'Hi-Five' tops weekend box office, edging out 'Mission: Impossible 8'
According to the Korean Film Council, the comedy movie, directed by Kang Hyeong-cheol, drew approximately 380,000 moviegoers from Friday to Sunday.
Premiering Friday, the movie follows five ordinary people whose lives take a dramatic turn after receiving organ transplants.
"Hi-Five" ended the reign of "Mission: Impossible -- The Final Reckoning," Tom Cruise's eighth installment of the popular action franchise, which had held the No. 1 position since its local theatrical debut May 17.
It has attracted a cumulative audience of 2.47 million to date. During the weekend, the film attracted about 371,000 moviegoers.
Coming in third was "Big Deal," starring Lee Je-hoon and Yoo Hae-jin, which sold 131,000 tickets over the weekend. Inspired by a real-life story, the film revolves around two men entangled in a merger case during the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis. (Yonhap)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Korea Herald
Festival celebrating MapleStory to be held in Taipei, LA
Popular game festival set to go global after 2024 debut in Ilsan South Korean gaming company Nexon announced plans to bring its flagship massively multiplayer online role-playing game MapleStory to fans in Taipei and the US with the upcoming global festival, "Maple Con 2025." Marking the game's 20th anniversary, the event aims to foster community engagement through interactive programs that allow players to share memories and emotional connections forged through the game. "Maple Con 2025 Taipei," scheduled for August 2-3 in Taipei, Taiwan, will offer a diverse lineup including an official merchandise store, game-themed installations and photo booths, a merchandise customization experience, a user-driven stage event and a marketplace dedicated to fan-created MapleStory works. Nexon also announced plans to set a new Guinness World Record by assembling 'the largest human orange mushroom' with over 2,000 participants at the event. This follows a 2017 Taipei event where the company set the record for creating the largest human maple leaf, with 1,558 people forming the shape while wearing red hoodies. The festival will continue in the US with "Maple Con Los Angeles 2025" slated for late October, featuring a range of attractions celebrating two decades of MapleStory. Additional details are expected to be announced in the coming months. The inaugural "Maple Con," held in December at Kintex in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, drew roughly 10,000 attendees over three days, highlighting the enduring enthusiasm for the franchise. With a worldwide user base estimated at 150 million, MapleStory is one of the most popular Korean games. By expanding "Maple Con" internationally, Nexon said it aims to reinforce the brand's presence and further develop the MapleStory IP both domestically and abroad.
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Korea Herald
Cue the popcorn — Korea is giving out 6,000 won discounts on movie tickets
Foreign national residents are also eligible for discounts with valid ID Moviegoers in South Korea can receive discounts of 6,000 won on regular admission prices starting Friday at 10 a.m. The joint initiative by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Film Council, aims to revive the struggling cinema industry and boost consumer spending. The ministry allocated 27.1 billion won ($19.6 million) of the second supplementary budget to the program, which passed a National Assembly vote on July 4. Moviegoers can claim up to two coupons each through the websites and apps of major chains CGV, Lotte Cinema, Megabox and CineQ. The coupons remain valid through Sept. 2. Foreign national residents with valid identification can also access the discounts by creating accounts on theater websites and apps, where they can receive the coupons while booking, according to a Korean Film Council official. Independent theaters not affiliated with major chains or without online booking systems will offer the discount on-site without ID verification. The coupons work with existing promotions. Customers can combine them with Culture Day discounts, senior citizen rates, student prices and early morning screenings. On Culture Day — an initiative by the Culture Ministry held on the last Wednesday of each month — when tickets are discounted to 7,000 won, the additional discount brings prices down to just 1,000 won. Credit card cashback offers also apply if minimum payment requirements are met. Mobile carrier membership discounts cannot be combined with the government coupons. Theaters must charge a minimum of 1,000 won per ticket after all discounts. The program covers all films screening during the promotion period, excluding paid preview screenings. The initiative comes as Korea's film industry faces its worst first-half performance in over two decades. Through July 22, just 50.04 million tickets had been sold nationwide. If current trends continue, annual attendance could fall below 100 million for the first time since 2004, excluding pandemic years (2020-21).
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Korea Herald
Yoon Ga-eun's 'The World of Love' selected for Toronto's Platform competition
Acclaimed director 'The World of Us' breaks new ground with her third feature about a teenager's emotional journey South Korean director Yoon Ga-eun's latest feature "The World of Love" has been selected for the Platform section at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, the film's local distributor Barunson E&A said Wednesday. The selection marks the first time a Korean film has competed in the festival's prestigious auteur-focused competition. The Platform section, founded in 2015, primarily showcases distinctive works from early-to-mid-career filmmakers. It serves as the festival's only competitive program. Past selections have launched major careers, including Barry Jenkins' "Moonlight," which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, William Oldroyd's "Lady Macbeth," and Pablo Larrain's "Jackie." "The World of Love" will have its world premiere at the festival, which runs Sept. 4-14. The film follows Joo-in, a 17-year-old high school student (played by Seo Su-bin, in her debut role), whose first explorations of love lead her down an unforeseen path. The cast also includes Jang Hye-jin ("Parasite," "Crash Landing on You"). The film qualifies for the Platform Award, which comes with a 20,000 Canadian dollar prize. It is also eligible for the festival's People's Choice Award and the newly established International People's Choice Award, both determined by audience voting. Yoon has built a reputation for her nuanced portrayals of children and adolescents. Her 2016 debut feature "The World of Us" premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and earned widespread acclaim for its delicate depiction of elementary school friendship. Her follow-up "The House of Us" (2019) continued her exploration of childhood perspectives. Director Bong Joon-ho praised Yoon as one of three masters alongside Abbas Kiarostami and Hirokazu Kore-eda in bringing child actors to life on screen. He later named her the only Korean director on Sight & Sound's list of "20 filmmakers to watch." Following its world premiere at Toronto, "The World of Love" will hit Korean theaters later this year.
