 | | 08-10-2007, 09:34 PM |
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#7 |
| Master Fan
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 10,193
| More news - not too much new stuff here, though...
Quote: August 10, 2007: News from Abroad
Box Office Glory for Korea
Big openings for the films May 18 and D-War have busted South Korea's box office slump this year. CJ Entertainment's May 18, released on July 25, attracted 1.45 million admissions over its first five days to gross $10.1 million. Currently showing on 539 screens, it passed the $20 million benchmark on its 11th day of release. The film, directed by Kim Ji-hoon, became the first blockbuster-level hit for the year after receiving generally positive reviews. It chronicles the real-life events leading up to the 1980 Gwangju massacre in South Korea, in which thousands of students and protestors were killed by soldiers during an anti-government demonstration.
May 18 stood as the strongest opening of the year for Korean cinema, until Showbox's D-War was released a week later to box office receipts of $20.3 million. It stars American actor Jason Behr as a Los Angeles reporter who becomes entangled in the fulfillment of a prophecy in Korean dragon mythology. Variety Asia reported that critics and other viewers had panned the film, directed by Hyung-rae Shim. Variety also reported that the film's budget, listed at $35 million, was actually upwards of $70 million, when start up costs for an f/x company and screenplay development were included. Its five-day opening of 2.95 million admissions fell just short of the opening week record of The Host (2006), which stands at 3.17 million. D-War will be released in the U.S. under the name Dragon Wars on Sept. 14. The two films' success has helped ease the film industry's nerves following a highly disappointing year at the box office. Korean cinema's market share for 2007 currently stands at 42.9 percent, the lowest level since 2001. --Juliana Kiyan
| __________________ “I’m drawn more towards independent-minded things because I think that’s where the most interesting stories are. But, it doesn’t really matter to me if it’s a big-budget thing, or a small little bare-bones movie that I have to pay to be in. For me, it’s more about the story and the character than anything else.”
~ Jason Behr
Last edited by LongTimeFan : 08-11-2007 at 07:07 AM.
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