Brad Pitt's "Heart of Beast" moved into first place at the South Korean box office on Thursday, Oct. 29, according to figures from the Korean Film Council's integrated ticketing network cited by 뉴스핌. The film drew 21,474 moviegoers that day, one position higher than the previous day, and has now sold 52,449 tickets since opening on Oct. 28.
The shift ends the long stay at the top for "Theatrical Version Chiiikawa: Secret of the Mermaid Island," which fell to second place. The animated title sold 19,390 tickets on Oct. 29 and has accumulated 2,362,204 admissions, putting it within reach of the 2.4 million mark.
Why it matters
The daily chart change shows how quickly a fresh wide release can unsettle a film that has dominated for weeks. "Chiiikawa" has been in theaters since Sept. 30 and built its audience steadily over a month, so losing the top spot to a two-day-old release signals that the market still has room for new titles to break through. It also matters for exhibitors heading into the weekend, when advance bookings usually decide which film gets the largest share of screens.
A newcomer lands in third
The new documentary "The Secret of the CSAT: How the Questions Are Made" entered the chart at third place on its second day in release. It drew 10,049 viewers on Oct. 29 and has passed 26,968 cumulative admissions, according to the same data reported by 뉴스핌.
The film's subject — the process behind the national college entrance exam — places it in a niche that typically draws students, parents and teachers rather than general audiences, which makes its top-three finish notable for a title of that kind.
Advance bookings tell a different story
Despite dropping to second on the daily chart, "Chiiikawa" still leads in advance reservations. It holds a 20.4 percent reservation rate with 54,859 tickets already sold, according to 뉴스핌, suggesting its run is far from over.
Second in advance sales is "Final Interview," which opens Nov. 4. The film has a 12.4 percent reservation rate and 33,336 pre-sold tickets, indicating strong interest ahead of release. It stars Jo Yi-hyun, Kim Jae-won, Shin Seung-ho, Kang Yu-seok, Kwak Dong-yeon and Bae Kang-hee, and follows six job seekers who reach the last round of a corporate hiring process, where a shocking revelation upends the final interview.
"Heart of Beast" sits third in advance bookings with a 12.0 percent rate and 32,158 tickets sold, keeping it in contention among the top titles.
The weekend will show whether Pitt's film can hold the lead once "Chiiikawa" draws its pre-booked audiences and "Final Interview" arrives in theaters next Wednesday.
