PARASITE Becomes 2019’s Top-Selling Foreign Language Film in the US

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NEWS & REPORTS

PARASITE Becomes 2019’s Top-Selling Foreign Language Film in the US

Nov 15, 2019

Writer by Pierce Conran
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BONG Joon-ho’s Latest Tops $12 Million in North America

BONG Joon-ho’s PARASITE continues to set the North American box office alight, after becoming the top-grossing foreign language release of the year in the United States during its fourth week in cinemas, as its momentum grows unabated. The film did so on Saturday, November 9, by topping the Mexican film No Manches Frida 2, which grossed USD 9.27 million earlier this year.

After opening on October 11 with the highest per-theater average for any film in the market since 2016’s La La Land, PARASITE has increased its theater count and weekend gross every week, up to and including its fifth session, which saw it rake in USD 2.59 million from 603 locations.

As of Tuesday, November 12, the hit has accrued USD 12.03 million, with box office analysts predicting it will finish north of USD 20 million. This puts it well ahead of the US total for Roaring Currents (2014 – USD 2.59 million), the previous Korean language record holder. It has also surpassed Snowpiercer (2013 – USD 4.56 million) and D-War (2007 – USD 10.98 million) as the highest grossing Korean-financed film in America.

Though grosses for Wednesday, November 13 have yet to be reported, it has surely already crossed the total for KIM Jee-woon’s Hollywood action film The Last Stand (2013 - USD 12.05 million), previously the highest grossing film by a Korean director in America.

North American distributor NEON has been successful with its platform release strategy as the buzz around the Palme d’Or winner continues to grow as we dive deeper into the awards season.

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