“Wonderland Wins Weekend as Bad Boys 4 Stalls”
In a surprising turn of events, “Wonderland,” a sci-fi fantasy film centered around Artificial Intelligence, clinched the top spot at the South Korean box office this past weekend. Meanwhile, “Bad Boys 4,” despite its success in other global markets, stumbled significantly in its South Korean debut.
“Bad Boys 4” managed to secure only the fifth position, earning a mere $520,000, which accounted for just 8% of the Korean market share from Friday to Sunday. Over the five days since its Wednesday release, the film accumulated a total of $803,000. This performance starkly contrasts with the $3.54 million earned by its predecessor, “Bad Boys for Life,” which premiered in January 2020.
The competition over the weekend was not particularly intense. “Wonderland,” directed by Kim Tae-yong and featuring Chinese actor Tang Wei and Korea’s Bae Suzy, led the box office with $1.66 million, capturing 25% of the market share. Despite this, it was the second weakest first-place opening of the year. Over its five-day opening run, “Wonderland” amassed $3.21 million.
The South Korean cinema market appears to be in a pre-summer slump, with nationwide weekend revenues totaling a dismal $6.5 million. “Wonderland” presents two narratives involving an AI service that allows the living to interact with simulated versions of their deceased loved ones. The film’s plot is punctuated by dramatic twists, such as a missing daughter and a man awakening from a coma, offering both characters and audiences much to ponder.
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” which had dominated the Korean charts for the previous two weekends, earned $1.40 million, dropping by 38% and slipping to second place in its third weekend. After 19 days in Korean theaters, “Furiosa” has accumulated $10.6 million, making it the eighth highest-grossing film of the year in Korea and the fourth highest-grossing import.
The Korean film “Following” maintained its third-place position for the third consecutive weekend, earning $6.60 million and capturing a 10% market share. After nearly four weeks in theaters, it has garnered a total of $7.75 million.
In fourth place, the Korean action film “The Roundup: Punishment” added $515,000 in its seventh weekend. Since its release on April 24, the film, starring Don Lee, has earned a total of $79.2 million.
“The Plot,” another Korean crime action film, fell from second to sixth place, earning $368,000 in its second weekend. Its cumulative total after 12 days stands at $3.27 million.
Newly released Japanese animation “Detective Conan vs Kid the Phantom Thief” debuted in seventh place with $316,000 over the weekend. Over five days, it earned $627,000.
European art house film “The Zone of Interest” opened in eighth place, earning $245,000 over the weekend and $446,000 over five days.
Japanese animation “Haikyu! The Dumpster Battle” earned $173,000 in its third weekend, bringing its cumulative total to $4.69 million.
“The Garfield Movie,” which also opened three weeks ago, earned $147,000, bringing its three-weekend total to $2.12 million. Local charts place it in ninth position due to higher ticket sales than “Haikyu!”
In contrast, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” debuted strongly in the U.K. and Ireland, topping the box office with £3.8 million ($4.9 million). Paramount’s “IF” took second place in its fourth weekend, earning £866,474 for a total of £10.8 million. Sony’s “The Garfield Movie” secured third place in its third weekend with £729,503, bringing its total to £7.3 million.
Disney’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” added £620,911 in its fifth weekend, totaling £14.3 million. Warner Bros.’ “Furiosa” rounded out the top five with £436,983 in its third weekend, bringing its total to £5.5 million.
The upcoming weekend promises a slew of new releases, including Disney’s animation sequel “Inside Out 2,” Vertigo’s “Freud’s Last Session,” and SXSW title “Arcadian,” starring Nicolas Cage. Other notable releases include “Sasquatch Sunset,” “The Moor,” “Treasure,” “Àma Gloria,” “Hounds,” “Next Sohee,” “Death of a City,” “Federer: Twelve Final Days,” “Wilding,” and “Sorcery.”
Indian films set to release include Tamil-language “Maharaja” and Bollywood sports drama “Chandu Champion.” Re-releases include “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,” “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock,” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
As “Wonderland” continues to captivate audiences, “Bad Boys 4” faces an uphill battle to recover from its lackluster start in South Korea.
