[Box Office] ‘Chiikawa’ Dominates for Fifth Straight Week… 2.78 Million Moviegoers and No Signs of Slowing

‘Chiikawa’ Keeps Up Its Phenomenal Run, Driving a Long Box-Office Reign

The animation craze sweeping theaters shows no sign of letting up. ‘Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island’, which has built a strong fan base across generations, dominated theaters over the weekend, setting the landmark record of five consecutive weeks at No. 1.

According to data compiled by the Korean Film Council’s integrated ticketing system on Nov. 9, ‘Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island’ drew around 149,000 moviegoers over the three days from Nov. 6 to 8, holding firmly onto the top spot at the box office. It accounted for 23.5% of weekend box-office revenue.

Since opening Sept. 30, the film has not once given up the weekend No. 1 spot. Its cumulative audience has surpassed 2.788 million, and its explosive long-running success continues. With its appealing characters and solid story generating word of mouth among audiences of all ages, the film continues to draw moviegoers at a rapid pace.

Korean Films Make a Strong Showing as Foreign Releases Vie in a Tight Mid-Tier Race

The chase between new Korean films and Hollywood blockbusters also heated up. ‘Final Interview,’ directed by Kim Jung-hoon and starring Jo Yi-hyun and Kim Jae-won, got off to a solid start in second place, drawing around 104,000 moviegoers over the weekend for a 16.7% share.

‘Heart of the Beast,’ starring Hollywood A-lister Brad Pitt, ranked third after drawing around 90,000 moviegoers, for a 14.2% share. The Japanese mystery anime ‘Detective Conan: The 30th Murder Case,’ backed by a longtime fan base, drew around 79,000 moviegoers to rank fourth, with a 12.6% share.

New family animation ‘The Cat in the Hat,’ which opened Nov. 6, ranked fifth with around 29,000 moviegoers and a 4.3% share. The film playfully depicts the adventures of a cat from a secret research lab, and has earned praise for the lively voice performance of Jo Jung-suk, who voices the lead character in the Korean dub.

Animation completely led the box-office charge, accounting for three of the weekend’s top five titles: ‘Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island,’ ‘Detective Conan: The 30th Murder Case,’ and ‘The Cat in the Hat.’

Dominant Leader Tops Advance Sales as Classics Return and New Releases Prepare to Clash

‘Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island’ also maintained its commanding lead in advance ticket sales. As of 9 a.m. on Nov. 9, it held the No. 1 spot overall with a 16.8% real-time advance booking rate, representing around 28,000 tickets, putting it in a strong position to continue drawing audiences.

‘Dune’ (2021), director Denis Villeneuve’s science-fiction masterpiece returning to theaters, climbed to second place with a 10.8% advance booking rate, or around 18,000 tickets. ‘Snowstorm,’ an anticipated release opening Nov. 18 and starring Koo Kyo-hwan and Kim Yoon-seok, ranked third with an 8.4% advance booking rate, or around 14,000 tickets, demonstrating strong interest ahead of its release.

Meanwhile, ‘Final Interview,’ which ranked second at the box office, placed fourth in advance sales with a 7.2% rate, or around 11,000 tickets. The classic ‘La La Land’ (2016), directed by Damien Chazelle and returning to theaters, ranked fifth with a 6.6% rate, or around 11,000 tickets, drawing audiences with a diverse lineup.