Cha Seung-Won 차승원 [Upcoming Movies: “Believer 2”, “Tyrant”, “ War and Revolt”]

Helena · August 12, 2021

Daily Box Office - 2021-08-11 (Wed)
Rank | Title | Release Date | Admissions (Total) | Number of Screens | Revenue Share
1. SINKHOLE | 2021-08-11 | 147,306 (154,667) | 1,431 | 56.9%
2. Escape from Mogadishu | 2021-07-28 | 57,819 (1,917,770) | 1,125 | 21.9%
3. Free Guy | 2021-08-21 | 28,437 (30,983) | 750 | 11.3%

Source: https://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/business/stat/boxs/findDailyBoxOfficeList.do

SINKHOLE - Daily Box Office
Date | # of Screens (Screenings) | Admissions (Total) | Rank
Before opening: 31 (77) | 7,361 (7,361) | N/A
Opening Day 1 (08/11): 1,431 (6,136) | 147,306 (154,667) | 1

—

http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/newfilm.jsp?blbdComCd=601011&seq=433&mode=VIEW
SINKHOLE

by Pierce Conran | Aug 10, 2021

DIRECTOR Kim Jihoon
CAST Cha Seungwon, Kim Sungkyun, Lee Kwangsoo
RELEASE DATE August 11, 2021
CONTACT Showbox
Tel : +82 2 3218 5500
Fax : +82 2 3444 6688
Email : sales@showbox.co.kr

Following EXIT (2019) and OK! MADAM (2020), summer theaters in Korea are getting ready to welcome a new disaster comedy this month with Showbox’s Sinkhole. From disaster film specialist Kim Jihoon, who made the Gwangju Uprising saga May 18 (2007), the creature feature Sector 7 (2011) and inferno drama The Tower (2012), the film had its international premiere at the Locarno International Film Festival and was also invited by the Sarajevo International Film Festival and selected as the closing film of New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF). Sinkhole features a range of comedy stars in its cast, including Cha Seungwon (CHEER UP, MR. LEE, 2019), Kim Sungkyun (The Sheriff in Town, 2017), and Lee Kwangsoo (The Accidental Detective 2: In Action, 2018)

Dongwon (Kim Sungkyun) has spent the last 11 years saving up to buy a home for his family, and now that he’s finally achieved his dream of inviting his co-workers over for a housewarming party. Disaster strikes when floodwaters create a sinkhole under them, swallowing the whole building and everyone in it. Stuck hundreds of meters underground, Dongwon, his co-workers and his nosy neighbor Man-su (Cha Seungwon) try to find a way out of their predicament, but with the sinkhole quickly filling up with water, they are running out of time.

Helena · August 12, 2021

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210812002900315
Disaster-comedy 'Sinkhole' sets opening-day record for S. Korean movie this year

By nyway@yna.co.kr | August 12, 2021

This is a poster of South Korean disaster-comedy film "Sinkhole," provided by Showbox Corp. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- Disaster-comedy film "Sinkhole" has attracted over 147,000 moviegoers on the first day of its release, marking this year's highest opening-day attendance for a South Korean movie, data showed Thursday.

The film drew 147,304 viewers upon its debut on Wednesday, pushing two-week box office leader "Escape from Mogadishu" to No. 2, according to data compiled by the Korean Film Council.

"Sinkhole" logged the third-highest first-day score among all movies released this year, following "F9," the latest chapter in the "Fast and Furious" series, at 400,000 and Marvel Studios' "Black Widow" at 195,000.

"Sinkhole," the second disaster flick directed by Kim Ji-hoon of "The Tower" (2012), is a story about people swallowed by a massive sinkhole along with a multifamily house they tried hard to get. It stars Cha Seung-won, Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Kwang-soo and Kim Hye-jun. (END)

—

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/08/12/entertainment/movies/Sinkhole-box-office-film/20210812095500583.html
‘Sinkhole’ draws the crowds on opening day

August 12, 2021

A scene from disaster comedy ″Sinkhole.″ [SHOWBOX]

Despite a spike in the number of daily Covid-19 cases, the disaster comedy “Sinkhole” opened extremely strongly Wednesday.

According to data from Korean Film Council, 147,000 tickets were sold on its opening day, a record for a local film.

Its opening day box office surpassed “Escape from Mogadishu,” which sold 126,000 tickets on its opening day, July 28.

The all-time record is held by “Fast & Furious 9,” which sold 400,000 tickets on May 19, which was Buddha’s birthday, a national holiday in Korea.

“Sinkhole” tells the story of residents of an apartment building in Mapo district that is plunged 500 meters down a sinkhole. The film stars actors Cha Seung-won, Kim Sung-kyun, Kim Hye-joon and Lee Kwang-soo.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]

Helena · August 12, 2021

Daily Box Office - 2021-08-12 (Thu)
Rank | Title | Release Date | Admissions (Total) | Number of Screens | Revenue Share
1. SINKHOLE | 2021-08-11 | 120,121 (274,787) | 1,441 | 54%
2. Escape from Mogadishu | 2021-07-28 | 53,396 (1,971,165) | 1,148 | 23.2%
3. Free Guy | 2021-08-11 | 21,138 (52,120) | 743 | 9.7%

Source: https://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/business/stat/boxs/findDailyBoxOfficeList.do

SINKHOLE - Daily Box Office
Date | # of Screens (Screenings) | Admissions (Total) | Rank
Before opening: 31 (77) | 7,361 (7,361) | N/A
Opening Day 1 (08/11): 1,431 (6,136) | 147,306 (154,667) | 1
Opening Day 2 (08/12): 1,441 (6,150) | 120,121 (274,787) | 1

——

https://asianmoviepulse.com/2021/08/film-review-sinkhole-2021-by-kim-ji-hoon/
Film Review: Sinkhole (2021) by Kim Ji-hoon

August 12, 2021 | Rhythm Zaveri

Spoiler

What would you do if your brand new home got swallowed up by Earth?

Disaster movies have always found favour in Korean cinema but recently, there has been heightened interest in the genre, with several tentpole productions with big name stars going on the floors and releasing in quick succession. Director Kim Ji-hoon himself is no stranger to the genre either, with his previously released film “The Tower” being in the same vein and “Sector 7” also going strong on the mayhem, thanks to its monster element. While his completed project “I Want to Know Your Parents” still languishes in release hell, his first film to be released in nine years since “The Tower” happens to be “Sinkhole”, also a disaster movie, albeit with a somewhat different treatment this time round.

After 11 years of hard work, saving up and frugal living, Park Dong-won manages to buy an apartment for himself which he moves into with his wife and son. Moving Day has its hiccups, primarily in the form of loutish neighbour Jung Man-soo, who comes across rather uncouth but is actually a loving father to an aloof teenage son. Park soon hosts a housewarming party for his co-workers, including his subordinate Kim Seung-hyeon and new joinee Eun-joo. The next morning, as Dong-won and Eun-joo nurse a hangover and Seung-hyeon tries to leave for work, Man-soo enquires about the lack of running water in the entire building when a gigantic sinkhole forms under the apartment building and swallows the building whole, which falls 500 metres below ground. As the residents team up and try to survive underground, the rescue teams attempt to find the survivors of the disaster and attempt a rescue mission.

