[Movie 2014] The Admiral: Roaring Currents 명량

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‘Myungryang’ grabbed two million for three days… the shortest record
The movie ‘Myungryang’ grabbed two million audiences for three days after the release.
According to the record of movie ticket network on 2nd, 860,000 audiences watched the movie, total over two million.
Even though it was a weekday, ‘Myungryang’ grabbed 860,000 audiences, 160,000 more than yesterday. For this it broke the record of two million for three days, getting the title of the movie that reached two million hit for the fastest time. It is faster than ‘The Thieves’, ‘Moster’, and ‘Snowpiercer’.
A million audience watched 37 hours after the release, making the highest opening score, and broke the record of ‘Snowpiercer’ and ‘Scretly, Greatly’.‘Myungryang’ is expected to show another box office in this weekend.

Credit Innolife | August 3 2014

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class="title_sec" style="text-align: center; font-size: 28px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: top; color: rgb(39, 41, 42); line-height: 34px; font-weight: normal; font-family: Georgia, 돋움, Dotum, Helvetica, AppleGothic, sans-serif; background: rgb(255, 255, 255);"'Roaring Currents' to hit American cinemas on Korea's Liberation Day
The period blockbuster "Roaring Currents" will meet US audiences on Aug. 15, Korea's Liberation Day, Even as the film resets the English box Office Record by the Day. The Record-breaking film is to hit 30 Cinemas across the US with ITS localized title "The Admiral." "The Admiral" will Open with a Special preview for English-Americans on Tuesday followed by a General audience preview on Friday, finally hitting Cinemas week Next. "The Admiral" depicts the Historical Battle of Myeongryang admiral Yi Sun-Shin won by, who managed to FEND off with 330 Japanese Ships Only 12 vessels. The film surpassed 3 million with the local audience Record Movie goers within Four days of opening. 
By Ha Ji-won, Intern Reporter (jiwonha@heraldcorp.com)Korean Herald | August 3 2014 

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[Herald Review] Fearful battle for the fearless admiral‘Roaring Currents’ details compelling chronicle of Adm. Yi and his Battle of Myeongryang
Audiences were already eager for the film “Roaring Currents,” even before it premiered. Part of it had to do with veteran actor Choi Min-sik (“Old Boy”) starring as the protagonist, Adm. Yi Sun-sin. The rest was the fact that the film is about Adm. Yi, one of the most revered figures in Korean history. His statue stands at the heart of Seoul in Gwanghwamun. 
The film’s broad road of success was forecast as the film centers on the historic Battle of Myeongryang in 1592, during the Japanese invasion of Korea (1592-1598). It is regarded as the most remarkable military achievement of Adm. Yi. 
The history itself is more exciting than any action film. Adm. Yi used strategy to destroy 133 Japanese warships with only 12 ships under his command ― the film exaggerates the number of Japanese warships at 330, but 133 ships is still a significant amount. 
Actor Choi Min-sik plays Admiral Yi Sun-sin in “Roaring Currents.” (CJ Entertainment)
But the film is far more enriching and interesting than its sheer magnitude ― a big, expensive, star-studded, didactic film with naval battle scenes. The film portrays Adm. Yi not as an aloof warrior, but as a father and a warrior who is fearful and lonely on the brink of a gruesome battle. Viewers are able to connect on certain aspects and root for a leader like this. 
“I had no intention of reinterpreting him with new facts or different points of view,” said the film’s director Kim Han-min at the press screening last week. “I made the film based on my honest reflection after reading ‘Nanjung Ilgi, (The War Diary of Yi Sun-sin),’ no more and no less.”
“He was a soldier with a humble heart who lived fully with his own set of principles and national vision. I think that is what Yi’s leadership is about,” Kim added. 
This detailed and compelling chronicle is divided into two sections. The first part entails the anguish and deep pressure the hero faces as he comes to the battlefield, which can feel a bit lagging to those excited to see the much-touted battle scene that lasts 61 minutes. 
The naval combat scene between Adm. Yi and Japanese Adm. Gurujima, played by iconic star Ryu Seung-ryong (“Miracle in Cell No. 7”), is fast-paced and lively. 

The Battle of Myeongryang in 1597 during the Japanese invasion of Korea (1592-1598) is regarded as Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s most remarkable military achievement. (CJ Entertainment)
However, in the long, detailed and nerve-wracking combat scene, the film does not illustrate Adm. Yi as a genius strategist or someone who has unbelievable sword skills. The entire battle is conducted one stab and a single bowstring at a time. 
Unlike what people imagined of the Battle of Myungryang ― learning from history books ― the victory is only possible with the cooperation of all the soldiers, who at first resist Yi’s order to proceed toward the Japanese warships because they are too scared. 
The families desperately waiting for their sons and husbands to return take credit as well. In a scene showing those left behind, actor and singer Lee Jung-hyun steals the spotlight as a mute woman who uses her hands, feet and body gestures to portray her ardent desire for her husband to return home. But most of all, it is Adm. Yi’s leadership that shines. 
His leadership is wise and careful but determined. He has authority but is not authoritative. He adheres to principles but is not a fundamentalist. He knows exactly what the problem is with his soldiers: “The main problem is the fear that is spreading like a poison within the people, not the hundreds of Japanese warships approaching.” 
“If you are going to live, you will die, but if you are going to die, you will live,” says the admiral before battle. “The only way to win the battle is when fear transforms into courage.”
And finally when the admiral and his men overcome their fear of death, they are able to fight the battle that was regarded impossible to win. 
That is why when the quick currents of the Uldulmok Passage in Jindo ― where the battle is fought ― are on Adm. Yi’s side allowing him to crush the Japanese warships, it didn’t feel like a miracle, but more a well-deserved and hard-earned help from nature. 
Music also plays a key role throughout the film. The 17th and 18th century classical music played by a grand orchestra of 150 people, helps portray the grandeur in the serious action scenes. The director thought the use of a western orchestra from the same period would add to the film’s scale. 
In fulfilling hype, “Roaring Current” has drawn a landmark number of viewers already, topping film records on five different areas, including biggest opening with 682,833 viewers on July 30, highest number of single weekday visitors with 866,373 viewers on Aug. 1, and drawing 3 million viewers in four days, shoving the record set only a week ago by another period action flick “Kundo: Age of the Rampant” to second. 
Whether “Roaring Currents” will spur another era of periodic films remains to be seen, but for sure, it has reminded the audience of what a victory in battle is made of.
By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)Korean Herald | August 3 2014

