Weekend Box Office: “John Wick 4” Tops South Korean Theaters, Pushes Aside “Suzume”

In the latest weekend box office report from South Korea, “John Wick: Chapter 4” has emerged as the clear winner, outpacing the Japanese animation film “Suzume” to claim the top spot. According to data from the Korean Film Council’s tracking service, Kobis, “John Wick 4” earned an impressive $4.05 million between Friday and Sunday, which translates to nearly 50% of the total market share. It’s noteworthy that this trend of one title dominating the market has become familiar in Korea, where a once-diverse market has seen a clustering around a few big releases.

Since its release on Wednesday, “John Wick 4” has amassed a total of $5.87 million, which is quite impressive given that it’s been in theaters for just five days. Meanwhile, “Suzume” slipped into second place, earning $1.92 million over the weekend. While this is a considerable drop from its five-week reign at the top, it still represents a significant chunk of the total weekend box office, with a 23% market share.

Interestingly, “Suzume” has been a consistent performer since its release on March 8, raking in an impressive $36.9 million to date. In fact, it’s now the highest-grossing film released in 2023 in Korea, surpassing even “The First Slam Dunk,” another Japanese animation film. Notably, it has also outperformed “Avatar: The Way of Water,” although the latter has earned over $100 million, including its December 2022 takings.

Other notable performers over the weekend include “Rebound,” a Korean sports drama film that took $921,000 in its second week of release, slipping from second place to third with a 41% decrease in earnings. Meanwhile, “Killing Romance,” a Korean drama film about a woman seeking to escape her marriage by murdering her husband, debuted in fourth place with $475,000.

“Lonely Castle in the Mirror,” a new release Japanese anime film, opened to disappointing numbers, earning just $114,000 over the weekend and $183,000 over its first five days. In contrast, “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” earned a modest $88,000 in its third week, with a cumulative total of $2.21 million. “Air” earned $73,000 in its second weekend, with a 12-day total of $756,000.

The weekend box office saw a 25% increase, reaching $8.42 million nationwide. However, it’s important to note that Korea’s theatrical business remains at alarmingly low levels with no weekend surpassing $10 million since January. Despite this, “John Wick 4” has already claimed the eighth biggest film of 2023 in Korea, just five days into its theatrical run.