Train To Busan Sequel, Peninsula, Helps Boost International Box Office
HipsterZOMBIEJoint Experience
2 min read
Despite most movie theaters around the world still being forced to close due to the COVID-19 epidemic, some markets are still open. South Korea saw a very timely zombie film debut to a decent opening weekend.
Per Deadline:
Korean smash zombie thriller Peninsula has come in slightly higher than estimated on Sunday, with sales agent Contents Panda reporting a $20.82M take in five Asian markets. The clear No. 1 in Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore, this is a terrific boost to the international box office which hasn’t seen these kinds of numbers from a single title since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. In mid-March, for example, the Top 5 movies overseas did a combined $30.7M.
Peninsula, Yeon Sang-ho’s follow-up to his 2016 hit Train To Busan, continues to demonstrate audience hunger for new blood, particularly such an anticipated sequel. It did a confirmed $13.2M in Korea. It set a 2020 opening day high on Wednesday, and through Sunday overtook another recent Korean breakout, #Alive, which has now cumed $13M there. In Taiwan, Peninsula grossed $4.7M with 76% market share and approximately 2,300~2,400 shows per day. Vietnam, where the movie was in sneaks, did $1.17M, the best debut ever for a Korean title. Malaysia, which opened Peninsula on Thursday, added $955K; and Singapore took in $795K to best Train To Busan‘s launch weekend (doing so on Saturday).
Peninsula has been one of the most anticipated Korean movies of the year and picks up four years after the original. It centers on Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won), a soldier who previously escaped the diseased wasteland, and relives the horror when assigned to a covert operation with two simple objectives: retrieve and survive. When his team unexpectedly stumbles upon survivors, their lives will depend on whether the best — or worst — of human nature prevails in the direst of circumstances.
The movie was part of the official selection of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and is set to hit North American theaters via Well Go on August 7. It also landed an exclusive streaming deal with Shudder, AMC’s horror streaming site. Contents Panda has sold the film to 190 countries.
Peninsula will add Thailand, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Cambodia in the coming weeks.
Train to Busan found stateside fanfare when it arrived on Netflix. It became a cult hit amongst American fans.
