[Weekend Box Office] Choi Min-sik and Han So-hee's 'The Intern' Tops Chart for Second Day, Upsets 10.96 Million-Viewer 'The Odyssey'

An ensemble that transcends generations shakes up the box office

'The Intern,' a remake led by Korean film veteran Choi Min-sik and rising star Han So-hee, is creating a fresh sensation at theaters. According to data from the Korean Film Council's integrated ticketing system on the 18th, 'The Intern' drew more than 46,000 viewers the previous day, taking the top spot at the domestic box office with a 24.1% share of revenue. The result marked a significant achievement: The film has defeated director Christopher Nolan's blockbuster 'The Odyssey' for two consecutive days since opening on the 16th.

The film follows Gi-ho (Choi Min-sik), a retiree wrapping up more than 30 years of dedicated working life, as he joins the fashion startup run by Sun-woo (Han So-hee), a young CEO in her third year. It has been praised for perfectly reimagining, through a distinctly Korean lens, the outstanding chemistry between Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway in the 2015 Hollywood original of the same name, which won fans worldwide.

10-million blockbuster mounts a strong defense as horror films target a niche

Meanwhile, 'The Odyssey', now on a sustained box-office run, ranked second after drawing more than 39,000 viewers the previous day, with a 28.1% share of revenue. Since opening on the 5th of last month, it has surpassed 10.96 million cumulative viewers and continues to demonstrate the staying power of a 10-million-viewer blockbuster.

Horror films, a summer theater staple, are also locked in a fierce competition. 'Resident Evil: 0th Night', which made its debut the previous day, ranked third after attracting more than 21,900 viewers, while rival 'Obsession' settled into fourth place with more than 21,500 viewers, just behind.

But 'The Odyssey' remains a formidable force in advance bookings. As of 9 a.m. on the 18th, it had secured a 22.3% advance-booking rate and more than 129,000 prospective moviegoers, signaling that it could reclaim the top spot at any time.

New releases wage a fierce advance-booking battle for the second half of the year

Highly anticipated films set to open on the 23rd are also mounting an aggressive challenge. 'The Assassins', which boasts a powerhouse cast including Park Hae-il, Yoo Hae-jin and Lee Min-ho, surged straight into second place with a 17.1% advance-booking rate, representing more than 99,000 advance ticket buyers.

The current box-office leader, 'The Intern', remains in third place with a 14.1% advance-booking rate, or more than 82,000 advance ticket buyers. 'Tazza: Song of Belzebub', starring Byun Yo-han and Roh Jae-won and opening the same day, ranks fourth with a 10.0% rate, representing more than 58,000 advance ticket buyers, foreshadowing a fierce battle for market share at theaters in the second half of the year.