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The Thieves sets new box office record

So, apparently summer + blockbuster + multiple A-list stars + caper + action = hit movie. WHO KNEW?

The Thieves opened on Thursday, July 25, and quickly racked up the ticket admittances, setting a new all-time box office record: its 436,628 ticket sales in Day 1 is the top Korean film opening ever, solidly taking over the distinction from the previous top film, 2006’s sci-fi-thriller The Host, which had 395,951 admittances on its first day.

(By the way, who else finds South Korea’s method of counting ticket admittances vastly more useful in calculating box office records, rather than sheer money grossed? Because I seem to recall a day when ticket prices didn’t cost more than minimum wage, or sometimes double, and it’s a lot more straightforward to count how many times the movie was seen when you’re talking about all-time biggest movies. But sigh. I guess the bottom line is always about money in the end.)

The Thieves—starring a bevy of big stars like Lee Jung-jae, Kim Hye-soo, Kim Yoon-seok, Jeon Ji-hyun, and Kim Soo-hyun—sold out from the first morning screenings on opening day and benefited from word of mouth, according to distributor Showbox. It hit the 1 million sales mark on Day 3 and is well on its way to being one of the year’s biggest hits.

To compare The Thieves’ opening day sales with other movies in the 1 million club, we have Haeundae with 177,000, The Good, The Bad, The Weird with 386,880, and D-War at 387,468. Looking at 2012 alone, the previous top opener was Deranged, the Kim Myung-min disaster-thriller about hairworms (the movie’s literal Korean title) that infect people and cause them to drown themselves. It opened with 190,000 tickets.

On its second day, it beat out Dark Knight Rises (which opened on the 19th), which sold 167,313 tickets for a total of 3,365,299 overall. The Thieves drew 410,192 ticketholders that day for a total of 862,663 admittances total.

July 27 was Day 3, and the film stayed in No. 1 position with 492,701 ticket sales, hitting a total of 1,355,342.

I don’t expect The Thieves to reinvent the wheel or pull out something daring and unexpected—it’s a heist movie with big stars. A blockbuster primed for summertime entertainment. And I’m cool with that, because who doesn’t love a good fast caper? I just hope it delivers on its promise of zippy, Ocean’s Eleven-inspired fun.

Via My Daily, Joy News

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Man i wish i lived in Korea... :(
I would've been one of the watchers.

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can anyone give me a good plot description? I'm watching it in Korea with friends in a few hours....and I don't understand a whole lot of korean ^^;;

I watched Chilling Romance last time I visited Korea, and was able to follow along after reading a detailed description....thanks!

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Plot is like Ocean !!

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Ha ha, thanks.I was able to follow along pretty well, and my friend would explain the Chinese parts (cause I couldn't read the subs fast enough ^^;;)

I really liked it, it was a fun movie. And Kim Soo-hyun...that boy...and that kiss was HOT.

;D yeah, now you know why *I* went to see the movie...

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Ocean 11 Asian styles with a few of HK majors and Korean A listers : there your winning tickets - its one of those movies w/ big names pretty women action pack fancies placements : no thinking kind of movies : spell Summer Fun

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me too!!
:))

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I would be too, definitely.

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I wonder when the movie will start showing worldwide... I am actually looking forward to watch it just because of Kim Soo-hyun. I mean, we've seen him as a country boy and a King... Now a thief? Talk about diverse role!

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Exactly! Good for him, he is expanding his portfolio of roles and stretching himself.

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he has a kiss scene with Jeon Ji-hyun

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Omo! I just get it now why Kim Soo Hyun was playing the thieves' boss in Running Man.
The movie does have that Ocean Eleven vibes.

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"Impressive! Most impressive..."
Who said popcorn movies Korean style were a bad thing? Not me! Glad for the prods and cast.

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...I am very tired, so my mind may or may not have created a disturbing and yet amusing mental image based on that last sentence.

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Only if that at the level of Transformers. Terrible terrible movies.

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LOL @ the Transformers movies. I think everyone can agree to that.

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I want to see this SO BAD.

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I'd watch it for Kim Soo Hyun if I lived in Korea.

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haha, and that explains the box-office record. Imagine each fan of these stars thinking that, and I bet you have this year's biggest hit. Though I suck in math, so I may be wrong somewhere...

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I would watch it just for the cast .A good movie plot would just be a bonus .

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Happy for them, and especially for KSH. He is going places!!! His family must be proud of him...

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JB - I love how you put stuff like this in:
"disaster-thriller about hairworms (the movie’s literal Korean title) that infect people and cause them to drown themselves" as if I am not going to stop reading and laugh out loud for 30 seconds before I can go back to the article.

I love this place.

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And I bet this movie would have a US screening and one of the places would probably be Georgia, which is where I am for a 2 weeks vacation, but it would probably be showing after I get back to Florida. Booooo!

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Now - how to get them to show it in the US...

