South Korean Movie “The Throne” Attracts 2 Million Moviegoers In Six Days Since Its Release
South Korea's latest movie "The Throne," directed by Lee Joon Ik, is making buzz in the film industry with almost two million moviegoers watching the film just six days after its release in theaters on Sept. 16, reported The Chosun Ilbo on Sept. 23.
The Korean Film Council has noted that 150,547 people have watched the movie on Sept. 21 alone, keeping the film at the number one spot for six straight days.
"The Throne" is a historical period drama that depicts the life of an heir to the throne, Crown Prince Sado. He was locked by his father in a chest for eight days, where he suffocated and starved, as he was deemed unfit to rule the kingdom.
The Hollywood Reporter noted on Sept. 21 that "The Throne" has been chosen as South Korea's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards. Distributed by Showbox/Mediaplex, the film accounts for 50.6 percent of the market share within its first week in the box office, a figure based on the KOBIS database of the Korean Film Council.
"The Throne" has earned a total of $9.1 million on the weekend of its release and is expected to earn more profit and viewers during the Chuseok celebration of South Korea from Sept. 26 until 29. With nearly two million viewers in its first week, the film has surpassed the opening scores of all-time Korean blockbusters, including "Masquerade" with 1.27 million admissions in 2012 and "Ode To My Father" with 1.52 million admissions in 2014.
Fans and critics are now waiting and hoping for the film to reach the 10-million mark within the year, similar to "Assassination" with 12,696,242 admissions and "Veteran" with 13,156,777 admissions.