Since “Sinkhole” essentially deals with the topic of housing, Kim Ji-hoon takes the opportunity to include strong commentary on the real estate situation in modern Korea, and specifically in the city of Seoul. Urbanisation leading to homes being built upon clearly unstable, uninhabitable land is a real issue which finds itself interwoven in the narrative ironically to the point of the whole film being built strongly upon that foundation. The struggle of the Park family for more than a decade to finally buy a house of their own depicts a very real-life situation of homeowners, or at least of those trying to be one, in today’s Seoul, as does Seung-hyeon’s logical concerns of a bleak future for himself based solely on his inability to be able to buy his own home anytime soon. People are often depicted trying to hide any and all faults or bad incidents associated with their apartment buildings particularly in Korean films and this finds place in the narrative here as well.

Kim manages to get all these points across without losing focus of his primary goal, which is to entertain the audience. Thanks to a phenomenon rarely depicted in film, the plot remains relatively fresh and keeps the audiences intrigued with the various incidents that are associated with having your entire building sink underground, even if they may not be always unpredictable. While the CGI does let up on rare occasions, Shi Tae-ho’s cinematography does just enough to keep the underground scenes feel fairly realistic, even if the claustrophobic feeling that one would associate with being 500 metres underground is often missing. Most importantly, Kim does all of this while keeping a fairly humorous tone throughout the feature, which is something one rarely gets to see with a disaster movie.

For this last bit, “Sinkhole” benefits from the presence of actors no strangers to the comedy genre. An unlikely leading man, Kim Sung-kyun’s Dong-won has a “common man” vibe about him that makes him a relatable character, a husband just wanting the best for his wife and a father just wanting to be reunited with his young son. Lee Kwang-soo is first-rate and continues to strengthen his foothold in films with this, after his stellar comedy work on tv, and brings most of the feature’s laughs. Cha Seung-won is clearly the star here, who brings to the centre a character that’s clearly supposed to be a supporting one. The cracking of his tough veneer to expose a soft centre is expressed convincingly.

Kim Ji-hoon’s “Sinkhole” is ultimately a humorous disaster movie with a heart that manages to tick many right boxes, bolstered by a cast that’s out to have fun and who, in turn, ensure that the end result is a fun one for the audience.

Helena · August 13, 2021

Daily Box Office - 2021-08-13 (Fri)
Rank | Title | Release Date | Admissions (Total) | Number of Screens | Revenue Share
1. SINKHOLE | 2021-08-11 | 125,571 (400,352) | 1,487 | 53.4%
2. Escape from Mogadishu | 2021-07-28 | 62,922 (2,034,083) | 1,198 | 25.5%
3. Free Guy | 2021-08-11 | 21,434 (73,553) | 729 | 9.3%
7. Hostage: Missing Celebrity | 2021-08-18 | 1,906 (3,894) | 16 | 0.7%

Source: https://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/business/stat/boxs/findDailyBoxOfficeList.do

▲ 'Sinkhole' - 'Mogadishu' <PhotoSource=MoviePosters > © BreakNews
https://www.breaknews.com/sub_read.html?uid=827079

SINKHOLE - Daily Box Office
Date | # of Screens (Screenings) | Admissions (Total) | Rank
Before opening: 31 (77) | 7,361 (7,361) | N/A
Opening Day 1 (08/11): 1,431 (6,136) | 147,306 (154,667) | 1
Opening Day 2 (08/12): 1,441 (6,150) | 120,121 (274,787) | 1
Opening Day 3 (08/13): 1,487 (6,344) | 125,571 (400,352) | 1

Helena · August 14, 2021

http://isplus.live.joins.com/news/article/article.asp?total_id=24127601

'Sinkhole' team on 'The Game Caterers' today.. Na Young-seok PD X Cha Seung-won reunion

The main actors of movie 'Sinkhole' (Cha Seung-won, Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Hye-joon) appear on Na Young-seok PD’s ‘The Game Caterers | 출장 십오야 | Fifteen Nights on a Business Trip’ (broadcast: August 13th at 10:20pm on tvN). Expectations rise for the reunion of Cha Seung-won and Na Young-seok PD who showed special chemistry through ‘Three Meals a Day' series.

Episode’s uploaded on its YouTube channel:

Helena · August 14, 2021

Daily Box Office - 2021-08-14 (Sat)
Rank | Title | Release Date | Admissions (Total) | Number of Screens | Revenue Share
1. SINKHOLE | 2021-08-11 | 251,736 (652,208) | 1,572 | 53.9%
2. Escape from Mogadishu | 2021-07-28 | 134,126 (2,168,252) | 1,258 | 27.4%
3. Free Guy | 2021-08-11 | 41,548 (115,104) | 699 | 9.2%
10. Hostage: Missing Celebrity | 2021-08-18 | 1,500 (5,394) | 9 | 0.3%

https://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/business/stat/boxs/findDailyBoxOfficeList.do

SINKHOLE - Daily Box Office
Date | # of Screens (Screenings) | Admissions (Total) | Rank
Before opening: 31 (77) | 7,361 (7,361) | N/A
Opening Day 1 (08/11): 1,431 (6,136) | 147,301 (154,662) | 1
Opening Day 2 (08/12): 1,441 (6,150) | 120,117 (274,779) | 1
Opening Day 3 (08/13): 1,491 (6,362) | 125,693 (400,472) | 1
Opening Day 4 (08/14): 1,572 (6,880) | 251,736 (652,208) | 1

——

https://truthunfold.com/reviews/movie-review/review-sinkhole-tells-you-how-to-live-when-everything-falls-apart/
Review: “Sinkhole” tells how to live when everything falls apart

A new Korean movie Sinkhole is released in theaters; the movie will take you through a journey of tragedy while shedding tears of laughter

BY ESHA DIXIT | August 14, 2021

Spoiler

When it comes to tragedy and comedy, director Kim-Ji-Hoon cannot be defeated. Kim-Ji-Hoon is known for his movies with disaster plots. The movie Sinkhole includes a combination of tragedy and comedy with a pinch of romance. Sinkhole was released on 11 August 2021 in the theaters for South Korea and on 12th August worldwide.

The story spirals around a man Kim Dong-Won who finally bought his first house after 11 years of hard work. Kim Dong-Won being a wonderful husband and a caring father moves his family to their new apartment. But little did he know, that this apartment was a bad omen not only for him but for his neighbors too.

The movie Sinkhole has a family melodrama that any family could relate to. Moreover, since the film is more about the apartment, director Kim Ji-Hoon highlights the real-estate problems faced by Korean residents. Moreover, the movie talks about how a middle-class man faces a crisis to maintain his household.

Veteran actors Lee Kwang-soo and Cha Seung-won did an amazing job as people expected them to. Young actor, Nam Day-reum, popular for his roles in some Korean dramas, received appreciation too.