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class="content-title" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4em; font-size: 26px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(63, 63, 64); text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 1px 1px 0px; visibility: visible; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"“Roaring Currents,” Starring Choi Min Shik and Ryu Seung Ryong, Sets Box Office Historylovelymorning August 2, 2014 | SOOMPI

The movie, “Roaring Currents,” has been obliterating the Korean box office records for the past four days, essentially rewriting its history. On August 1, it set the record of having over one million viewers—two days after it had been released.

According to the box office records kept by the Korean Film Council, “Roaring Currents” had 1,228,751 viewers on August 2 alone. The cumulative number of viewers since its release is 3,505,426 viewers. These are the statistics that were recorded a mere four days after its release.

Having more than a million viewers in one day is the first time in history. The movie that was close to this was “Transformers 3” in 2011, where they gathered 956,500 viewers in a day. In present day 2014, “Roaring Currents” gathered 272,251 more viewers than that.

Not only are they setting the highest viewership rates, they are also breaking their own record day after day. On the day of its release, its record was at 682,845 viewers, which already surpassed the existing record. Then, the number of viewers per day consistently increased—first to 704,956, then to 866,374 and finally to 1,228,751.

Currently, they hold the title of fastest achievement of 1 million viewers (37 hours), fastest achievement of 2 million viewers (3 days after release), and fastest achievement of 3 million viewers (4 days after release). The cumulative total as of August 2 is more than 3.5 million viewers, which means that 4 million is just around the corner.

 “Roaring Currents” takes place in the year 1597, when General Lee Soon Shin defeated 330 enemy ships with only 12 of his own. Viewers have commented that not only was this move historically accurate, but was also entertaining due to its vivid portrayal of the battle in the seas. Actor Choi Min Shik received compliments on his perfect portrayal of General Lee Soon Shin, a character is filled with grief and dilemmas from witnessing the king’s abandonment of the seas, and the consequent accumulation of fear and uncertainty in his citizens as well as Joseon itself. Also starring in this movie are Ryu Seung Ryong,Lee Jung Hyun, Jin Goo, and Noh Min Woo among others.

Meanwhile, second in box office on August 2 was “How to Train Your Dragon 2” with 211,402 viewers. In third was “Gundo” with 197,461 viewers. The cumulative number of viewers for this day was 4,300,878. 

"BATTLE OF MYEONGNYANG" SURPASSES 4 MILLION VIEWS ON 5TH DAY OF RELEASE

The Korean film, “Battle of Myeongnyang”, starring Choi Minsik, has surpassed 4 million views on its 5th day of release.

On the 31st of July, “Battle of Myeongnyang” passed a million views, in which the weekend on the 2nd of August brought in over a total of 3 million views, thus breaking multiple records.

On its 5th day of release on the 3rd of August, “Battle of Myeongnyang” has now surpassed a total of 4 million views, thus setting another record.

For the past 5 days it has been showing in cinemas, “Battle of Myeongnyang” has set new records with each day, and it seems like it will continue doing so.

Will you be watching it soon if you haven’t already?

