Korea Box Office: ‘Zootopia 2’ Dominates Again as Local Titles Hold Ground

Disney’s animated sequel “Zootopia 2” continued to tower over the Korean box office, delivering $6.7 million from more than 1 million admissions over the Dec. 12–14 frame. According to KOBIS, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council, the film now stands at a commanding $35.2 million cumulative gross since its Nov. 26 debut, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the weekend’s total market share.

Local comedy-drama “The People Upstairs” held firmly in second place, adding $948,236 to lift its total to $2.6 million after two weekends in release. The film drew 140,352 admissions across 768 screens, remaining the strongest Korean performer in the chart. Directed by Ha Jung-woo and starring Gong Hyo-jin, Kim Dong-wook, Lee Ha-nee and Ha Jung-woo himself, the film follows a downstairs couple driven to exhaustion by constant noise from their upstairs neighbours. A tense dinner meant to resolve the issue quickly unravels into an evening of sharp confessions and shifting dynamics.

Family fare “Pororo the Movie: Sweet Castle Adventure” opened in third with $449,879 from 74,435 admissions, narrowly edging out Universal’s horror sequel “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” which collected $449,123 and pushed its cumulative tally to $1.2 million.

Japanese action-fantasy “Jujutsu Kaisen: Shibuya Incident / Culling Game – The Movie” followed in fifth, earning $405,974 for a running total of $2 million. Directed by Shōta Goshozono, the film condenses the anime’s Shibuya Incident arc as Yuji Itadori and his allies face a coordinated curse attack on Halloween. The aftermath sets up the looming Culling Game and Yuta Okkotsu’s mission that puts Yuji’s fate in jeopardy.

In sixth place, “Wicked: For Good” added $224,840, bringing its Korean total to $6.4 million. “The Running Man” placed seventh with $115,810 in its second weekend.

South Korean crime comedy “The Informant” slipped to eighth, grossing $86,310 for a cumulative $916,697. Directed by Kim Seok, the film stars Heo Sung-tae and Jo Bok-rae as a compromised smuggling informant and a hapless detective who blunders into the operation. Forced into an uneasy alliance after both take substantial losses, the pair attempt to claw their way back while dismantling the criminal ring.

Illusionist sequel “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” followed with $81,568, lifting its total to $8.7 million.

Rounding out the top 10, Japanese filmmaker Miyake Sho’s Locarno Golden Leopard winner “Two Seasons, Two Strangers” earned $80,278, bringing its cumulative gross to $136,275. Drawing from Tsuge Yoshiharu’s 1967 and 1968 short stories, the film follows a screenwriter named Lee (played by Korean actress Shim Eun-kyung) as she embarks on contrasting seasonal journeys — a summer encounter at a seaside town and a winter retreat to a remote mountain lodge.

The top 10 films collectively grossed $9.5 million over the Dec. 12–14 weekend, down from the previous frame’s $12.1 million.