People know Lee Kwang-Soo for his witty and humorous personality. These traits are also noticeable in the movie as well.

REVIEW

Sinkhole accomplishes all the expectations and did justice to the plot. From showcasing real-life problems to adding humor effect, the movie did not fail to entertain us. Moreover, the audience felt a connection through the story since it revolves around middle-class people. The film covered all the aspects without detouring from the main focus.

Although there are many Korean disaster films in the market, Sinkhole manages to remain fresh. One of the special elements of the movie is that they did not use much VFX. The cinematography was enough to show realistic situations.

People can watch the movie in their nearest theaters while abiding by the Covid-19 guidelines.

Truth Unfold Ratings and Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Helena · August 15, 2021

Daily Box Office - 2021-08-15 (Sun)
Rank | Title | Release Date | Admissions (Total) | Number of Screens | Revenue Share
1. SINKHOLE | 2021-08-11 | 270,163 (922,368) | 1,605 | 53.8%
2. Escape from Mogadishu | 2021-07-28 | 150,769 (2,319,017) | 1,274 | 28.6%
3. Free Guy | 2021-08-11 | 42,013 (157,116) | 695 | 8.6%
8. Hostage: Missing Celebrity | 2021-08-18 | 1,619 (7,013) | 5 | 0.4%

https://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/business/stat/boxs/findDailyBoxOfficeList.do

SINKHOLE - Daily Box Office
Date | # of Screens (Screenings) | Admissions (Total) | Rank
Before opening: 31 (77) | 7,361 (7,361) | N/A
Opening Day 1 (08/11): 1,431 (6,136) | 147,301 (154,662) | 1
Opening Day 2 (08/12): 1,441 (6,150) | 120,117 (274,779) | 1
Opening Day 3 (08/13): 1,491 (6,362) | 125,693 (400,472) | 1
Opening Day 4 (08/14): 1,572 (6,879) | 251,733 (652,205) | 1
Opening Day 5 (08/15): 1,605 (6,993) | 270,163 (922,368) | 1

——

https://zapzee.net/2021/08/16/weekly-up-down-hellbound-invited-to-tiff-escape-from-mogadishu-and-sinkhole-save-the-box-office/
[Weekly Up & Down] ‘Escape from Mogadishu’ and ‘Sinkhole’ Save the Box Office

by krishkim

‘Escape from Mogadishu’ and ‘Sinkhole’ Sweep the Box Office

Credit: Showbox, Lotte Entertainment

Despite the level-4 social distancing, Sinkhole and Escape from Mogadishu ranked 1st and 2nd on the box office.

First, according to the Korean Film Council, Sinkhole attracted 647,589 moviegoers over the weekend (August 13th to August 15th). With the record, the movie rose to the top of the box office chart. The cumulative number of admissions is 922,368. This is the best opening-week record made by a Korean movie this year. On top of that, it has also set a new record of this year’s daily attendance for a Korean movie for two days in a row.

Escape from Mogadishu, now in the third week of its release, drew a total of 2,318,967 viewers, according to the Korean Film Council. By far, this is the second highest-grossing movie following Black Widow in 2021.

Source: 2, 3

Translator Kim Hoyeun: If you are a fan of K-drama, K-movie, and K-pop, I am your guy. I will continue to provide you with up-to-date K-entertainment news.

Helena · August 16, 2021

Spoiler

Sinkhole tops 1 million admissions on 6th day of release. Congratulations. [ breaknews ]

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2021/08/689_313982.html
Comedy film 'Sinkhole' surpasses 1 million ticket sales

By Lee Gyu-lee | 2021-08-16

▲ Disaster comedy film "Sinkhole" topped the weekend local box office; it surpassed 1 million on the 6th day of release <PhotoSource=Showbox> © BreakNews

Disaster comedy film "Sinkhole" has become the fastest Korean film to surpass 1 million ticket sales this year.

According to the film's distributor Showbox, its total ticket sales recorded over 1 million as of Monday morning.

The film has been topping the box office for five consecutive days, Sunday, since it premiered in local theaters on Wednesday.

The blockbuster collected about 522,000 ticket sales over the weekend, grossing 5.27 billion won ($4.51 million). It had accumulated total sales of about 922,000 tickets, worth 9.1 billion won ($7.77 million), as of Sunday.

The film already set a record on its premiere day, scoring the new highest opening record of this year among Korean films ― about 147,000 ticket sales grossing 1.36 billion won ($1.16 million). The previous record was about 127,000 ticket sales by another blockbuster "Escape from Mogadishu."

"Sinkhole" is directed by Kim Ji-hoon, known for the 2012 disaster film "Tower." This time the film follows a group of people stuck inside a small apartment building that is swallowed by a giant sinkhole.

Dong-won (Kim Sung-kyun) is a hardworking patriarch who finally fulfills his dream of buying a home after 11 years. But his dream-come-true soon turns into a nightmare when his apartment building is falls into the ground upon which it stood. Along with his coworkers, including Kim Seung-hyun (Lee Kwang-Soo), and annoying neighbor Jung Man-soo (Cha Seung-won), the group struggles to survive while trapped 500 meters underground.

With the debut of "Sinkhole," "Escape from Mogadishu" slipped to the second spot on Wednesday but it is still going strong at the local box office.

Spoiler

A scene from "Escape from Mogadishu" / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

The historical-based action thriller has surpassed the grossing of the latest Fast & Furious film "F9," Sunday, becoming the new second-highest-grossing film released here this year, following Marvel Studios' "Black Widow" grossing about 29.8 billion won ($25.5 million). It has accumulated a total of 2.3 million ticket sales and grossed 22.3 billion won ($19.1 million) as of Sunday. Directed by star filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan, the film follows the true story of South and North Korean diplomats during the Somali Civil War in 1991. When rioters take over the Somali capital city of Mogadishu, diplomats from the South ― played by Kim Yoon-seok and Zo In-sung ― come together with their antagonistic counterparts from the North ― played by Huh Joon-ho and Koo Kyo-hwan ― to make it out of the country alive.

Third and fourth on the weekend local box office chart went to Hollywood blockbusters ― "Free Guy" and "The Suicide Squad" respectively. "Free Guy," starring Ryan Reynolds, sold about 84,000 ticket sales over the weekend, grossing 872 million won ($746,000). Since it hit local theaters on Wednesday, the film accumulated a total of 157,000 sales grossing 1.6 billion won ($1.36 million). DC Comics' new film "The Suicide Squad," which opened on Aug. 4, saw about 17,000 ticket sales grossing 333.8 million won ($286,000) over the weekend, bringing its total to about 382,000 sales grossing 4 billion won ($3.4 million).