Source: TV Report
Source: KoreaBoo | August 3 2014

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[Review] Strong Effects Play Second Fiddle to Patriotism in THE ADMIRAL: ROARING CURRENTS
When making films based on significant milestones in a country's history, nationalism can be a great asset in a filmmaker's arsenal but it's also a tool that must be handled carefully, as too much patriotic bombast can mar an otherwise captivating story. Alas, the new period epic The Admiral: Roaring Currents, which chronicles one of Korea's most famed victorious, falls into that category. Formidable effects and a fascinating historical event, akin to a Korean version of 300 on boats, plays second fiddle to sensationalized heroism in this epic war reenactment.
Roaring Currents is the big screen treatment of Admiral Yi Sun-shin and the Battle of Myeongnyang, when he commanded a small fleet of 13 ships to victory against the Imperial Japanese navy's 333 vessels. Following a number of successful campaigns, Admiral Yi was stripped of his title when he refused to follow orders that he deemed reckless. After a crushing defeat that saw the Korean fleet all but decimated, Admiral Yi was reinstated, faced with the daunting task of guiding a small group of warships into the battle against the mighty Japanese fleet, led by the ruthless Admiral Kurushima.
Yi Sun-shin is one of Korea's most celebrated historical figures and the Battle of Myeongnyang one of the nation's proudest moments, but before now it has never been memorialized on film. The simple reason for this is that before 2014, the Korean film industry wasn't equipped to realize a film on this scale, particularly one that would rely so heavily on visual effects. From a technical standpoint, Korean cinema has seen great advances in the last decade but it was only a short while ago that VFX became sophisticated enough to play a large role in feature films. As recently as 2006, The Host paved the way for advanced CGI in Korean productions (though back then VFX work was still being outsourced to foreign firms).
Roaring Currents, much like last year's commercial flop but technical triumph Mr. Go, showcases how far Korea's visual technicians have come. Flurries of cannonballs and arrows soar through the air, over, between and through hundreds of intricately detailed 16th century war ships. The chaos of war is palpable, as bursts of splinters and tufts of smoke add texture to the dense topography of the battle scenes. With so many moving parts, the film runs the risk of becoming a blur but director Kim Han-min, already experience in period action fare following 2011's War of the Arrows, keeps the sprawling chaos tight and is able to guide us through the complicated geography of the large scale naval manoeuvres succinctly.
While the film excels in the more complicated elements of its gigantic set pieces, there is the sense that this comes at the expense of traditional mise-en-scene. Compared to other recent local period films, such as Masquerade or The Face Reader, the cinematography here is nowhere near as crisp. When filming a crowded battle this may be a necessary evil but even in the quieter first hour, which sets up the battle of the latter half, the functional camerawork and editing leave something to be desired.
Where the film does impress, beyond VFX, is in its crisp sound design and ornate costumes. Dense and immersive, the sound throws the spectator right into the thick of the battle, though at times some of the foley work, such as cannon fire, have noticeably been looped. The detailed battle armor costumes, ornate and detailed, are also an impressive sight. Some of the Japanese outfits go a touch overboard but are nonetheless exquisite.
Standing tall as Admiral Yi is Choi Min-sik, likely the only star who could have filled such large shoes. With solemn gravitas and aided by a battalion of low-angle shots, the veteran ably strikes the hero pose that he is often called upon to do. Though he captures the Admiral's legendary heroism this performance lacks the depth and nuance that has made Choi the respected thespian he is. Meanwhile, speaking only in passable Japanese and shooting daggers out of his eyes under his ostentation headdress, Ryu Seung-ryong emits a villainous air, but his is more caricature than a character.
Writing as a foreigner (I say that since local viewers' take on this film will likely be very different to my own) I feel I should point out the film's excessive patriotism. All of the Korean characters, down to small villagers, are portrayed as heroes and the film is littered with instances of extraordinary courage and sacrifice. On the flip-side, Japanese characters are all portrayed as villains, not merely enemies. The only Japanese soldier shown in a positive light is one who defects to the Korean side. Perplexingly, the film features only one female character of any note, a mute woman who can only emit a tremulous wail in her most important scene.
Navigating from a borderline tedious first half to the overweening nationalism of its bombastic crux, The Admiral: Roaring Currents is a formidable technical display sorely lacking in subtlety. However, in a country still reeling in the wake of the Sewol ferry disaster, it has turned out to be just the ticket for local viewers seeking a morale boost, as it blew almost every box office record to smithereens in its colossal debut. 
Written By Pierce Conran
Source Twitch Film | August 3 2014

[Guest adikkeluangman]

Pictures from the press conference
Director
Choi Min Sik
Lee Jung Hyun
Kwon Yool
Park Bo Gum
Ryu Seung Ryong
Jo Jin Woong
No Min Woo

[Guest LadyAra]

class="content-title" style="font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; font-size: 26px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(63, 63, 64); text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 1px 1px 0px; visibility: visible; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"“Roaring Currents,” Starring Choi Min Shik and Ryu Seung Ryong, Sets Box Office History

The movie, “Roaring Currents,” has been obliterating the Korean box office records for the past four days, essentially rewriting its history. On August 1, it set the record of having over one million viewers—two days after it had been released.

According to the box office records kept by the Korean Film Council, “Roaring Currents” had 1,228,751 viewers on August 2 alone. The cumulative number of viewers since its release is 3,505,426 viewers. These are the statistics that were recorded a mere four days after its release.

Having more than a million viewers in one day is the first time in history. The movie that was close to this was “Transformers 3” in 2011, where they gathered 956,500 viewers in a day. In present day 2014, “Roaring Currents” gathered 272,251 more viewers than that.

Not only are they setting the highest viewership rates, they are also breaking their own record day after day. On the day of its release, its record was at 682,845 viewers, which already surpassed the existing record. Then, the number of viewers per day consistently increased—first to 704,956, then to 866,374 and finally to 1,228,751.

Currently, they hold the title of fastest achievement of 1 million viewers (37 hours), fastest achievement of 2 million viewers (3 days after release), and fastest achievement of 3 million viewers (4 days after release). The cumulative total as of August 2 is more than 3.5 million viewers, which means that 4 million is just around the corner.

 “Roaring Currents” takes place in the year 1597, when General Lee Soon Shin defeated 330 enemy ships with only 12 of his own. Viewers have commented that not only was this move historically accurate, but was also entertaining due to its vivid portrayal of the battle in the seas. Actor Choi Min Shik received compliments on his perfect portrayal of General Lee Soon Shin, a character is filled with grief and dilemmas from witnessing the king’s abandonment of the seas, and the consequent accumulation of fear and uncertainty in his citizens as well as Joseon itself. Also starring in this movie are Ryu Seung Ryong,Lee Jung Hyun, Jin Goo, and Noh Min Woo among others. [more]

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Yi movie sweeps audiences away

'Roaring Currents’ breaks records within first days of opening

The hottest movie in Korean cinemas right now is “Roaring Currents,” a period film that opened Wednesday. Within 38 hours of its release, it had already attracted an audience of one million - a record in Korea for such a short amount of time. 

Actor Choi Min-sik is at the center of attention in the movie, which is based on Admiral Yi Sun-sin of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). 

Yi led the country to a legendary naval victory during the 1597 Battle of Myeongnyang with only 12 ships against the Japanese navy’s 300. 

