[News] “Masquerade” Claims Throne at Local Box Office.

[News] “Masquerade” Claims Throne at Local Box Office.
Cr. - 10asia

Korean heartthrob Lee Byung-hun’s historical pic “Masquerade” has successfully debuted at the local box office with a whopping number of 1.1 million ticket sales.

The costume drama raced to the top at the local box office on its debut weekend after selling 1,100,859 tickets, according to data polled by Korean Film Council [KOFIC] between September 14 and 16.

Soon after recording the biggest opening score of September here, the double-role film attracted more than half of the total moviegoers over the weekend and raked in over 8.2 billion Korean Won [about 7.4 million U.S. Dollars].

Set in the Middle Ages in Korea, "Masquerade" tells the story of how a low class man named Ha-sun becomes King Gwang-hae [both depicted by Lee]. Actor Ryu Seung-ryong and actress Han Hyo-joo each plays the king's courtier and wife.

Following behind the winner is the acclaimed zombie series’ fifth edition “Resident Evil: Retribution,” starring American female fighters Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, and Chinese sweetheart Bingbing Li.

“Pieta,” director Kim Ki-duk’s biggest hit film so far, ranked at No. 3 after drawing in 148,558 curious spectators last weekend.

Kim’s bleak mortality story climbed up four spots from the seventh place, powered by the pic’s Golden Lion win at the 69th Venice International Film Festival held earlier this month and Kim’s frequent exposure in the media.

Last week’s No. 1 “The Bourne Legacy,” the brand-new Bourne series with new hero Jeremy Renner, slipped to the fourth place with 135,953 admits.

Actor Im Chang-jung and Choi Daniel's starrer “The Traffickers” was pushed down three steps and rounded out the top five with 92,743 tickets sold during the same time frame.

Other movies in the top ten include “Wolf Children,” “The Expendables 2,” “My Neighbor,” “The Thieves,” and “Insidious.”