'Salmongjii' Takes Box Office #1 as 'Project Hail Mary' Surpasses 2 Million Viewers

The Korean horror film 'Salmongjii' topped the box office this past weekend, drawing over 500,000 viewers.

According to the integrated cinema ticket system on the 13th, 'Salmongjii' attracted 536,000 viewers (47.2% of box office revenue) during its opening weekend of October 10-12, claiming the #1 position. The film has accumulated 724,000 total viewers since its release.

Released on the 8th, 'Salmongjii' tells the story of employees from a street view service who enter Salmongjii Reservoir for street photography work. The film was directed by Lee Sang-min, known for his work in horror, including the short film 'A Brief Moment.'

Based on audience reviews, the film has received generally positive reception with a CGV Eggindex score of 89%. Viewers praised the performances of actors including Kim Hye-yoon and the supernatural elements such as water ghosts that create genuine scares.

SF film 'Project Hail Mary' starring Ryan Gosling came in second place with 274,000 viewers (25.6% of box office revenue). The film has now surpassed 2 million total viewers, reaching 2.041 million.

'The Man Living with the King' claimed the #3 spot this weekend with 175,000 viewers (14.7%). On the 11th, the film surpassed the 2019 record holder 'Extreme Job' (16.26 million viewers) to become the second highest-grossing film of all time, with a cumulative audience of 16.397 million. It now trails the #1 film 'Myeongryangwangdae' (2014, 17.61 million viewers) by approximately 1.21 million viewers.

In advance ticket sales, 'Salmongjii' maintained a narrow lead, with a reservation rate of 16.7% and 27,000 reserved viewers as of 9:30 AM on the 13th. 'Project Hail Mary' followed with 16.1% (26,000 reserved viewers). 'My Name Is' starring Yom Hye-ran and directed by Jung Ji-young claimed third place with 13.2% (21,000 reserved viewers).