In an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, Choi said it was extremely difficult for him to understand the agony Yi might have felt during the battle.

Q. What was it like to act as a national hero?

A. I thought if I did it wrong, I would be the target of criticism. I felt that the public was paying [particular attention] even before the movie opened. It felt like they were pressuring me not to be mediocre in telling the story of a great hero. I’m confident that I [put in my best effort]. True fans will be able to feel the sincerity. 



What do you mean by sincerity?

On set, it was the supporting characters as well as the lead actors and actresses who did their best to show the worst [of war]. We all took on the challenge, and it was as if we were putting our lives on the line. We felt the responsibility of depicting a serious historical incident. I think that will show on screen.



What did you do to understand General Yi’s character better?

Someone as ordinary as myself will never get to understand how a human being can have such a strong belief. But he was indeed a human being, and I think he must have been scared at moments. I relied a lot on “Nanjung Ilgi” [“The War Diary of Yi Sun-sin”] because the personal and honest records touched me on many levels.



Did you understand his loneliness?

I tried. If he were someone I could meet up with, I would want to ask him over a glass of soju why he had to go out there when he was abandoned by a king, entrapped by others who would say bad things about him, and when his subordinates only focused on [saving their own lives]. 

I was in awe of his courage and loyalty, but at the same time I found myself becoming so small. My confidence fell apart. 



Were you scared?

It was the first time I felt such fear and pain. I wasn’t sure if I was taking every moment as the general did. I felt like he was watching behind my back when we were filming. 



What are your thoughts on comments that this movie forces people to be more patriotic?

What’s wrong with feeling some patriotism from a commercial movie for the first time in a long time? It is a movie’s educational and social role to present history right. I hope this film inspires others so that we can see more movies carrying some historical value. 



Do you think you can do a sequel?

I don’t think I can do it twice. It’s time for me to let go of Yi from my heart. I’m going to visit his graveyard soon and say goodbye. 

BY LEE EUN-SUN [summerlee@joongang.co.kr]
Korean JoongAng Daily | August 4 2014

[star2010]

THE ADMIRAL: ROARING CURRENTS Lays Waste to Korean Box Office Records
Pierce Conran

The Admiral: Roaring Currents has turned the Korean opening weekend record to rubble with 3.34 million admissions ($25.65 million) during its first weekend, which accounted for 65.7% of the marketplace. That represents a 41% increase over the former record, set by Transformers: Dark Of The Moon in 2011 (2.37 million). The film has already banked 4.75 million viewers and $35.4 million since its debut five days ago.

The film stars Choi Min-sik as Admiral Yi Sun-shin, who led a small fleet of 13 ships to victory against Japan and its 333 vessels in the Battle of Myeongnyang, which took place in the 16th century. Co-starring as the Japanese admiral is Ryu Seung-ryong and War Of The Arrows (2011) director Kim Han-min is at the helm.

Roaring Currents has rewritten almost every record in the book since Wednesday, when it bowed to the biggest opening day of all time (682,802 viewers). It then scored the biggest non-holiday Thursday (704,956 spectators) and the biggest every Friday, Saturday and Sunday (866,371, 1.23 million and 1.24 million tickets sold, respectively). On Saturday it became the first film to crack one million admissions in a single day and its Sunday total now stands as the largest single day take at the Korean box office. In addition to the largest 1 day total, the film set new benchmarks for biggest 3, 4 and 5-day admissions totals (2.28 million, 3.51 million and 4.75 million respectively), as well as new records for fastest to 2, 3 and 4 million spectators (3, 4 and 5 days, respectively).

The last weekend of July is traditionally the biggest theatergoing frame on the calendar and is typically dominated by local fare, as studios capitalize on the holidays and the extreme heat which drives the public to cool multiplexes. Former films that have launched on this weekend include The Host (2006), Haeundae (2009), The Thieves (2012) and Snowpiercer. Driven by Roaring Currents, this past weekend soared to 5.07 million admissions, also a new record.

As a big-budget visual spectacle based one of the most famous events in Korean history, Roaring Currents was poised to generate strong returns but no one expected such an impressive debut. In the wake of the Sewol Ferry Disaster, it looks like viewers were eager to take in something they could feel proud of, in the form of Admiral Yi Sun-shin's legendary exploits.

Meanwhile, last week's big debut, Kundo: Age of the Rampant (which bowed with 2.12 million viewers) took a steep 76% drop as it wound up in third place with 514,363 admissions. The period action film with Ha Jung-woo and Gang Dong-won has attracted a strong 4.47 million admissions ($43.1 million) in 12 days. Staying at number two with 574,703 viewers after a 22% slide was How to Train Your Dragon 2 andGuardians of the Galaxy debuted at number four with 457,575 admissions.

Next weekend will welcome the debut of The Pirates, the third period blockbuster in as many weeks. Though with Roaring Currents looking so strong, there may not be much room for it at the top of the charts

