Berlin files strong opening in S. Korea

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Box Office News

RYOO Seung-wan 류승완 | 柳昇完's The Berlin File 베를린 was the number one film at the South Korean box office yesterday, 30 Jan, on its first day on release.

The action-thriller sold over 270,000 tickets for a gross of $1.74 million (￦1.90 billion) and a 42% share of the day's admissions. Including previews, it has grossed $2.66 million (￦2.90 billion). In the film, HA Jeong-u 하정우 | 河正佑 plays a North Korean agent entangled in a conspiracy in Berlin when an arms deal goes wrong. It co-stars HAN Seok-gyu 한석규 | 韓石圭 and Gianna JUN 전지현 | 全智賢.

In close second place yesterday was LEE Hwan-kyung 이환경's Miracle in Cell No. 7 ７번방의 선물, with a 39.3% share of admissions. Since opening on 23 Jan, the tearjerker has taken $17.1 million (￦18.6 billion) on 2.59 million admissions. It stars RYU Seung-ryong 류승룡 | 柳成龍 (All About My Wife 내 아내의 모든 것, Masquerade 광해　왕이 되 남자) as a simple-minded prisoner who is able to reunite with his young daughter with the help of his cellmates.

Third and fourth place slots were also held by local films, Man on the Edge 박수건달 and Pororo: The Racing Adventure 3D 뽀로로 극장판 슈퍼썰매 대모험. High-concept action-comedy Edge has now taken $24.5 million (￦26.7 billion) since opening on 9 Jan. PARK Yeong-kyun 박영균's 3-D animation Pororo, which opened simultaneously in China, has taken $2.89 million (￦3.15 billion) after after one week in cinemas.

In all, South Korean films held a 91% market share yesterday. In 2013 to date, South Korean films have secured a 58% market share, with the three highest grossing films of the year: Man on the Edge on 18.6%, The Tower 타워 on 16.0% and Miracle on 13.2%. Two foreign films have performed strongly in January, Les Misérables and Life of Pi with 12.7% and 7.7% of box office respectively.

The Berlin File was of several high profile films that are absent from the Panorama lineup of the forthcoming Berlin International Film Festival, where Ryoo's The Unjust 부당거래 (2010) screened last year. Other recent films directed by former participants that have not been selected include IWAI Shunji 岩井俊二's I Have to Buy New Shoes 新しい靴を買わなくちゃ, NAKATA Hideo 中田秀夫's The Complex クロユリ団地 and Zero CHOU 周美玲's Ripples of Desire 花漾.

CJ Entertainment Inc ＣＪ엔터테인먼트 will screen both Berlin File, The Tower and Pororo at the European Film Market in Berlin. Finecut Co Ltd 화인컷 will be screening Miracle to buyers. Showbox/Mediaplex Inc 쇼박스 미디어플렉스 who are also attending, will launch sales of Man on the Edge in Berlin but will hold back its market screening premiere until Hong Kong FilMart in March.

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