The Assassin(s) Stays No. 1 Among Korean Films for 19 Straight Days, Needing About 100,000 More Viewers to Break Even
The Assassin(s), directed by Hur Jin-ho, reached 3,192,758 cumulative admissions and placed second overall at the box office on October 17. It is about 100,000 viewers short of its estimated break-even point of roughly 3.3 million.
The film The Assassin(s) held the No. 1 spot at the Korean-film box office for 19 consecutive days, according to the reports cited, and ranked second in the overall chart on October 17, its fourth week of release. Directed by Hur Jin-ho and starring Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho, it has drawn 3,192,758 viewers in total.
About 100,000 viewers short of break-even
The film's break-even point is estimated at about 3.3 million admissions, according to the film industry, which leaves it roughly 100,000 viewers short. That estimate is based on a net production cost of 16 billion won and marketing and promotion costs of 3 billion won, for a total production cost of 19 billion won. It also factors in overseas sales and domestic ancillary rights revenue.
On October 17 alone, the film drew 53,542 viewers, according to the Korean Box Office Information System run by the Korean Film Council. The same cumulative figure appeared in reports published on the 18th.
| Category | Viewers | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Daily admissions, October 17 | 53,542 | 2nd |
| Cumulative admissions | 3,192,758 | - |
| Estimated break-even point | About 3.3 million | - |
Animation on top, a crowded top five
The overall No. 1 on October 17 was the animated film Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island, which drew 174,784 viewers that day and had 1,682,661 cumulative admissions. The Assassin(s) took second place with 53,542 viewers. Its 19-day run at No. 1 refers to the Korean-film chart, a separate ranking from the overall chart.
Third was Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub with 36,414 viewers and 1,874,944 cumulative. Odyssey was fourth with 20,263 and a cumulative total of 12,247,715. Whalefall: The Man Swallowed by a Whale was fifth with 14,830 and 42,466 cumulative. The daily figures for first through fifth place were 174,784, 53,542, 36,414, 20,263 and 14,830.
Ratings, reviews and a historical subject
The film traces the suspicions and the forces behind the shooting of the First Lady on August 15, 1974, an event that shocked South Korea. Reports also said it ranked first in advance bookings among Korean films, a tally on a different basis from the overall chart.
One report cited an audience score of 92% on the CGV Golden Egg Index, 9.2 on LOTTE CINEMA and 8.9 from verified Naver viewers. It named the tightly woven mystery narrative and the chemistry among the actors as selling points, and relayed audience comments on the structure and immersion of the detective-style plot. The scores and reactions are those cited in the report. Cumulative admissions and rankings as of the 17th were confirmed by the Korean Film Council's Korean Box Office Information System.
Controversy over the premise
Reports said the film drew criticism from political circles and related groups for a premise that raises the possibility of involvement by the Korean Central Intelligence Agency in the shooting. The critics argued that it distorted established facts, and there were reportedly demands to halt screenings and disrupted events. The dispute was also said to have escalated into a conflict with conservative groups.
The film's side said it adds fictional imagination to a historical event, and was reported to have rebutted claims of Chinese capital inflows as untrue. The film is showing in theaters nationwide, and the source material gives no separate schedule or plans related to future admissions.
Covers K-pop for SPECIALTIMES GLOBAL, and also writes Culture and K-Variety stories.
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