Despite huge competition from the World Cup, South Korean comedy Bet On My Disco has scored triumphantly for new distributor A-Line, drawing over half a million admissions ($2.8m) in its first four days.
Released on 160 prints nationwide, the film drew a robust screen average of $10,670 and looks set to become the latest in a string of highly profitable Korean comedies.
Disco marks the first potential box-office smash for three-month old distributor A-Line, which enjoyed mid-level hits in April and May with Oh! LaLa Sisters ($4.2m) and romantic drama Over The Rainbow ($2.3m to date).
Disco, an eccentric and endearing portrait of South Korea in 1981, tells the story of a man who must win a disco contest in order to rescue the woman of his dreams. The story was first realised as a 16mm short film by director Kim Dong-won in 1998 before production company Keyweckshide commissioned him to expand it into a $2.1m full-length feature.
International sales company Cineclick Asia plans to give buyers a first glimpse of the movie at the upcoming FilMart in Hong Kong. Given the recent successes of Korean comedies in the Asian market, sales are expected to be swift.
The film is also currently being screened in Seoul with English, Chinese and Japanese subtitles as part of a special initiative organised by the Korean Film Commission to introduce Korean cinema to World Cup guests.
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