[Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment]
SEOUL -- The sequel to the fantasy blockbuster hit "Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds" has become the fastest film in South Korea's box office history to garner more than nine million moviegoers in 11 days.
Data released by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) showed that 9.06 million people watched the sequel titled "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days" as of August 11.
The original film was watched by a total of 14.4 million people and earned 115.6 billion won ($102.1 million). The highest-grossing South Korean film was "Roaring Currents", a 2014 film about Korea's 16th-century Joseon Dynasty naval commander, Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who scored a dramatic victory against Japan. It was watched by some 17.6 million moviegoers and earned 135.7 billion won.
"The blockbuster sequel is expected to break the 10 million mark soon," Kim Kyo-suk, a pop-culture critic, told Aju News, adding the sequel can attract people of all ages because its stories are based on Korean folklore and bedtime tales. "The fantasy film may rewrite South Korean box office's history as the highest-grossing film."
The new film depicts a story about lost souls journeying through hell recreated in a way it is described in Korean folk tales. "I love the original film but I think the sequel is better and its story is overwhelming," said Kim Yeon-mi, a 65-year-old housewife.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
