Director Yeon Sang-ho's new zombie universe worked. The film "Gunchae" took the top spot as soon as it was released.
On the 22nd, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) integrated box office network, the film "Gunchae" (director Yeon Sang-ho, presented/distributed by SHOWBOX, produced by Wowpoint·Smilegate) drew 199,759 moviegoers in a single day on its opening day, the 21st, ranking No. 1 at the overall box office with overwhelming numbers.
In particular, this is the highest opening score among all films released in 2026. It is especially noteworthy because it easily outpaced the previous top opening record this year held by the foreign film The Devil Wears Prada (150,767) by more than 48,000 people. Not only that, but it also surpassed the opening scores of this year's biggest Korean hits The King's Warden (117,783) and Salmokji: Whispering Water (89,911), heightening expectations for its box office performance.
"Gunchae" is a work in which survivors trapped inside a building sealed off by a mysterious infection fight to survive against infected people who evolve into unpredictable forms. It previously premiered worldwide at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
Not only director Yeon Sang-ho's evolved directing skills, the master of the trusted zombie genre, but also the multi-casting of a star-studded lineup of actors became a winning move at the box office. Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Changwook, Shin Hyun-been, Kim Shin-rock, and Go Soo, among other prominent actors, all appeared together to complete the ensemble.
[Photo] movie poster
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