Helena · August 16, 2021

Daily Box Office - 2021-08-16 (Mon)
Rank | Title | Release Date | Admissions (Total) | Number of Screens | Revenue Share
1. SINKHOLE | 2021-08-11 | 219,616 (1,141,974) | 1,584 | 53.1%
2. Escape from Mogadishu | 2021-07-28 | 123,978 (2,442,986) | 1,249 | 28.6%
3. Free Guy | 2021-08-11 | 33,869 (190,975) | 670 | 8.5%

https://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/business/stat/boxs/findDailyBoxOfficeList.do

SINKHOLE - Daily Box Office
Date | # of Screens (Screenings) | Admissions (Total) | Rank
Before opening: 31 (77) | 7,361 (7,361) | N/A
Opening Day 1 (08/11): 1,431 (6,136) | 147,301 (154,662) | 1
Opening Day 2 (08/12): 1,441 (6,150) | 120,117 (274,779) | 1
Opening Day 3 (08/13): 1,491 (6,362) | 125,696 (400,475) | 1
Opening Day 4 (08/14): 1,572 (6,879) | 251,734 (652,209) | 1
Opening Day 5 (08/15): 1,603 (6,990) | 270,149 (922,358) | 1
Opening Day 6 (08/16): 1,584 (6,877) | 219,616 (1,141,974) | 1

—

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210817002100315
'Sinkhole' surpasses 1 mln admissions at fastest pace of 2021

By brk@yna.co.kr | 2021-08-17

SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korean disaster comedy film "Sinkhole" has surpassed a cumulative 1 million admissions on the sixth day of its release, the fastest pace among homegrown flicks released this year, data showed Tuesday.

The film, released last Wednesday, attracted 741,000 people over the Saturday-Monday Liberation Day holiday, bringing its combined total to 1.14 million, according to the data by the Korean Film Council.

It topped the 1 million threshold on Monday, becoming the eighth 2021 film to have passed that mark, including the Korean action movie "Escape from Mogadishu" and Marvel Studios' superhero movie "Black Widow."

Also, it took only six days for "Sinkhole" to achieve the feat, closely outpacing "Mogadishu," released on July 28, which needed a week to reach the level.

"Sinkhole" is a story about people swallowed by a massive sinkhole along with a multifamily house they tried hard to get.

▲ This photo, provided by Showbox, shows a scene from South Korean disaster-comedy flick "Sinkhole," released on Aug. 11, 2021. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

"Mogadishu," a film based on a true story about South and North Korean diplomats' escape from war-torn Somalia, posted a combined 408,000 moviegoers over the three-day holiday. Its total admissions reached 2.44 million, becoming the second most-viewed film in 2021, following "Black Widow" with 2.95 million.

The U.S. action adventure film "Free Guy" placed third with a three-day combined 117,000, followed by the American superhero movie "The Suicide Squad" and the comedy animated film "The Boss Baby: Family Business" with 41,000 and 35,000, respectively.

Meanwhile, a total of 1.4 million people came to the theaters over the three-day period, far outnumbering 707,000 people tallied over the four-day Lunar New Year's holiday in February. (END)

Helena · August 17, 2021

Daily Box Office - 2021-08-17 (Tue)
Rank | Title | Release Date | Admissions (Total) | Number of Screens | Revenue Share
1. SINKHOLE | 2021-08-11 | 79,353 (1,221,324) | 1,477 | 51.4%
2. Escape from Mogadishu | 2021-07-28 | 45,475 (2,488,458) | 1,166 | 28.3%
3. Free Guy | 2021-08-11 | 13,035 (204,016) | 617 | 8.8%

https://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/business/stat/boxs/findDailyBoxOfficeList.do

SINKHOLE - Daily Box Office
Date | # of Screens (Screenings) | Admissions (Total) | Rank
Before opening: 31 (77) | 7,361 (7,361) | N/A
Opening Day 1 (08/11): 1,431 (6,136) | 147,299 (154,660) | 1
Opening Day 2 (08/12): 1,441 (6,150) | 120,117 (274,777) | 1
Opening Day 3 (08/13): 1,491 (6,362) | 125,696 (400,473) | 1
Opening Day 4 (08/14): 1,572 (6,879) | 251,734 (652,207) | 1
Opening Day 5 (08/15): 1,603 (6,990) | 270,149 (922,356) | 1
Opening Day 6 (08/16): 1,584 (6,877) | 219,615 (1,141,971) | 1
Opening Day 7 (08/17): 1,477 (6,206) | 79,353 (1,221,324) | 1

——

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210817000784
‘Sinkhole,’ ‘Escape From Mogadishu’ conquer box office over Liberation Day weekend

By Song Seung-hyun | Aug 17, 2021

A scene from “‘Sinkhole,” directed by Kim Ji-hoon (Showbox)

Over the three-day Liberation Day weekend Aug. 14-16, South Korean films “Sinkhole” and “Escape From Mogadishu” conquered the local box office.

Disaster comedy “Sinkhole,” directed by Kim Ji-hoon, was released Aug. 11 and took the No. 1 spot, attracting more than 740,000 viewers over the holiday weekend for a total to date of over 1.14 million. It passed the 1 million mark faster than any other film this year.

“Sinkhole” is set at Chungwoon Villa, one of the cheaper housing options available in pricey Seoul. Although there is an annoying neighbor played by Cha Seung-won, office worker Dong-won (Kim Sung-kyun) is very happy that he is finally a homeowner after saving for more than 10 years. Dong-won invites his co-workers over to his new place for a housewarming party, but the next morning the building falls into a giant sinkhole.

The No. 2 spot at the local box office went to “Escape From Mogadishu,” directed by Ryoo Seung-wan. The film, based on a real-life event, attracted more than 410,000 viewers over the holiday. Since the movie’s release July 28, it has racked up over 2.44 million viewers.

Set in Somalia in 1991 -- when both Koreas were vying for membership in the United Nations and each sought to prevent the other’s inclusion -- the movie begins with a scene between South Korean Ambassador to Somalia Han Shin-sung (Kim Yoon-seok) and Kang Dae-jin (Jo In-sung), a spy with the Agency for National Security Planning. The two are discussing how to prevent the North Korean ambassador (Heo Jun-ho) from establishing a stronger relationship with the Somali government. But then a civil war breaks out in Somalia and the city is plunged into chaos.

The release of the two films was possible with support from the Korean Theater Association, which includes among its members the top three multiplex operators: CGV, Lotte Cinema and Megabox. Earlier in June, the association decided to forgo ticket proceeds until sales reached 50 percent of the total production costs of “Escape From Mogadishu” and “Sinkhole.” Theaters and film distributors usually split ticket sales 50-50. “Escape From Mogadishu” cost around 25 billion won ($21.82 million) to make, while “Sinkhole” cost around 14 billion won.

The support was a way to encourage local film distributors to release movies, even though the number of moviegoers decreased dramatically last year because of COVID-19.

In 2020, the number of people who visited local theaters plunged 74 percent from the year before. It was the greatest decline since the Korean Film Council started compiling box office data in 2004.

