Kang Ha-neul’s new comedy "The First Ride" has surged to No. 1 in advance ticketing nine days ahead of release, signaling a potential shake-up at the box office.
According to the Korean Film Council’s real-time reservation chart on Oct. 20, "The First Ride" leads with a 20.9% share and 36,000 pre-sold tickets, topping both metrics. Hitting No. 1 this far out hints at a reshuffle on the charts.
For weeks, local theaters have been ruled by anime tentpoles, with recent theatrical events from "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Infinity Castle," "Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc," and "Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory / Premature Death - The Movie" trading places at No. 1.
As Chuseok holiday holdovers "No Other Choice" and "Boss" wind down their runs, the leaderboard is resetting ― and "The First Ride" looks poised to lead the next wave.
"The First Ride" follows five friends of 24 years on their first overseas trip together: the tenacious Tae-jung (Kang Ha-neul), sunny Do-jin (Kim Young-kwang), heartthrob Yeon-min (Cha Eun-woo), perpetually drowsy Geum-bok (Kang Young-seok), and lovable Ok-sim (Han Sun-hwa). The breezy crowd-pleaser is the latest from director Nam Dae-joong, whose 2023 film "Love Reset" drew 2 million admissions.
The film opens Oct. 29 in Korea.
(SBS Entertainment News | 김지혜)