cr twitchfilm

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Choi Min-sik sweeping box office in Korea, USBy Kwon Mee-yoo | Korea Times | August 3 2014
Choi Min-sik, 52, is enjoying a new peak in his career as his movies "Roaring Currents" and "Lucy" are making box office records at home and in the United States, respectively.
His latest work "Roaring Currents" hit local theaters last Wednesday. The Korean Film Council said it drew 680,000 viewers on the first day of screening and renewed the opening day box office record of 551,000 that was set only a week ago by "Kundo: Age of the Rampant." On the next day, "Roaring Currents" broke the Korean box office record on a weekday by attracting 700,000 spectators. "Roaring Currents" earned 26.8 billion won ($25.8 million) as of Sunday.
In the epic blockbuster, Choi played Joseon admiral Yi Sun-shin (1545-1598), one of the most heroic figures in Korean history. The film revolves around Battle of Myeongnyang, the legendary admiral's naval battle against Japan in 1597.
Choi said he knew he would "face a thorny path" in performing the nation's hero as every Korean knows about him. Critics have lauded Choi's intimate portrayal of the great admiral. Director Kim Han-min praised Choi for realizing various aspects of the naval commander, ranging from a keen war strategist to a passionate leader.
Choi's success goes beyond Korea. His Hollywood debut "Lucy," co-starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman, topped the box office for its opening week, earning $44 million at the U.S. box office for the opening weekend. Though it made way for "Guardians of the Galaxy" in box office for its second week, "Lucy" is still strong in sales, already having recouped its $40 million budget.
Choi steals the limelight in the Luc Besson-directed action movie, assuming the role of a gangster who forces Lucy, played by Johansson, to become a drug mule. The New York Times referred Choi as "the excellent Korean actor" in its review of "Lucy."The rare double success for Choi is expected to raise his status, who already commands respect as one of the most finest of his generations. Choi is known for his dramatic acting and has left a deep impression as Oh Dae-su in "Oldboy," playing a man seeking vengeance after 15 years of confinement.
The 2003 film is one of the most popular Korean movies across the globe and the first Korean movie to win the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.
Choi is an actor of many faces — he was a romantic gangster in "Failan" (2001) and janus-faced Mr. Baek in "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" (2004).
However, he strongly protested against the government's move to reduce screen quota system, which compels movie theaters to screen Korean films for certain number of days, in 2006 and returned his Ok-gwan Medal decoration badge to demonstrate his objection.
Along with his opposition to the government, Choi went into a five-year hiatus in mainstream movies before making a return as a malicious serial killer in "I Saw the Devil" in 2010. The hiatus gave his acting more depth and he is on the fast track since then, appearing in hit movies such as "Nameless Gangster" (2012) and "New World" (2013).

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Roaring Currents shatters Korea B.O. records

Box Office News

After its record-breaking opening day, period war epic Roaring Currents 명량：회오리 바다 shattered multiple records at the South Korean box office over the weekend.

Between Friday and Sunday, KIM Han-min 김한민 | 金漢珉's film made ₩26.6 billion (US$25.6 million) from 3.33 million admissions, setting the record as South Korea's best Friday-to-Sunday opening weekend. Currents accounted for 67.4% of total box office revenue over the weekend.

Three years ago, Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) had a three-day gross of ₩23.2 billion (US$22.4 million) from 2.37 million admissions during its opening weekend. Last year, Snowpiercer 설국열차 secured the domestic record with ₩16.7 billion (US$16.1 million) from 2.27 million admissions over three days.

On Saturday, Currents also became the first film to break the one million admissions mark in daily admission with 1.23 million admissions. It broke its own single-day record the following day with 1.24 million admissions.

The third Transformers film had held the single-day admissions record with 956,000 admissions on 2 Jul 2011. Spy comedy Secretly Greatly 은밀하게 위대하게 held the domestic record with 919,000 admissions on 6 Jun 2013.

After five days in cinemas, Currents – based on a battle led by legendary navy admiral Yi Sun-shin, who has been depicted in multiple films and television dramas – has made ₩36.7 billion (US$35.4 million) from 4.74 million admissions.

Whether the CJ Entertainment Inc ＣＪ엔터테인먼트 release can steer a course to additional box office records depends on how it holds up against two major forthcoming domestic releases: period adventure Pirates 해적 opens on Wednesday, and the BONG Joon-ho 봉준호 | 奉俊昊-produced thriller Haemoo 해무 opens one week later on 13 Aug.

Kundo: Age of the Rampant 군도 fell to third place with a week-on-week drop of 75.7% in its second weekend, making ₩4.13 billion (US$3.98 million) from 514,000 admissions between Friday and Sunday. After 12 days in cinemas, the period action film has made ₩34.7 billion (US$33.4 million) from 4.47 million admissions.

Dreamworks' How to Train Your Dragon 2 remained in second place over the weekend. With a week-on-week drop of only 25.3% and a revenue share of 11.5%, the animated fantasy made ₩4.67 billion (US$4.50 million) from 575,000 admissions. It has taken ₩17.1 billion (US$16.5 million) from 2.11 million admissions after 12 days in cinemas.

Opening on Thursday, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy was fourth-placed. The first origin film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Captain America: The First Avenger(2011), the James GUNN film made ₩4.91 billion (US$4.73 million) from 581,000 admissions in its first four days.

In 2011, the first Captain America film made ₩2.68 billion (US$2.58 million) from 323,000 admissions in its first four days for a final gross of ₩4.16 billion (US$4.01 million) from 514,000 admissions. Its sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, performed much better, making ₩31.7 billion (US$30.6 million) from 3.96 million admissions.

YAMADA Yoji 山田洋次's Tokyo Family 東京家族 opened just outside the top ten, in 11th place. On 42 screens, the Japanese domestic drama made ₩66.1 million (US$63,700) from 8,650 admission in four days.

By Kevin Ma | FILMBIZASIA

Mon, 04 August 2014, 09:30 AM (HKT)

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class="art_title" style="font-family: arial, verdana, tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 300; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); width: 526px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"Koreans Flock to Period Flick About War Hero"Roaring Currents," the story of Korean history's most astonishing military victory by Admiral Yi Sun-shin, has set new records in the country's cinematic history. In just five days since opening on July 30, the movie has drawn 4 million viewers, the shortest time on record. 

It already set the record for the most viewers on its first day at 683,072 and surpassed the 1 million mark in just 37 hours, another new milestone. 