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)

——

https://screenanarchy.com/2021/08/new-york-asian-2021-review-sinkhole-disaster-comedy-struggles-to-dig-itself-out.html
New York Asian 2021 Review: SINKHOLE, Disaster Comedy Struggles to Dig Itself Out

By Pierce Conran |

Spoiler

When a new genre catches on in Korean cinema, it tends to proliferate pretty quickly, but before audiences grow tired of it, filmmakers try to find new ways to freshen things up. Take the disaster film. A perennial favourite at the global box office, it was introduced in Korea through Haeundae (aka Tidal Wave) in 2009, at which point the local industry had finally achieved the technical knowhow to pull that kind of a film off.

Many other films have followed, including The Tower, Tunnel, Ashfall and the forthcoming Emergency Declaration, but in 2019, debut filmmaker Lee Sang-geun breathed new life into the genre by injecting a heavy dose of comedy into his disaster hit EXIT, but he also never lost sight of the fundamentals of the genre, delivering a thrilling and vertiginous adventure across Seoul's skyscrapers.

This summer, the disaster comedy returns to Korea with Sinkhole, the closing film of this year's New York Asian Film Festival. The film emulates EXIT's mix of family dramedy and survival thrills, but amid its pratfalls and shoddy visual effects, it struggles to emerge from a hole it digs itself into early on.

After toiling for 11 years, Dong-won (Kim Sung-kyun) has finally achieved his dream: he has become a homeowner. He beams with pride after getting on the real estate ladder and moves in with his wife and son, but the building soon reveals a few troubling quirks, such as uneven floors and cracks in the parking lot. Dong-won also has to deal with his macho neighbor Man-su (Cha Seung-won), who Dong-won keeps running into as he works in the local photo studio and gym, and also temps as a driver.

Dong-won invites his co-workers over for a boozy housewarming party but in the hungover haze of the next morning, disaster strikes. Sodden from days of heavy rain, the ground beneath the building gives way, sucking the five-storey residential block 500 meters below the surface. Dong-won, his colleagues Seung-hyun (Lee Kwang-soo) and Eun-joo (Kim Hye-jun), Man-su and Man-su's son (Nam Da-reum) have survived the fall, but now they must fend for themselves while they wait for help to reach them.

Real estate is an evergreen issue in Korea but of late property prices have been rising especially quickly. Apartment prices are a daily topic of conversation and a prevalent theme in most TV dramas. Dong-won's dreams are relatable, but even though he's bought property, he doesn't live in an apartment block. Instead, his family relocates to a cheaper kind of building known as a villa. During his party, he and his co-workers gaze longingly at the pricier real estate on the horizon and share bitter stories of acquaintances who've gotten rich quick through real estate.

These stories and feelings of inferiority are all too familiar. Rather than offer criticism of a broken system, Sinkhole's premise reinforces the aspirational value of Korea's overpriced and bland sky rises. Since Dong-won can't afford an apartment, he has to move in to a cheaper property, which literally sinks into the ground. Shoddy construction and safety issues have also long plagued Korea, but, whether intentional or not, the film uses them here to reinforce prejudices against any form of property that isn't a branded apartment.

Since viewers likely won't be too concerned with its troubling social implications, Sinkhole's most important assets are its comedy and technical staging. There are some occasional sparks of humor between a frazzled Kim Sung-kyun and a lumbering Cha Seung-won, who used to lead some of Korea's best comedies, like Kick the Moon and Ghost House, but the slapstick and disaster premise seldom gel well.

We may not be expected to believe that a multi-story structure could survive a tumble down a half-mile hole, but narrative impossibilities aside, the cheap and weightless visual effects make it almost impossible for us to see anything but actors prancing around dark sets. At least the art design shines.

The broad comedy and disingenuous social pandering may not be a surprise, but the technical shortcomings are somewhat unexpected, given that this is the latest film from director Kim Ji-hoon, the closest thing Korean cinema has to a disaster film specialist. He was the director of The Tower, Korea's The Towering Inferno, an accomplished ensemble inferno drama that hit its intended mark between melodrama and spine-tingling thrills. Granted, much as Sinkhole follows after EXIT, The Tower was also intended to recapture Haeundae's zeitgeist.

Sadly, director Kim leaves the things he did right in his inferno drama aside, and instead doubles down on the mistakes of his earlier films, namely the histrionic aspects of his treacly Gwangju Massacre drama May 18, and the baffling set pieces of his woe begotten creature feature Sector 7.

Though I won't spoil it here, the ending of Sinkhole is easily the film's most memorable sequence. Astonishingly illogical and cartoonishly staged, it almost works as outrageously silly fun, but as the capper of a consistently lazy and frequently ugly film, it's the last shoddy piece in a house of cards that comes tumbling down before the credits roll.

Sinkhole
DIRECTOR(S): Ji-hoon Kim
CAST: Seung-Won Cha, Seong-gyoon Kim, Kwang-Soo Lee

Helena · August 18, 2021

[2021-08-18] SBS Power FM Choi Hwa-jung’s Power Time (최화정의파워타임)

Left to right: Kim Sung-kyun, Cha Seung-won, Choi Hwa-jung, Lee Kwang-soo

Spoiler

source: 1077power

#차승원 #김성균 #이광수 #최파타 #최화정의파워타임

PicSource=Showbox

[2018-08-18] Naver Movie Talk Live
When: August 18 at 9pm
Appearances: Cha Seung-won, Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Hye-joon, Kwon So-hyun, Director Kim Ji-hoon

PicSource=Showbox

—

http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/reports.jsp?blbdComCd=601008&seq=637&mode=VIEW
SINKHOLE Digs Up First Place Debut

by Pierce Conran | Aug 17, 2021

Local Films Command 80% of Sales

For the first time in 2021, the Korean box office was led by two domestic titles, who helped raise the local market share to 82%, the highest it’s been all year. Sales jumped up 30% week-on-week, with admissions reaching 1.22 million, just shy of the annual sales record posted last month when Black Widow opened.

Showbox’s disaster comedy Sinkhole debuted in theaters with 647,000 sales (USD 5.62 million) over the weekend and a cumulative total of 922,000 entries (USD 7.82 million) after five days in theaters. Though it should see plenty more business in the coming weeks, the market will be very competitive, and audience reactions have been somewhat mixed.

In its third weekend, Ryoo Seungwan’s acclaimed Escape from Mogadishu dropped just 32% as it clinched another 348,000 sales (USD 2.87 million). The film has now reached 2.32 million spectators (USD 19.18 million), by far the best total for a Korean film in 2021, and it may yet catch up to Black Widow’s year-best total of 2.94 million sales.

The Ryan Reynolds action-comedy vehicle Free Guy opened in third place with 105,000 tickets (USD 939,000) sold over the weekend and a total of 157,000 seats (USD 1.38 million) filled since its Wednesday start.

DC Comics film The Suicide Squad crashed 77% after a disappointing opening, as it could only muster 38,000 admissions (USD 369,000) during its sophomore frame. The superhero film has accrued 382,000 sales (USD 3.45 million) to date.

Animation sequel Boss Baby: Family Business slowed 65% going into its fourth weekend, as it sold 27,000 tickets (USD 281,000). The film has brought in 894,000 viewers (USD 6.91 million) to date.

