Begin Again has grossed over $18.1 million in the South Korean box office, surpassing the cumulative $16.1 million that the music drama has earned back home as of Monday.
The film starring Keira Knightley as a heartbroken singer-songwriter took second place in the box office for the second consecutive week, accounting for 21.9 percent of the market share from Sept. 19-21. In terms of admissions, which is the primary measure used by local offices, Begin Again has drawn nearly 2.5 million viewers. Pancinema handles distribution for the film.
Once, the previous film by director John Carney, was also favorably received when it opened here in 2006. The music drama drew 230,000 viewers in a market where admissions scores of over 10,000 are considered blockbuster performances for independent films, and observers attribute part of Begin Again‘s success to Once. Musicals and music-heavy films are largely popular in Korea, as was the case for Disney’s Frozen earlier this year.
See more: Top 10 Korean Movies 2013
Meanwhile, The Maze Runner debuted at first place, earning $4.67 million, or 37 percent of tickets sold. Korean gambling actioner Tazza 2, which topped the box office for the past two weeks, stepped down to third place (cumulative $27.35 million; Lotte Entertainment), followed by A Walk Among the Tombstones.
The local maritime adventure The Pirates, another Lotte Entertainment title, finished fifth for the second consecutive week, performing strongly with a gross total of $60.97 million.
