Thai horror film Alone has scored the biggest opening ever for a Thai film in Taiwan.

The Phenomena and Dedicate production from the directors of Shutter opened in Taiwan on July 27 and made $187,000 over the three-day weekend in Taipei. In its first five days on release, it has grossed $243,000 in the capital.

The film tells the story of a woman whose conjoined twin died during an operation to separate them as teenagers. Returning to Bangkok from Korea ten years later, she is haunted by visions of her dead sister at the family home.

Alone takes the record from another horror, 13, which opened on $41,000 for a final gross of $72,400 after 15 days on release. Horror The Victim, which opened on $36,500 at the beginning of the year, grossed $137,000 after 33 days on release.

The success of Alone and other horrors this year has helped Thai film cross 1% market share for the first time in Taipei. Market share in 2006 was just 0.2% and 0.15% in 2005. US cinema has a 76% market share in 2007 to date.

Alone was bought by Hong Kong's Panasia for Taiwan and is distributed by the new distribution unit of VieShow Cinemas. Panasia's parent company, Golden Harvest, is a shareholder in the multiplex chain.

Sales of Alone are handled by Thailand's GTH which has also struck an English-language remake deal for the picture with US start-up 24 Frames.

The film has also been a breakout success in South Korea where it crossed over $3m for distributor Lotte Entertainment after thirteen days on release.

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