[Box Office] Live-Action Moana Takes No. 1 Over the Weekend... Na Hong-jin’s Hope Draws a Ticket-Booking Surge

The power of the live-action remake, rolling in like a stormy sea, sweeps over the weekend box office

Disney’s big bet, the live-action 'Moana', completely takes control of the theater crowd for its opening weekend and plants its flag atop the box office. According to data from the Integrated Computer Network for Movie Theater Ticketing as of the 13th, 'Moana' pulled in about 403,000 viewers (36.5% share of sales revenue) over the three-day weekend from the 10th to the 12th, powering ahead in overwhelming box-office leadership. Since it went on screens on the 8th, its cumulative audience has already surged past roughly 511,000, riding a relentless hit streak.

The No. 2 spot goes to 'Eye Ball', a thriller starring Shin Min-a, which tightens viewers’ air supply with a chill sense of tension. Drawing about 257,000 viewers (22.7% share of sales revenue) over the weekend, the film is delivering a fierce follow-through after a surge of word of mouth took over as its engine of momentum since it opened on the 24th of last month, pushing its cumulative audience beyond about 1.277 million. Then Nos. 3 and 4 were the domain of well-made animation. 'Toy Story 5', a showcase of the franchise power of Disney and Pixar, settled into third place with about 238,000 viewers, while 'David', which majestically brings to life the biblical narrative of David and Goliath, recorded about 57,000 and claimed fourth.

Na Hong-jin’s new film 'Hope' overwhelms the field with a 61.5% booking rate

Meanwhile, the real talk of the theater industry right now is Na Hong-jin’s new film 'Hope', which opens in two days. It is racing through the No. 1 spot with the staggering figure of a 61.5% booking rate. Ahead of its Jan. 15 release, it has already secured roughly 378,000 ticket bookings, opening the prelude to a huge rush that is set to shake up the theater ecosystem.

Competition for the future box-office landscape is just as fierce. 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day', scheduled to hit theaters on the 29th, ranks second with a 16.5% booking rate (about 101,000 viewers), while 'Odyssey', opening next month on the 5th, takes third with 6.1% (about 37,000 viewers), tightening the chase. Then the April 15 opening film 'Minions & Monsters' is listed at No. 4 with 4.2% (about 25,000 viewers), and among currently running titles, 'Moana' is the only one building and defending its position with a booking rate of 2.4% (about 14,000 viewers).