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just a thought on the number of admittances vs. money grossed: perhaps cheaper prices = more attendance, more expensive = less attendance, so using the sheer amount grossed kind of adjusts for that? and it also helps to calculate how successful the movie was in terms of return on investment. that's just my thoughts though, i do agree that just using tickets sold is more straightforward :P

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Here's to me hoping it will get the LA release soon!

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They only place that shows Korean movies in LA is CGV cinemas in Koreatown. I wish they'd show some closer to where I live, ktown is kinda far for me.

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I hope this comes to the States! I would absolutely go. I am going to see "Deranged" (with the hairworms and all) next week!

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Definitely, admittance numbers are more useful and a better indicator of just how well a film is doing. I've always argued for that when it comes to the US Box Office numbers.

Ticket prices vary between cinemas and locations, and this is very evident when a movie is also being shown in 3D and IMAX. While we expect something like The Dark Knight Rises to rake in big money anyway, the gross ticket sales will be even higher considering it's screening in IMAX, which charges almost double the regular ticket price. But do we know how many people actually came to see the movie? Not really. Then again, I guess money is more important to most studios.

I like the Korean system because I'd know that half a million people saw my movie on the first day, for example, and that's a good baseline for comparison against other movies that are showing on the same day.

Anyway, yay for the folks behind The Thieves! I still wish they'll show it where I am. They did show Sector 7 here, so I hope a local distributor will pick up The Thieves, too.

And yay for Kim Soo-hyun! <3

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All I wanna know is who the freak is holding a gun on my baby KSH!?! Can't wait to see this movie!!!!!

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I jinned out when I seen that pic! HA!

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Does anyone know how well Kang Ji Hwan's new movie did at the box office? I haven't heard much about it and couldn't find much info about how well it did online.

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ooh I thought it already opened. I've been checking the theater that shows Korean movies all summer to see when it's going to be available. Can't wait until it comes to Chicago!!! Looks ssoooo good!!

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wow, I can't wait to see this. Spectacular cast and I have heard good things about this movie!

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I like the thought process behind counting ticket numbers versus ticket sales, but the US is so different from state to state in terms of ticket costs it's a bit ridiculous. The same movie ticket will cost you 17 bucks in New York City versus $7.50 in North Carolina. Ask me how I know...

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This is one of many, many, many times I wish I could be in South Korea. I so want to watch this movie, but I have to wait for international release, either as DVD, on Netflix, or if it gets to release in theater here in America. Ack! So frustrating!

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Pretty much everyone in Europe counts ticket admittance rather than money grossed.

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""So, apparently summer + blockbuster + multiple A-list stars + caper + action = hit movie. WHO KNEW?""

Is kim soo hyun is now an A-list actor? the PD is not wrong to choose ksh for this movie.

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A list actor? really ???? the one i know is just Kim Soo Hyun and i guess too early to call him A-list actor, just see two drama of him, i like him in dream high but the moon i don't like it

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Ow. Ow. You're a newcomer in K-Drama/MovieLand, aren't you? I'm not a specialist, but even I know them, and happened to watch my first K-movies (the most famous) with these actors (namely Lee Jung-jae, Jeon Ji-hyun).
Quick, go check their filmography, you're missing out big time :D

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Nah, I don't think Kim Soo-hyun is quite there yet. He's still working his way up. But Lee Jung-jae, Jeon Ji-hyun, Kim Hye-soo, Kim Yoon-seok = definite, longtime A-listers.

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JJH isn't just an A-lister; she's been at the very top since MSG.

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Yeongasi was really good! I don't speak Korean well enough to get all the details, but the mood and atmosphere was very tense and good, with some good acting.

Also, co-star Kim Dongwan swore that if the movie gets 5mil in tickets sold, he will strip in the middle of a busy intersection and do 500 push-ups. So there's that possibility to look forward to! XD

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Kim Soo Hyun has a lot to do with it I think! I know I would've watched it just for him..haha

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i look forward to tis movie, dunno when it will be seen online but i hope soon! and i like almost every actor/actress in it. really lookin forward to it!!!

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yeahh...i dunno Thieves doesnt' really interest me much. even with my puppy Kim Soo Hyun co-starring in it.

now Yeongasi on ther other hand, i really want to see. i wish it opened up in theatres here in San Francisco like it did in LA and NYC. i guess i'll have to wait for the dvd...

hope it reaches 5 mil so Dong Wan is forced to do the push ups shirtless like he promised. lol

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I hope this gets a worldwide release soon!

Also, I was just in Macau and that place is amazing! The food is really good too, especially their famous Pork Chop Bun and Egg Tarts :)

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I can't wait to watch this movie in the US (or online somewhere) ! Sounds uber fun!

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Lee Jung Jae and the rest are A listers, not KSH. He is only a supporting actor. I'll watch the movie for these A-listers, not him - long way to go.

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