Snubbed by the Oscars, Embraced by Audiences: 'No Other Choice' Scores Big at the North American Box Office

Director Park Chan-wook’s film "No Other Choice" is racking up near-jackpot numbers in North America.

According to Box Office Mojo on the 2nd (local time), "No Other Choice" crossed 10 million dollars in cumulative North American gross on the 28th of last month. That’s now Park Chan-wook’s highest North American gross ever (his previous best was "Oldboy" with 2.4 million dollars) and ranks No. 3 among Korean films in the region, behind "Parasite" (about 53.85 million dollars) and "D-War" (about 10.97 million dollars). It’s on track to overtake "D-War" soon and claim the No. 2 spot.

"No Other Choice" opened in select North American theaters on December 25. Demand surged, and on January 16 it expanded to 695 theaters, climbing to No. 9 at the North American box office.

First unveiled at the Venice International Film Festival in August, "No Other Choice" earned strong reviews and drew major attention at home and abroad. In Korea, reactions were mixed early on, and it finished with 2.94 million admissions.

The film was Korea’s submission for the Academy Awards’ International Feature Film category but did not make the final five nominees. Even so, Park Chan-wook shattered his own 23-year-old North American record set by "Oldboy," marking a new career-high at the box office.

North American audiences don’t typically favor subtitled films. That makes this run even more striking, as it overcame the subtitle hurdle. It has also outperformed the five titles nominated for this year’s International Feature Film at the Oscars in North America.

Park Chan-wook has been appointed Jury President of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, set for May. He is the first Korean filmmaker to lead the Cannes jury.

The Academy may have looked the other way, but North American audiences―and the Cannes Film Festival’s organizing committee―clearly recognize Park Chan-wook’s film and his vision.
 
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)