Previous top blockbusters "Avatar," "The Host" and "The Thieves" broke the 1 million mark in three days, and "Masquerade" and "The Attorney" in four. 

On Saturday, "Roaring Currents" drew 1.23 million viewers to become the first Korean movie to pull more than a million people to the box office in a single day. The previous record was held by "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" in 2011, which drew 956,500. 

At this rate, "Roaring Currents" is expected to pull in 5 million moviegoers in its first week.

◆ Mass Appeal

The mass appeal of the film is due to Admiral Yi's fame. The equivalent of Britain's Lord Nelson, his name is known to every Korean. Demographic data shows that "Roaring Currents" is drawing viewers of all ages and both genders.

Yoon In-ho at distributor CJ E&M said, "The movie definitely appeals to older audiences since it is a historical piece, but younger viewers, who didn't know very much about Admiral Yi, are also flocking to theaters. They seem to have rediscovered a national hero."

The movie stays fairly true to the historical record, and this has proved more effective than fiction. The hour-long naval battle scenes are highly realistic and exciting and have been one of the key factors pulling audiences.

◆ Heroism

The Korean movie industry entered a slump in the first half of this year with the lowest number of moviegoers in three years. Two movies that opened after the April 16 ferry -- "No Tears for the Dead" and "Man on High Heels" -- drew fewer than 1 million viewers. Audiences stayed away from violent films as they sought solace from the tragic accident. 

There were fears that the solemn tone of "Roaring Currents" would put people off, but that has not been the case.

"Roaring Currents" deals with a national maritime hero, which may have appealed at a time when the present authorities have proved less than heroic or able in the wake of the ferry disaster.

Movie critic Jeon Chan-il said, "From a modern-day perspective, he is a superhero who saved his people, and a major attraction is that it makes you think again about leadership."

◆ Seasonal Factor

Late July and early August is the peak season for movies. All the biggest box-office draws -- "The Host," "Haeundae" and "The Thieves" -- were released in the middle of the last week of July.


englishnews@chosun.com / Aug. 04, 2014 12:30 KST
credit Chosun ILBO

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South Korean historical naval-hero film “Roaring Currents” has blown away multiple domestic box-office records since its release last Wednesday, including the first time more than one million people have paid to watch a movie at a theater on a single day.

The period action pulled in 26.7 billion won ($25.91 million) from Friday to Sunday, marking the highest weekend receipt in South Korean cinema history. In the five days since it hit screens, it has earned around 36.8 billion won, according to the Korean Film Council’s official tally.

On both Saturday and Sunday, more than one million paying customers went to watch the movie, the first time that level was broken.

Part of its success is due to a heavy marketing push from its studio CJ E&M, which also owns the nation’s largest cinema chain CJ CGV. On Sunday, the film played on around 40% of all movie screens in the country, according to the Korean Film Council.

Directed by local filmmaker Kim Han-min, the movie is an interpretation of the most famous naval battle by admiral Yi Sun-shin, who in 1597 defeated a Japanese warship fleet that outnumbered his own by 10 to 1.

The film has received mixed reviews, with some critics saying that nationalist sentiments against Japan overwhelm the narrative.  Mr. Kim has said he hopes to release the film in Japan to improve a mutual understanding of history.

“Roaring Currents” opens in Los Angeles this weekend and will expand to other U.S. cities, distributor CJ Entertainment said Monday.

The film’s lead is played Choi Min-sik, a critically-acclaimed actor best-known in international cult fans for his lead role in “Oldboy” (2003), a mystery thriller directed by Park Chan-wook. Mr. Choi also stars in “Lucy,” last weekend’s No. 1 film in the U.S.and slated for a South Korean release later this year.

One record “Roaring Currents” didn’t break was the opening-day sales, which Hollywood’s “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (2011) still holds, earning nearly 5.5 billion won on a Wednesday. “Roaring Currents” earned 4.7 billion won on its first day.

[*]By JEYUP S. KWAAK | August 4 2014

credit Korean Real Time @ The Wall Street Journal

[rubie]

August 4, 2014
Korean film 'Roaring Currents' tops 5 million viewers
Source: YonhapNews
SEOUL, Aug. 4 (Yonhap) -- A homegrown action film about a 16th-century Korean naval hero's astonishing victory against Japan surpassed the 5 million viewer mark on Monday, the movie's investor-distributor said.
"Roaring Currents" exceeded the milestone at about 9:30 a.m. Monday, the sixth day since opening, CJ Entertainment said.
This was four days faster than a record shared by "Snowpiercer" (2013), "The Face Reader" (2013), "Iron Man 3" (2013) and "The Thieves" (2012).
Released on Wednesday, "Roaring Currents" has set various records in local box-office history, becoming the most-attended movie on an opening day, on a business day and on a single day. It also passed the 2 million, 3 million and 4 million marks in the fastest time in history.
The historical drama starring Choi Min-shik tells the story of Admiral Yi Sun-shin's astonishing victory against Japan in the Myeongnyang Strait, near the southwestern island of Jindo, where he conquered over 300 Japanese ships with only 12 ships in 1597.

