TheKorean-language horror filmExhumafinally debuted domestically this weekend, after a blockbuster run in its home country ofSouth Korea.Exhumagrossed $65,000 from exactly three screens, for a sturdy per-theater average of $21,000. The movie will expand in North America next week, potentiallysetting itself up to become the next big Asian crossover hit.Exhumadebuted in Korea a month ago, and has since emerged asthe country’s biggest hitof the year, withnearly $70 million in box office revenue, according toVariety.
It’s alsothe fourth-biggest post-pandemic hit for Korea, which generally measures success on the basis of admissions.Exhumahas reported over 9 million footfalls so far, and will likely conclude its run with over 10 million ticket sales, which is typically considered the benchmark for blockbuster success.Exhumagrossed over $5 million in Korea this weekend, topping the box office for the fourth time in a row.Dune: Part Two, currently thebiggest film in the world, finished second for the third time in a row.
Starring the iconicChoi Min-sik, best known for hits such asOldboyandNameless Gangster,Exhumafocuses on a US-based family haunted by a generational curse. They summon a feng-shui master and a shaman to investigate, and free them of the trauma.Exhumaalso starsKim Go-eunandYoo Hae-jin. It currently hasa perfect 100% audience approval scoreon the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, albeit with fewer than 50 ratings. “We are thrilled to see the positive audience reaction to the film’s chilling story and intense performances,” said domestic distributor Well Go USA, according toDeadline.
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Directed byJang Jae-hyun,Exhumacomes on the heels of major foreign-language hits in North America. Three of them —RRR,The Boy and the HeronandGodzilla Minus One— went on to win Academy Awards.Godzilla Minus Oneultimately ended up grossing $56 million domestically, putting it ahead of the last Korean-language hit on domestic shores,Parasite. DirectorHayao Miyazaki’s comeback filmThe Boy and the Heron, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, grossed $46 million domestically last year. Other crossover hits include the Indian blockbustersPathaan,Jawan, andAnimal, which grossed over $15 million each domestically, and more than $100 million worldwide. you’re able to watch a trailer forExhumahere, and stay tuned to Collider to find out if it’s able to build on its strong debut.