Both Sinkhole and Escape from Mogadishu are poised to do strong business this coming weekend, while box office superstar Hwang Jungmin is entering the marketplace with his latest film Hostage: Missing Celebrity, which is quickly catching up on the reservation chart as of early Monday morning.

Helena · August 18, 2021

1. Hostage: Missing Celebrity | 2021-08-18 | 97,226 (104,239) | 1,112 | 42.3%
2. SINKHOLE | 2021-08-11 | 59,334 (1,280,653) | 1,206 | 25.9%
3. Escape from Mogadishu | 2021-07-28 | 35,897 (2,524,355) | 916 | 15.0%
4. OLD | 2021-08-18 | 20,879 (21,104) | 551 | 9.1%
5. Free Guy | 2021-08-11 | 5,968 (209,981) | 385 | 2.6%
6. PAW Patrol: The Movie | 2021-08-18 | 3,072 (3,274) | 274 | 1.2%
7. The Suicide Squad | 2021-08-04 | 1,962 (401,363) | 128 | 0.9%
8. Blue Gate Crossing | 2021-08-18 | 1,494 (1,742) | 79 | 0.6%
9. Boss Baby: Family Business | 2021-07-21 | 958 (912,540) | 91 | 0.4%
10. The Courier | 2021-04-28 | 710 (309,255) | 1 | 0.2%

https://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/business/stat/boxs/findDailyBoxOfficeList.do

SINKHOLE - Daily Box Office
Date | # of Screens (Screenings) | Admissions (Total) | Rank
Before opening: 31 (77) | 7,361 (7,361) | N/A
Opening Day 1 (08/11): 1,431 (6,136) | 147,299 (154,660) | 1
Opening Day 2 (08/12): 1,441 (6,150) | 120,117 (274,777) | 1
Opening Day 3 (08/13): 1,491 (6,362) | 125,696 (400,473) | 1
Opening Day 4 (08/14): 1,572 (6,879) | 251,734 (652,207) | 1
Opening Day 5 (08/15): 1,603 (6,990) | 270,146 (922,353) | 1
Opening Day 6 (08/16): 1,584 (6,877) | 219,615 (1,141,968) | 1
Opening Day 7 (08/17): 1,477 (6,206) | 79,351 (1,221,319) | 1
Opening Day 8 (08/18): 1,206 (4,660) | 59,334 (1,280,653) | 2

'Mogadishu' Kim Yun-seok, 'Sinkhole' Cha Seung-won, ‘Hostage' Hwang Jung-min / PhotoSource=Still cuts from each movie © news1

Helena · August 18, 2021

https://theactorispresent.kr/cha-seoungwon/
Cha Seoungwon 차승원

Cha Seoungwon has a secret switch that changes genres, moods, and even genders. And it’s very stylish and tremendously enchanting!

photo by Ahn Seongjin

In the early 2000s, Cha Seoungwon was a key actor who led Korean comedy films, and he deserved to be praised for being an all-rounder. In the late 1980s, Cha made his debut as a fashion model and was active as a representative model. In the late 1990s, he expanded his scope as an actor by appearing in films such as If the Sun Rises in the West (1998) and Fin De Siecle (1999) and TV series. Cha showed his acting ability to break prejudice against a fashion model with a strong personality. He drew attention as a serial arsonist in Libera Me (2000) and played a physical education teacher in a love triangle in the comedy Kick the Moon (2001). Starting from that film, the successful series of so-called ‘Cha Seoungwon’s Comedy’ was released in a row. 

 He played a bluffing gangster in Break Out (2002), a prisoner who escaped from prison and had to return to prison as a special envoy in Jail Breakers, a problematic teacher assigned to a school in the countryside in My Teacher, Mr. Kim (2003), and a haunted landlord in Ghost House (2004). In the early 2000s, it is no exaggeration to say that Korean cinema was ‘Cha Seoungwon’s world.’ Although the film plots and characters were all different, Cha’s unique talks and jokes livened up the cinematic fun. He sensibly pulled off a natural laugh caused by ironic situations rather than unnatural acting that betrayed Macho’s image with charisma or excessive acting like a slapstick comedy. 

 It was the crime costume drama Blood Rain (2005) that changed Cha’s image of a comedy-specialized actor at once. He appeared as a cold-hearted investigator struggling to solve a horrific murder case. Since then, he has challenged various genres and characters, including a North Korean defector in Over the Border (2006), a father and lifer in My Son (2007), an ambitious man who wants to be a king in Blades of Blood (2010), and a homicide detective who wants to be a woman in Man on High Heels (2014), never fearing the path of unconventional acting as if he were experimenting with his limitations. Like the determination shown in the noir film Eyes for An Eye (2008), where he faced a detective and commits a crime, Cha Seoungwon also showed strong masculine charms that captured the audience’s eyes at once. 

 Through the characters such as Brian in Believer (2018), who is working for a dark organization, and Director Ma in Night in Paradise (2021), Cha Seoungwon fully enjoyed his masculinity. Of course, he is an actor who can calmly play any role, from Cheolsoo, an innocent father who suffers from the aftermath of the disaster in CHEER UP, MR. LEE (2019), to the bloodless gangster. 

 Three Meals a Day, which began in 2015, that made Actor Cha stand out as much as his acting talent proven in many films. He showed off his excellent cooking skills and stole the love of viewers with his familiar and warm-hearted appearance, earning the nickname ‘Chazumma (Mrs. Cha).’ He appeared in the disaster blockbuster Sinkhole this year. Cha Seoungwon’s affection and thirst for films know no limits. In other words, his filmography, which does not know how to settle for the present, is still ongoing. We still have a hidden card to see Cha Seoungwon’s performance in his middle-age. Jeon Jonghyuk

Filmography
<SINKHOLE> (2021)
<Night in Paradise> (2021)
<CHEER UP, MR. LEE> (2019)
<Believer> (2018)
<Man on High Heels> (2014)
<Blades of Blood> (2010)
<Eye For An Eye> (2008)
<My Son> (2007)
<Over the Border> (2006)
<Blood Rain> (2005)
<Ghost House> (2004)
<My Teacher, Mr. Kim> (2003)
<Jail Breakers> (2002)
<Break Out> (2002)
<Kick The Moon> (2001)
<Libera Me> (2000)
<Fin De Siecle> (1999)
<If the sun rises in the West> (1998)
Contact: www.ygfamily.com

Helena · August 19, 2021

https://k-odyssey.com/news/newsview.php?ncode=1065605681202115
'Sinkhole,' Cha Seung-won "Reaching 2 mil audiences is no problem"

연합뉴스 / 2021-08-19 18:34:27

▲ These photos, provided by YG Entertainment, show actor Cha Seung-won. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Yonhap) -- “It will have reached 2 million audiences by next Wednesday,” said Cha Seung-won (51), leading actor of “Sinkhole,” this year’s best movie with exceeding of a million audiences in 6 days since release.

Cha revealed his reason of choosing “Sinkhole,” saying he was curious about how the film, a mix of comedy and disaster, would unfold itself during an online interview Thursday. The film recorded 1.28 million viewers yesterday.