[rubie]

August 4, 2014
Records Fall in Colossal THE ADMIRAL: ROARING CURRENTS DebutSets New Opening Weekend Benchmark by over 40% by Pierce Conran KOBIZ


The Admiral: Roaring Currents, a blockbuster epic bringing the exploits of Admiral Yi Sun-shin (played by CHOI Min-sik) during the legendary Battle of Myeongnyang to the screen, had a colossal five-day debut, setting a number of new records by wide margins in the process. With 3.35 million admissions (USD 25.94 million) recorded over Friday to Sunday, the film set a new opening weekend benchmark, surpassing Transformers 3’s record of 2.37 million (set in 2011) by 41%. The period epic has set a number of new milestones since its Wednesday debut, starting with biggest opening day (682,797 viewers, USD 4.57 million). The film set new daily milestones for Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as well as the best non-holiday Thursday. On Saturday it became the first film to attract over one million viewers (1.23 million viewers, USD 9.5 million) in a single day. Sunday saw Roaring Currents beat its own record by becoming the biggest single day for a film in Korean history with 1.25 million admissions (USD 9.71 million), it was also the first time that a film generated over KRW 10 billion in a single day. Roaring Currents also set new records for biggest three-day (2.28 million viewers, USD 16.54 million), four-day (3.51 million viewers, USD 26.04 million) and five-day (4.76 million, USD 35.74 million) totals as well as becoming the quickest film to 2, 3 and 4 million admissions, reaching those marks in three, four and five days, respectively. Accounting for 67.4% of all ticket sales, Roaring Currents led the weekend to a massive total of 5.06 million admissions. This made it the biggest weekend at the Korean box office and the first time a weekend has attracted over 5 million viewers (roughly 10% of the country’s population). After recording the second biggest opening weekend for a domestic film (now down to third), last week’s big winner, Kundo: Age of the Rampant, slowed 75.7% to 515,664 viewers and third place. The film has brought in 4.47 million spectators (USD 33.66 million) in 12 days. Hanging in at number two was Hollywood animation How to Train Your Dragon 2, which fell only 22% for 575,116 admissions, bringing its total to 2.11 million viewers (USD 16.62 million) in 12 days. Also opening this weekend was the new Marvel film Guardians of the Galaxy, which only managed fourth place with 459,816 spectators (USD 3.83 million). Wednesday will see the release of The Pirates, the third big-budget period film in a row, but at this point reservations indicate that The Admiral: Roaring Currents should retain its position atop the chart.

[Guest LadyAra]

class="title_sec" style="line-height:34px;"Korean film 'Roaring Currents' tops 5m viewers

A homegrown action film about a 16th-century Korean naval hero's astonishing victory against Japan surpassed the 5 million viewer mark on Monday, the movie's investor-distributor said.

"Roaring Currents" exceeded the milestone at about 9:30 a.m. Monday, the sixth day since opening, CJ Entertainment said.

This was four days faster than a record shared by "Snowpiercer" (2013), "The Face Reader" (2013), "Iron Man 3" (2013) and "The Thieves" (2012).

Released on Wednesday, "Roaring Currents" has set various records in local box-office history, becoming the most-attended movie on an opening day, on a business day and on a single day. It also passed the 2 million, 3 million and 4 million marks in the fastest time in history. 

The historical drama starring Choi Min-shik tells the story of Admiral Yi Sun-shin's astonishing victory against Japan in the Myeongnyang Strait, near the southwestern island of Jindo, where he conquered over 300 Japanese ships with only 12 ships in 1597.  (Yonhap) [more]

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Korean Box Office Dominated by Record Breaking ‘Roaring Currents’
AUGUST 4, 2014 | 12:10AM PTNemo Kim | VARIETY
SEOUL — Decent performances at the South Korean box office by “How To Train Your Dragon 2″ and “Kundo The Rampant” were overshadowed as local period actioner “Roaring Currents” delivered an unprecedented first weekend performance.
“Guardians of the Galaxy,” a global phenomenon elsewhere, could only manage fourth place in its opening frame.
Released on Wednesday July 30, “Roaring Currents” took only 37 hours to sell its first million tickets. It attracted 3.68 million spectators over the strictly defined Fri-Sun weekend, and finished the fuller five day weekend with a total of 4.759 million tickets sold. In cash terms that was a five day score of $35.5 million (KRW36.8 billion).
In a statement, distributor CJ Entertainment said that the film passed the symbolic 5 million ticket sales mark at 9.30 am today (Monday, Aug. 4). Many forecasters now expect the film to reach 10 million, joining an elite club alongside “The Attorney,” “Haeundae” and “Avatar.”
The film was aided by a super-wide release of over 1,500 screens and the marketing firepower of the country’s largest distributor. That CJ is part of the same vertically and horizontally conglomerate that also includes South Korea’s biggest cinema chain, CJ-CGV, reignited previously heard accusations of monopoly influence.
“When one single film is screened on so many screens across the country, this could mean the demise of good-quality independent films. On the surface, this may seem like a boom in the Korean film industry, but [others] feel totally defeated by this unfair monopoly of films produced, distributed and screened by conglomerates,” said critic, Jung Ji-wook.
CJ indeed scored a one-two as it also saw “How To Train Your Dragon 2,” released a week previously, hold in second place, with a box office score of US$4.51 million (KRW4.67 billion) from 575,000 spectators. That gave it a cume of US$16.5 million (KRW17.1 billion).
The huge numbers also lifted the stocks CJ E & M and CJ CGV, by 9% and 5% respectively.
The remarkable score by “Roaring Currents” swiftly overtook the score of “Kundo: Age of the Rampant,” which only a week before had claimed the all-comers’ opening record in the country. In third place this week, “Kundo” managed a much more ordinary weekend score of US$3.99 million (KRW4.138 billion) from 515,000 tickets. After 12 days its cume stands at KRW34.7 billion (US$33.5 billion) from 4.47 million ticket sales.
“Guardians,” which opened on Thurs (July 31) on 539 screens, managed 459,000 spectators over the three day weekend and completed a four day plus previews cume of 582,000 tickets. That gave it a box office cume of KRW4.92 billion (US$4.75 million).
Behind the leading quartet, no other movie had more than 1% of the market.

