Ticket sales for 'Avatar' top 100 bln won in S. Korea

By Tony Chang
SEOUL, Feb. 1 (Yonhap) -- James Cameron's "Avatar" has become the first-ever
movie released in South Korea to gross over 100 billion won (US$85.5 million) in
sales, a semi-government film body said Monday.

On Sunday, the film's total revenue from ticket sales reached 112.3 billion won,
becoming the first theatrical release to achieve the landmark feat in 46 days
since its release here, the Korean Film Council said.
The previous box office record was held by "Haeundae," a homegrown disaster film
released last year, which garnered some 87.2 billion won in ticket sales.
Worldwide sales of "Avatar" passed the $2 billion-mark over the weekend. It
became the biggest box office movie in history a week ago.
The epic sci-fi fantasy, which tells the story of a disabled U.S. marine who
infiltrates a tribe of giant blue aliens inhabiting a faraway planet, also became
the fifth-largest movie in terms of viewers, drawing in audiences of 11.27
million.
"Avatar" follows in the footsteps of five other local smash hits -- "Silmido"
with 11.08 million in audience attendance (2003), "Tae Guk Gi" with 11.74 million
(2004), "The King and the Clown" with 12.30 million (2005), "The Host" with 13.01
million (2006) and "Haeundae" with 11.39 million (2009).
The movie accounted for 28.3 percent of all audiences in 446 nationwide theaters
over the weekend, maintaining its lead over rivals for a seventh-straight week.
"Harmony," starring Kim Yun-jin, trailed with 25.6 percent of total viewers.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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