A homegrown action film about a 16th-century Korean naval hero’s astonishing victory against Japan gathered more than 13.62 million in attendance at home, a local box-office tracker said Saturday.
The Korean Film Council said “Roaring Currents” became the most-watched movie at theaters in the country as of Friday, breaking the previous record held by Hollywood blockbuster “Avatar” that gathered 13.62 million.
The record came a day after “Roaring Currents” became the most-watched South Korean-made movie on Friday, breaking the figure held by director Bong Joon-ho’s “The Host” released in 2006, which attracted 13.01 million people to theaters.
“Roaring Currents” surpassed the 10 million viewer mark on Sunday at the fastest speed in local movie history, becoming the 10th Korean film to attract more than 10 million moviegoers in the country.
The movie has earned 102.4 billion won (US$100.2 million) as of Friday to become the first homemade film to boast sales over the 100 billion won mark. “The Host” is only estimated to have raked in 91 billion won, while “Avatar” earned 128.4 billion won in the South Korean market.
The historical drama starring actor Choi Min-shik tells the story of Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) Admiral Yi Sun-shin’s victory in the battle of Myeongnyang against Japan in 1597. In the decisive naval battle, Yi, who had 12 ships under his command, defeated more than 300 Japanese warships. (Yonhap)
