'Top Gun: Maverick' Surpasses 2 Million
Hits Box Office Following Korean Visit Event and Word of Mouth
Park Chan-wook's 'Decision to Leave' Starts at No. 2
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] The firepower of the movie 'Top Gun: Maverick' is fierce. Even in its second week of release, it maintained the top spot at the box office and surpassed the 2 million viewer mark.
According to the Korea Film Council's integrated box office system on the 30th, on the 29th, 'Top Gun: Maverick' (director Joseph Kosinski) attracted 208,243 viewers, securing the number one position at the box office. Since its release on the 22nd, it has recorded a cumulative audience of 2,037,651.
The sequel returning after 36 years, 'Top Gun: Maverick,' reached 1 million viewers on its 4th day and 2 million viewers on its 8th day. This pace is faster than the 11th day of the 10-million viewer film 'Aladdin' (2019) and the 14th day of the 9.94 million viewer film 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (2018).
The film is an aviation action blockbuster that tells the story of the top pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise) returning as an instructor and the new team members who are deployed on life-threatening missions. It has garnered attention by ranking number one in North America and worldwide box office and surpassing $1 billion in revenue.
Tom Cruise, who also took on the role of producer, shows a smart move. At the 75th Cannes Film Festival held in May, 'Top Gun: Maverick' was screened, and he appeared as a special guest. Cannes notably showed a tribute video honoring Tom, demonstrating their respect.
Tom Cruise, recorded as the Hollywood actor with the most visits to Korea, planned to visit Korea for 'Top Gun: Maverick,' but due to the pandemic, domestic visits became difficult. He showed his determination by even changing the release schedule and finally visited Korea on the 17th, attracting attention. On the red carpet, his relaxed fan service raised interest in the film.
Upon its release, 'Top Gun: Maverick' began to gain word-of-mouth as a well-planned commercial film that is enjoyable to watch in theaters. Tom Cruise and the actors put in extraordinary effort by performing the action scenes themselves and undergoing underwater escape training for the film. This passion is fully reflected in the movie, and the blockbuster elements were also perceived as attractive.
Despite the onslaught of new releases, 'Top Gun: Maverick' continues its strong box office performance. Whether it can maintain its momentum through the weekend is drawing attention, as the performance of newly released films is being closely watched.
'Decision to Leave,' the winner of the Best Director Award (Park Chan-wook) at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, attracted 114,590 viewers on its opening day, ranking second at the box office. Including preview screenings, the cumulative audience is 124,807. 'The Witch: Part 2' ranked third with 51,027 viewers, and since its release on the 15th, it has recorded a cumulative audience of 2,387,600.
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