Korea Weekend Box Office - Dec. 12-14

Despite two big Hollywood openings this week -- TWILIGHT and AUSTRALIA -- the Korean film OVERSPEED SCANDAL held on to the No. 1 spot last weekend, taking in $2.7 million. Its 10-day total is now at $7.3 million.

TROPIC THUNDER flopped badly, but not unexpectedly, as most comedies of this sort flop in Korea. Animated animals do fine, and romantic comedies are okay, but the Ben Stiller, Jack Black, gross-out, school of modern American comedy just does not travel well at all.

PORTRAIT OF THE BEAUTY is slowing down after a month in release, but still did well enough to land in fourth. It also officially moved ahead of QUANTUM OF SOLACE last week.

Oh, and MAMMA MIA may be down to 15th, but it has now topped 30 billion won (about $22 million), a nice, round achievement.

This Week	Title............................................	Release Date	Screens Nationwide	Weekend Revenue (bil. won)	Total Revenue (bil. won)
1.	Overspeed Scandal (Gwasok Scandal - Korean)	12.04	487	3.64	9.96
2.	Twilight	12.11	441	2.72	3.57
3.	Australia	12.11	509	2.02	2.62
4.	Portrait of a Beauty (Miindo - Korean)	11.13	306	0.51	15.19
5.	Tropic Thunder	12.11	131	0.26	0.33
6.	Hello, Schoolgirl (Sunjeong Manhwa - Korean)	11.27	288	0.25	4.56
7.	The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan (1724 Gibang Nandong Sageon - Korean)	12.04	303	0.21	1.79
8.	Saw V	12.04	191	0.11	0.98
9.	4-Yoil - Korean	12.11	160	0.089	0.13
10.	Quantum of Solace	11.05	104	0.051	14.61

(Source: KOBIS - Figures represent 98% of nationwide box office)

A big week ahead, as DALKOMHAN GEOJITMAL, PONYO ON THE CLIFF BY THE SEA and JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH all square off. I will take the sentimental favorite and guess that Miyazaki's latest will come out on top.