Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
'Minari' soars at local box offices for six consecutive days
The film, “Minari,” topped South Korean box office charts since it hit the theaters on March 3. Courtesy of Pan Cinema
By Lee Gyu-lee
By Lee Gyu-lee
The film, “Minari,” is soaring in local box offices, topping charts for six consecutive days since its release.
The family drama movie, about a South Korean immigrant family, surpassed a total of 300,000 tickets sold on Monday, adding over 24,000 tickets on that day alone.
It has accumulated about 2.7 billion won ($2.4 million) in gross sales after opening, with about 41,000 tickets sold, grossing 348 million won ($305,000) on its opening day of March 3.
Directed by Lee Isaac Chung, the director's semi-biographical film follows a family from South Korea settling in a rural area of Arkansas. The family members ― the father (Steven Yeun), mother (Han Ye-ri), two children (Noel Cho and Alan Kim), and grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung) ― struggle to adjust to their new life while they pursue their own definition of the American dream.
“It's an honor to share this film with Korea's audiences,” director Chung said through the film's local distributor, Pan Cinema, Monday. “I started this (project) because I wanted to tell my personal story. I've always had Korean audiences in mind as I made the film.”
“As I filmed 'Minari,' I hoped that this film would offer a sense of consolation and a positive energy to the audience,” said actress Han. “Although this is a tough time with COVID-19, I hope you can experience a heartwarming feeling while watching 'Minari.'”
The film has won over 85 international awards and counting since its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last January. Its latest wins include Best Foreign-language Film and Best Young Performer ― won by actor Alan Kim ― at the Critics' Choice Awards, and the Best Foreign-Language film at the Golden Globes.