The film "Goonche" (director Yeon Sang-ho) surpassed 1 million viewers four days after its release. It did so faster than the film The King's Warden (director Jang Hang-jun).
On the 24th, according to the integrated box office network of the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), Goonche drew a cumulative audience of 1,089,996 that morning, surpassing 1 million viewers. The result was achieved four days after release.
The record surpassed this year's top-grossing film The King's Warden, which drew about 16.85 million viewers, and is the fastest among films released this year to surpass 1 million viewers. The King's Warden surpassed 1 million viewers five days after its release.
Goonche is about survivors isolated inside a building sealed off by an unknown infectious outbreak, who confront infected people evolving into unpredictable forms. It is a new zombie genre presented by zombie master Yeon Sang-ho, and it generated buzz before release as a new species never seen before.
Earlier, on the 15th (local time) at the Cannes Film Festival, festival president Thierry Frémaux greeted the Goonche team before a photocall and praised the film, saying, "I am still terrified and trembling with fear since the first day I saw the film." At the world premiere, the roughly 2,300 seats sold out quickly, and outside the theater, global fans looking for tickets lined up holding handmade signs.
After the end credits rolled, a seven-minute standing ovation broke out. Immediately after the screening, festival president Thierry Frémaux praised director Yeon Sang-ho, saying, "Cannes belongs to you."
Foreign media also showered the film with praise. Samuel Jamier, president of the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF), praised it, saying, "Goonche introduces a new physical grammar to zombies and is an unprecedentedly innovative work in the current genre film landscape."
French outlet Trois Couleurs also praised Yeon Sang-ho's characteristic meticulous and immersive action sequences, and Variety welcomed the return of the "zombie master," noting that it cleverly explores how AI and collective thought erode humanity.
The strong reaction at Cannes carried over domestically. It recorded the highest overall advance booking rate before release. It overtook strong foreign competitors that had been leading the booking rate, from Michael to The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Super Mario Galaxy, signaling box office success.
On its opening day Goonche drew 199,754 viewers, on the second day 230,046, and on the third day it drew 475,783 viewers, double the second day's figure. With audience numbers exploding, it set a record by surpassing 1 million viewers on its fourth day.
As it surpassed 1 million viewers at the fastest pace this year, attention is focused on whether it can surpass The King's Warden, which recorded 16.85 million viewers.
[Photo] Provided by SHOWBOX
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