The disaster movie of a whole villa getting sucked into a gigantic sinkhole, is decorated with Cha’s sense of humor who led the success of comedy films in the early 2000s.

The actor took part in various productions starting with “Kick the Moon” (2002), “Jail Breakers” (2002), “My Teacher, Mr. Kim” (2003) and “Ghost House” (2004), giving laughter to the viewrers with his careless and random appearance that doesn’t match with his tall height and masculine profile. He has also been widely loved with his humorous moments on TV through the series “The Greatest Love” and variety program “Three Meals A Day: Fishing Village.”

He commented that what the audiences liked about his comedy was the sad but funny situations and the character. He also added his satisfaction over his skillful cunning acting. Comedy once was his unpreferable genre but is his loving genre now.

Cha played Man-soo, neighbor of Dong-won (Kim Sung-kyun) who finally managed to have a house of his own but keeps quarreling over everyday problems. Man-soo works as a gym employee, owner of a photograph studio and a designated driver and has only one family, his son who he is not close with.

Man-soo is a humble and familiar character and at the same time is mean from time to time but shows ordinary and pitiful human moments. The actor introduced the character as an “ordinary and common man.” He is an ordinary citizen and is picky but not a bad-mined person.

“Even when the character does mean things, he shouldn’t seem mean. He can say bad things and fight with others, but I tried to focus on showing that those words are not his real intentions. I keep in mind that ‘picky’ and ‘mean’ person must have their own reasons in acting in such manners.”

Man-soo goes through many hardships, writhing underground and swimming upside down in the water. Cha felt dizzy because of the shaky grounds when he acted for the scene in which the ground sunk down. Also, he said that he suffered pain in his ears when filming underwater.

Above all, the actor blends in well with the other characters stuck in the sinkhole. He quarrels with Dong-won (Kim) and depicts paternal love for his son Seung-tae (Nam Da-reum). He goes well with Dong-won’s colleagues Seung-hyeon (Lee Kwang-soo) and Eun-joo (Kim Hye-jun).

“I was rather immature back then. Although I am still not perfect, I now blend into the role in a different way. I tended to focus only on my character, but now I try to view the work in various angles,” said Cha who is in his 50s. He also added that he feels more relaxed about his career.

The actor has shown his wishes to take part in comedy productions with new perspectives saying he has been eyeing a number of recent films such as “Twenty” (2014), directed by Lee Byeong-heon, producer of “Extreme Job” and “How to Use Guys with Secret Tips” (2012) starring Lee Si-young, Oh Jung-se.

“I value everyday lives. I will work hard for my next works leading an ordinary life.” (END)

Spoiler

▲ These photos, provided SHOWbox, show "Sinkhole." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Helena · August 19, 2021

https://thereelbits.com/2021/08/19/review-sinkhole/
Review: Sinkhole

By Richard Gray | August 19, 2021

Summary
This blockbuster film may begin with a light-hearted tone, but seamlessly transitions into a disaster movie that manages to keep the comedy coming as regularly as the dramatic twists.
3.5/5

Sinkholes are terrifying. They occur when the ground beneath the surface shifts and collapses, potentially sucking everything above it into the earth. Hard to predict and popping up all over the world, you could be sitting above one right now. Go on, let that sink in for a bit.

Director Kim Ji-hoon is no stranger to disaster movies, with The Tower (2012) remaining a favourite amongst many fans of South Korea action. In SINKHOLE (싱크홀), a somewhat unique comedy-disaster hybrid, we follow Park Dong-won (Kim Sung-kyun) and his family as they move into a new apartment block after over a decade of scrimping and saving.

After inviting some colleagues over for a housewarming, including co-worker Kim Seung-Hyun (Lee Kwang-Soo), torrential rains result in the titular sinkhole opening up below them and sucking the entire building beneath the surface. With the hole filling up with water, Park must work with neighbour Jeong Man-soo (Cha Seung-won) to find their loved ones — and a way out of the hole — before the elements take over.

Kim’s film has an odd tone. The first 30 minutes of the narrative is frontloaded with squabbles and comic misunderstandings between Park and Jeong, including really strange asides where characters get stuck in automatic doors. It’s all mixed in with a little bit of foreboding about coming events — including the tilting of interiors and the lack of running water — but it establishes a tone one doesn’t typically see in a genre picture.

When the main event occurs, the ₩15 billion budget (about US$13 million) is on full display. The entire building rockets straight down with the use of CG imagery, setting the scene for the survivalist plotting that follows. To the credit of screenwriters Jeon Cheol-hong and Kim Jeong-han, they manage to keep the comedy in line with the drama for the duration. That’s a rare feat indeed.

While the characters are built into a fairly standard mould, Kim Sung-kyun and Cha Seung-won are engaging leads. Cha in particular gets to combine his comedy and act chops, having balanced between the two for the last decade or so of his career.

SINKHOLE is already the fastest film to pass 1 million viewers in South Korea this year, marking it as late contender for one of the highest grossing Korean films of the year. Its unique mix of humour and action will translate easily to international audiences, so make sure you jump in and see this before the inevitable Hollywood remake.

SINKHOLE is the closing film of the New York Asian Film Festival 2021.

Helena · August 19, 2021

Daily Box Office - 2021-08-19 (Thu)
Rank | Title | Release Date | Admissions (Total) | Number of Screens | Revenue Share
1. Hostage: Missing Celebrity | 2021-08-18 | 80,147 (184,386) | 1,123 | 41.6%
2. SINKHOLE | 2021-08-11 | 50,808 (1,331,459) | 1,234 | 25.8%
3. Escape from Mogadishu | 2021-07-28 | 34,306 (2,558,656) | 951 | 16.8%

Spoiler

Opening Day 2 (08/12): 1,441 (6,150) | 120,117 (274,777) | 1
Opening Day 3 (08/13): 1,491 (6,362) | 125,694 (400,471) | 1
Opening Day 4 (08/14): 1,572 (6,879) | 251,734 (652,205) | 1
Opening Day 5 (08/15): 1,603 (6,990) | 270,146 (922,351) | 1
Opening Day 6 (08/16): 1,584 (6,877) | 219,615 (1,141,966) | 1
Opening Day 7 (08/17): 1,477 (6,206) | 79,351 (1,221,317) | 1
Opening Day 8 (08/18): 1,206 (4,660) | 59,334 (1,280,651) | 2

Opening Day 9 (08/19): 1,234 (4,607) | 50,808 (1,331,459) | 2

Helena · August 20, 2021

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210820000742
[Herald Interview] ‘Sinkhole’ the disaster movie with comedy twist: Cha Seung-won

By Song Seung-hyun | Aug 20, 2021

Cha Seung-won (Showbox)

Veteran actor Cha Seung-won, 51, is not afraid of challenges. When choosing movies, he tries to pick something out of the ordinary.

“I don’t like films that have a single genre. I am into stories with twists. I liked ‘Sinkhole’ because it is a movie about the disaster, but there are comedy elements to it. I love how humor is being used in an extreme situation,” Cha emphasized during an interview via Zoom with a group of local reporters.

