Concert Film “Lim Young Woong IM HERO The Stadium” Takes Top Spot at the South Korean Box Office
A concert film titled, “Lim Young Woong IM HERO The Stadium” clinched the highest-grossing film at the South Korean box office over a recent weekend. It sped past mainstream narrative films ‘Alien: Romulus’ and ‘Pilot’ to secure the leading position.
Box Office Data and Ranking
According to Kobis — the tracking service conducted by the Korean Film Council (Kofic) — “IM HERO” raked in $1.89 million over the weekend and totaled a handsome $3.47 million during its five-day launch window. This outperformed ‘Alien: Romulus’, which secured $1.66 million in its third weekend and has accumulated $12.5 million over a span of 19 days.
Despite this, the local custom ranks films based on the number of viewers. Hence, implying “Alien: Romulus” held fast its lead for a third weekend, with a further sell of 223,000 tickets in comparison with the 87,000 tickets sold for “IM HERO”. The film’s premium ticket prices account for the distinctive difference.
Lim’s Rise to Stardom
Renowned for his ballads and trot songs, Lim rose to fame following his participation in a 2020 TV talent show. With his good looks and positive, wholesome image, he has since achieved superstar status in Korea, gaining a fan following akin to international star Taylor Swift.
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Detailed Insights About the Film
The film showcases his performances over two days at Seoul World Cup Stadium in May. Its narrative is complemented by documentary footage of the months of preparations leading to the performances and the behind-the-scenes footage. Over five days, the film garnered around 161,000 spectators, which is significantly more than the people present at the two live shows.
Other Weekend Performances
A hit comedy, “Pilot,” amassed $906,000 during its fifth weekend. This haul positioned it third in terms of revenue (or second in ticket sales). Since its release on July 31, it has tallied $31 million (and 4.51 million ticket sales), confirming its status as the fourth largest movie of the year.
The volume of ticket sales resulted in a variation in the rank chart. “Twisters” stood fourth in revenues. It earned $555,000 over its third weekend, pushing its cumulative total to $4.32 million. A Korean animated film, “Heartsping: Teenieping of Love” descended to the fifth position (but maintained its fourth spot in viewer numbers, considering its high volume of children’s tickets). It totaled $511,000 over the weekend, pushing its four-weekend accumulation to $5.98 million.
A Korean horror-thriller, “Spring Garden,” secured the sixth place with $500,000 over the weekend. After its 12-day stint, its cumulative earnings stand at $2.37 million.
Other Noteworthy Films
A re-release of Derek Tsang’s Hong Kong and China-made movie, “Better Days,” pulled in $343,000 over the weekend to take the seventh spot. A Korean uplifting cheerleading movie, “Victory,” made $319,000 on its third weekend, bringing its cumulative earnings to $2.58 million.
A Korean political thriller, “Land of Happiness,” raked in $186,000 at the ninth position. After three weekends, it has accumulated an impressive sum of $4.77 million.
The drama and book-to-screen adaptation “Because I Hate Korea” debuted in the tenth spot with a weekend revenue of $131,000 and $260,000 over its entire five-day launch. Notably, it was the opening title of the previous year’s Busan International Film Festival.
The cumulative box office revenue of the weekend was $7.97 million, representing a 15% drop week-on-week.
The Impact of the Pandemic
The latest data reinforces the fact that the formerly strong Korean box office has declined this summer, owing mainly to the ongoing pandemic. The box office earnings in August were KRW117 million ($87.4 million), down 19% from August 2023. Meanwhile, the July box office outcomes were KRW115 million, lower than KRW140 million in previous periods.
FAQs
What was the top-grossing movie in Korea over a recent weekend?
The concert film, “Lim Young Woong IM HERO The Stadium” topped the box office charts.
Who is Lim Young Woong?
Lim Young Woong is a Korean singer who rose to fame after his participation in a 2020 TV talent show. He is renowned for his ballad and trot songs.
How has the pandemic affected the Korean Box Office?
The pandemic has led to a decrease in the box office earnings, with a 19% decrease in August and a noticeable drop in July compared to the same period the previous year.
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