'A Rainy Day in New York' rules local box office

Hollywood actor Timothee Chalamet stars in the rom-com film “A Rainy Day in New York,” which has been topping the local box office. Courtesy of Green Narae Media

By Dong Sun-hwa

American director Woody Allen's rom-com flick “A Rainy Day in New York” had secured first place at the local box office for four consecutive days as of Saturday, according to the Korean Film Council.

The movie, starring Hollywood heartthrob Timothee Chalamet, has sold more than 34,000 tickets here since its premiere on May 6, the council said Sunday. The film attracted over 17,000 moviegoers on Saturday alone, outperforming DreamWorks Animation's “Trolls World Tour,” which drew an audience of around 8,700 the same day.

The number of moviegoers in Korea hit an all-time low in April following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with 972,447 people going to the cinema during the month.

Sales began rebounding at the beginning of May as the number of virus cases decreased and the government eased the social distancing campaign. But with the number of cases rising again following the cluster infection in Seoul's popular Itaewon neighborhood, it remains to be seen whether the movie industry will be reinvigorated.

“A Rainy Day in New York” follows a wealthy New Yorker Gatsby Welles (Chalamet,) who develops a romantic relationship with Ashleigh (Elle Fanning) and Chan (Selena Gomez).

The rom-com was filmed in 2017, but could not be released in numerous countries including the U.S., because of a sexual abuse allegation against Allen. The director allegedly molested his adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow in 1992, when she was seven years old.

The issue resurfaced in 2017 as the MeToo movement against sexual harassment and assault garnered large responses worldwide.