Actor Shin Mina-led film "Eye" is delivering good news overseas following its box office success at home.
The film Eye, which is enjoying a rebound at the box office thanks to audience word of mouth, has been officially invited to the 59th Sitges Film Festival and at the same time announced confirmed overseas release dates, drawing attention.
The suspense thriller Eye, in which Seojin, who is gradually losing her sight due to a hereditary disease, investigates suspicions surrounding her twin sibling's death and confronts the truth, has been officially invited to the panorama section in competition at the 59th Sitges Film Festival, held from Oct. 8 (Thu) to Oct. 18 (Sun), generating buzz.
The Sitges Film Festival, which recognized the merits of the film Eye, began in 1968 as a week for fantasy and horror film screenings and has since grown into the world's largest and most prominent genre film festival. Many Korean films such as I Can't Help It, The Outlaws 1–4, Sleep, The Night Owl, and Train to Busan have been invited, and Eye has been invited to the panorama section, a competition category at the 59th Sitges Film Festival, raising expectations for the film's diverse genre appeal.
This achievement for Eye is thought to be the result of successfully adapting the original work's setting to Korean sensibilities, producing a high degree of genre synergy as the protagonist, who gradually loses her sight, tracks the mysterious death of her twin sibling and confronts the truth. Ángel Sala, the artistic director of the Sitges Film Festival, commented on Eye, "This is a work that has built an independent identity beyond the framework of a remake; it is a thriller notable for an atmosphere subtly imbued with the texture of horror and for its tension. Its delicately built suspense and quiet unease keep viewers immersed until the end," revealing the global trajectory of an intense suspense thriller that delivers breath‑stopping tension.
The thriller Eye drew attention by announcing overseas release dates as soon as it opened domestically. It opened in the Philippines on June 25, Singapore on July 2, and Mongolia on July 3, and is scheduled to open in North America this week on July 10. It is expected to continue rolling out releases in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Russia, and Japan. Eye, carrying the thrilling appeal of a Korean-style orthodox thriller, is poised to continue its global box office momentum by capturing the attention of overseas audiences.
Meanwhile, Eye has been No. 1 at the Korean box office for two consecutive weeks, drawing more than 1.5 times the audience on its second-weekend than on its opening weekend and sustaining its box office momentum.
According to the integrated box office network for movie theater admissions, Eye drew 359,843 viewers from July 3 (Fri) to July 5 (Sun), the second-weekend since its release, bringing its total cumulative audience to 842,700 and putting it on the verge of surpassing 1 million. This mark is a 54.5% increase over the 232,947 viewers recorded during the opening weekend, which is remarkable. Weekend seat occupancy also ranked first. Fueled by an unstoppable box office run in its second week, the film is expected to continue its successful run into the third week.
[Photo] film poster, Solair Partners, By4M Studio Co., Ltd.
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