"Peninsula" tops Malaysia's weekend box office chart with RM4.1 million

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"Peninsula" tops Malaysia's weekend box office chart with RM4.1 million

Writer: Florey DM

On its opening weekend, "Train to Busan Presents Peninsula"
already topped the Malaysian box office chart.

21 Jul – Move aside COVID-19, the Korean zombie virus is back. Releasing "Train to Busan Presents Peninsula" now proves to be a smart move, as the action thriller has gone on to top the weekend box office chart in Malaysia following its recent release.

Local distributor GSC Movies revealed that the movie, often referred to as just "Peninsula", attracted more than 260,000 admissions, collecting a total weekend box office of RM4.1 million.

As we reported last week, the release of "Peninsula" has contributed in boosting cinema attendance.

"We've had a good response from movie-goers since we've reopened, achieving more than 150,000 admissions in the first two weeks, "said GSC Chief Executive Officer Ms. Koh Mei Lee to Cinema Online.

"With the release of "Peninsula" – the first blockbuster since our reopening – we've already achieved 25% of that number in just two days. We expect it to rise significantly given the positive reviews and hype for the movie."

GSC cinema patrons can take advantage of the film exhibitor's current promotion prices that include tickets for reruns priced at RM5 each and Aurum Passes from RM70 to enjoy not only "Peninsula" but other movies screening at its locations nationwide.

The Kang Dong-won and Lee Jung-hyun starring zombie action film opened with sneak shows on 15 July, a day ahead of its official release in Malaysia on 16 July.

The anticipation for the Korean blockbuster was no doubt high as it was the first new major title to screen since local cinemas reopened earlier this month. Several high-traffic locations, such as GSC 1 Utama and GSC Mid Valley, offered over 20 showtimes per day for it at an interval of every 15 to 30 minutes.

With the absence of other blockbusters, GSC has ramped up its screening slots for the movie as a way to entice more moviegoers to return to cinemas. Certain cinemas also adopted more than usual showtimes, such as TGV Cinemas and MBO Cinemas, for the same reason.

Will "Peninsula" perform even better than "Train to Busan"?

Moviegoers have also been looking forward to watching the sequel since the first movie, "Train to Busan", was well-received not only in Malaysia but globally.

When it was released locally on 8 September 2016, it managed to collect more than RM20 million within just two weeks of its official release. Prior to that, during its one-week sneak show period from 27 August 2016, the Gong Yoo-starrer already collected RM4.8 million.

"Peninsula" is looking set to follow in its predecessor's successful footsteps. The Next Entertainment World title, co-produced with RedPeter Film and New Movie, also made a splash in its home country when it opened on 15 July.

As per Deadline's report, it set the biggest opening score of the year in South Korea by taking in USD2.4million on 2,338 screens.

Over in Singapore, distributor Clover Films revealed that "Peninsula" has set the highest launch of a Korean title ever in the country, making USD106,000 when it opened last Wednesday.

To date, "Peninsula" has collected over USD21 million from five Asian markets: Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam and South Korea. It is slated to open next in Thailand and Cambodia, as well as Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Cinema Online, 21 July 2020