th of last month, it finally cleared the 1 million cumulative admissions mark, fueled by solid word of mouth. Next, Disney-Pixar’s ‘Toy Story 5’ took third with about 24,000 viewers (17.4%). ‘Kunstae’, a zombie film showcasing director Yeon Sang-ho’s distinctive dystopian worldview, settled into No. 4 with around 7,000 viewers (5.3%). ‘Wild Thing’, a comedy starring ‘Kang Dong-won’, added roughly 3,000 more viewers (2.1%), bringing its cumulative total past 1.32 million and landing it in the No. 5 spot.

The real point of focus in theaters right now is the upcoming ticket-reservation rate war next week. ‘Hope’, the SF action blockbuster by director ‘Na Hong-jin’, set to take the stage on the 15th, recorded a reservation rate of 39.6% as of 9 a.m. on the 10th, signaling a shift in the rankings. With about 251,000 reservation viewers already snapped up before its release, it is showcasing the stature of the most anticipated title poised to overwhelm the theater scene in the second half. Right on its heels, ‘Moana’ is holding onto No. 2 with 16.7% (about 106,000 viewers). And ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ from the Marvel Cinematic Universe—its release date set for the 29th—moved up to No. 3 with 15.7% (about 99,000 viewers), setting up a fierce three-way box office showdown.