The Golden Globe-winning drama film “Minari” topped the South Korean box office on its first day of release, data showed Thursday.
About 40,000 people saw the semiautobiographical work by Korean-American director Lee Isaac Chung on the previous day, according to the data by the Korean Film Council.
“Minari” took a comfortable lead in the daily box office over the Japanese animated film “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train,” which garnered 13,000 moviegoers, and the Korean action comedy “Mission: Possible” with 5,600.
The film’s score of 40,000 attendees on the weekday is larger than last weekend’s daily high of 38,000 people achieved by “Mission” on Sunday.
“Minari” has been one of the most anticipated films this spring in South Korea for its winning streak on the U.S. award circuit, including the best foreign language film prize at the Golden Globes.
Starring Steven Yeun, Han Yeri and Youn Yuh-jung, the movie tells the story of a Korean family that immigrates to Arkansas in the 1980s and sets up a farm to pursue its own American dream.
Its title refers to the robust Korean watery herb known for its adaptability to a variety of climates and conditions. It serves as a metaphor for the family who struggles and survives in the new world while working to realize their dream. (Yonhap)