[czakhareina]

South Korean Box Office: Local Epic 'Roaring Currents' in Record Breaking Debut

The historical actioner starring "Lucy" star Choi Min-sik cashed in $37.5 million, setting several box office records as a string of Korean blockbusters dominate the box office.

SEOUL — South Korean epic Roaring Currents rewrote one local box-office opening record after another over its opening weekend, raking in $36 million and more than 5 million admissions in just six days as of Monday.

The historical film actioner starring Choi Min-sik (who made his international breakthrough in Oldboy and most recently in theU.S. box office smash Lucy) had the biggest opening in Korean box-office history with 680,000 admissions ($2.7 million) last Wednesday, July 30. South Korea uses admissions as their primary measure for movie performance.

Roaring Currents went on to sell the most number of tickets during a weekday ($6.7 million or 860,000 admissions) as well as during any single day ($9.5 million or 1.25 million admissions) during its first weekend in theaters. It accounted for as much as 87.6 percent of total tickets sold across the country on Saturday.

The maritime actioner recorded 5 million admissions at the fastest rate in Korean box office history, reaching the milestone four days earlier than Iron Man 3 as well as a handful of the most-watched local pictures that recorded over 10 million admissions, including Snowpiercer, The Thieves, The Host andThe Face Reader. Avatar, which remains the highest grossing film in Korea, took 16 days to sell 5 million tickets.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 took second place, the DreamWorks animation accounted for 11.5 percent of the market share and has so far drawn 2.11 admissions. Kundo, which recorded the biggest box-office weekend debut last week, stepped down to third place. It has so far brought in close to 4.5 million admissions (total $33.7 million).

The latest Marvel film, Guardians of the Galaxy came in fourth ($4.78 million) followed by the Hollywood animation Turkey. Meanwhile smaller imported flicks including Attila Marcel, Tokyo Family and Frances Ha were also successful by ranking among the top 10 films.

Choi, who made his international breakthrough in Oldboy, plays one of Korea's most respected historical figures, the 16th-century Admiral Yi Sun-shin in Roaring Currents. The CJ Entertainment film chronicles an epic battle during the 1597 Japanese invasion, in which the admiral defeats 330 enemy Japanese ships with just 12 battleships.

10:40 PM PST 08/03/2014 by Lee Hyo-won
Hollywood Reporter

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credit KoreanFilmBiz KoBiz

[czakhareina]

Korean Period Pics ‘Roaring’ At Local Box Office; Records Fall, Hollywood Edged Aside (Videos)By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International EditorDEADLINE| Monday August 4, 2014 @ 5:11am PDT
Despite an overall drop in local market share to 43% over the first six months of the year, Korean screens are on fire right now with homegrown movies. So much so that they’ve edged out recent Hollywood titles. This past weekend, both new blockbuster Roaring Currents and last week’s release Kundo: Age Of The Rampant pushed How To Train Your Dragon 2 down to 3rd position in its 2nd frame and put the bow of Guardians Of The Galaxy in 4th position, making Korea the only market where it did not start at No. 1. One U.S. studio exec recently called Korea a “brutal market” — especially since there is crossover between distribtors and exhibitors as is the case with giant CJ, which released Roaring Currents on Wednesday and owns its own multiplexes. Still, although GOTG didn’t score the top berth in its debut, it was 25% above Thor 2 and I understand Disney is feeling good with the start and expected word of mouth. The next studio movie to travel to Korea is Hercules next week. When I wrote my international box office report yesterday, Roaring Currents was estimated to have finished the weekend at $35M. Today, CJ kundo confirms that the film set a new opening weekend record with 5M admissions (about $39M) as of early this morning. It also beat Kundo: Age Of The Rampant‘s July 23 opening day record of just under $4M when it hit $4.57M on Wednesday, according to the Korean Film Council. Currents went on to set new daily records on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Notably, on Saturday it became the first film ever to attract over 1M viewers in a day and to the tune of $9.5M. The next day, it beat that record with $9.71M. Transformers: Dark Of The Moon previously held the single-day admissions mantle with 956K in 2011, FilmBizAsia notes.
CJ will release Roaring Currents in Los Angeles on August 8 and then expand on August 15 under the title The Admiral: Roaring Currents. Kundo, which WellGo USA acquired in Cannes, is eyeing a North American release later this year. It now has a 12-day total of $33.6M in Korea.
Both Roaring Currents and Kundo are period actioners. Kundo is set in the 19th century and directed by Yoon Jong-bin, it centers on a group of outlaws who act as a sort of Robin Hood band. Currents, from Han-min Kim, portrays the historic Battle of Myeongnyang on the southwestern coast of the Korean peninsula. Oldboy and Lucy’s Choi Min-sik stars. Other movies to have performed well this year include Miss Granny, The Attorney, A Hard Day and The Target, although they’ve not been as large scale as the actual top two.
Whether Korea can keep up the momentum it’s currently building will remain to be seen, but it’s got two big local movies on deck. On August 6, sea-faring period adventure Pirates will tell the tale of the hunt for a gray whale who swallowed something precious during the Joseon Dynasty (Currents is also based during this period which is a popular setting for local movies). After that, drama Sea Fog sea foggoes out on August 13. Also known as Haemoo, it’s directed by Sim Seong-bo, who co-wrote the script with Bong Joon-ho based on the 2007 stage play which itself is based on the true story of an October 7, 2001 incident in which 25 Korean-Chinese stowaways on the Korean fishing vessel Taechangho suffocated to death and were then dumped into the sea. Bong is also producer. Below are subtitled trailers for Roaring Currents, Kundo: Age Of The Rampant and The Pirates.