“It was really funny to watch how people outside of the sinkhole worry that people in the hole are starving, and then the next scene shows people cooking chickens in the hole.”

“Sinkhole,” directed by Kim Ji-hoon, centers on the residents of Chungwoon Villa, one of the cheaper apartment buildings available in pricey Seoul.

Cha plays Man-soo, who lives in the apartment with a son. To raise his son alone, Cha juggles three different jobs, as a fitness trainer, photographer and chauffeur. Since Man-soo likes to stick his nose into other people’s businesses, he often gets into fights with new neighbor Dong-won (Kim Sung-kyun), an office worker who has just become a homeowner for the first time after 11 years of saving. One day, the apartment suddenly falls into a giant sinkhole.

Cha said he tried to reflect himself when portraying Man-soo.

“I wanted to show my own personality in the character. Before I tried creating a character that is totally different from me, but now I try to avoid that.”

Cha explained that whenever he has tried to create a character too far from himself, he ended up failing by exaggerating it.

“Instead I try to use different sides of me to show the characters. Also, I would keep asking myself to check whether I understand that character thoroughly or whether I am unnaturally acting anything.”

“Sinkhole” is also a movie that reflects the struggles young people in their 20s and 30s face to become homeowners in Korea at the beginning through characters like Seung-hyun (Lee Kwang-soo), who is pessimistic about his future.

During the interview, Cha also talked about the message he wants to deliver to generations of young people today.

Cha Seung-won (Showbox)

“It was never easy for us either. But it seems like it is tougher for them now. I don’t want to say things like ‘don’t lose hope’ to people who are suffering. Because I think that it is our generation’s fault,” he said. “I hope that they can go through it like how we do it in the movie ‘Sinkhole’.”

Over the three-day Liberation Day weekend of Aug. 14-16, the film took the No. 1 spot at the local box office, selling more than 1 million tickets.

“What a relief that the movie attracted more than 1 million audience members,” Cha said, adding that he is extremely grateful. “It is too bad that the pie became smaller due to COVID-19.”

He also commented about two Korean movies -- “Sinkhole” and “Escape from Mogadishu” -- taking the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in ticket sales.

“It is great. I see that our success can lead to more movies being released during the Chuseok holiday,” he said. “We have been experiencing difficulties since last year. I hope it improves soon.”

“Sinkhole” was released Aug. 11. It is now running in local theaters.

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)

Helena · August 20, 2021

https://zapzee.net/2021/08/20/cha-seung-won-shares-his-thoughts-on-sinkhole-praises-his-co-star-kim-soo-hyun-in-his-next-drama-and-more/
Cha Seung Won Shares His Thoughts on ‘Sinkhole,’ Praises His Co-star Kim Soo Hyun in His Next Drama and More

by Munjeong Jung

Credit: YG Entertainment

During an interview for his latest movie Sinkhole, Cha Seung Won praised Kim Soo Hyun, a co-star he’s been working with in One Ordinary Day.

One Ordinary Day is Coupang Play’s first original drama. It is a story that explores the criminal justice system from the general public’s standpoint through the story of two men involved in the murder case of a woman. Based on the BBC’s Criminal Justice, One Ordinary Day will be the third overseas remake followed by the American and the Indian versions.

Regarding Kim Soo Hyun, Cha Seung Won shared, “He is a good man. He has his own ways on how to make things work.” And he added, “We always have a wonderful time on the set. The film set has a different vibe compared to Sinkhole‘s. And because it’s a courtroom series, there are so many things to memorize and many scenes where I have to take in the emotions. Nonetheless, I’m having so much fun with the whole process.”

In addition, “I’ve worked with director Lee Myung Woo. And this series is truly an intriguing one. When we wrap up the production in September, I believe we’ll be able to watch it in November.”

Source (1)
Translator Jung Munjeong: I’ll provide you with the latest articles regarding K-Drama, K-Pop, K-Movie and more as quickly as I can.

Helena · August 20, 2021

Daily Box Office - 2021-08-20 (Fri)
Rank | Title | Release Date | Admissions (Total) | Number of Screens | Revenue Share
1. Hostage: Missing Celebrity | 2021-08-18 | 83,894 (268,280) | 1,187 | 40.7%
2. SINKHOLE | 2021-08-11 | 56,420 (1,387,881) | 1,237 | 27.1%
3. Escape from Mogadishu | 2021-07-28 | 40,282 (2,598,938) | 948 | 18.4%

https://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/business/stat/boxs/findDailyBoxOfficeList.do

Spoiler

Opening Day 2 (08/12): 1,441 (6,150) | 120,117 (274,777) | 1
Opening Day 3 (08/13): 1,491 (6,362) | 125,694 (400,471) | 1
Opening Day 4 (08/14): 1,572 (6,879) | 251,734 (652,205) | 1
Opening Day 5 (08/15): 1,603 (6,990) | 270,146 (922,351) | 1
Opening Day 6 (08/16): 1,584 (6,877) | 219,615 (1,141,966) | 1
Opening Day 7 (08/17): 1,477 (6,206) | 79,351 (1,221,317) | 1
Opening Day 8 (08/18): 1,206 (4,660) | 59,334 (1,280,651) | 2
Opening Day 9 (08/19): 1,234 (4,607) | 50,810 (1,331,461) | 2

Opening Day 10 (08/20): 1,237 (4,665) | 56,420 (1,387,881) | 2

Helena · August 21, 2021

1. Hostage: Missing Celebrity | 2021-08-18 | 186,167 (454,447) | 1,270 | 39.7%
2. SINKHOLE | 2021-08-11 | 133,686 (1,521,567) | 1,250 | 28.1%
3. Escape from Mogadishu | 2021-07-28 | 93,444 (2,692,380) | 961 | 19.0%

https://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/business/stat/boxs/findDailyBoxOfficeList.do

Spoiler

Opening Day 2 (08/12): 1,441 (6,150) | 120,117 (274,777) | 1
Opening Day 3 (08/13): 1,491 (6,362) | 125,694 (400,471) | 1
Opening Day 4 (08/14): 1,572 (6,879) | 251,734 (652,205) | 1
Opening Day 5 (08/15): 1,603 (6,990) | 270,146 (922,351) | 1
Opening Day 6 (08/16): 1,584 (6,877) | 219,615 (1,141,966) | 1
Opening Day 7 (08/17): 1,477 (6,206) | 79,351 (1,221,317) | 1
Opening Day 8 (08/18): 1,206 (4,660) | 59,334 (1,280,651) | 2
Opening Day 9 (08/19): 1,234 (4,607) | 50,810 (1,331,461) | 2
Opening Day 10 (08/20): 1,237 (4,665) | 56,420 (1,387,881) | 2

Opening Day 11 (08/21): 1,250 (4,957) | 133,686 (1,521,567) | 2

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Cha Seung-Won 차승원 [Upcoming Movies: “Believer 2”, “Tyrant”, “ War and Revolt”]

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