The Lovers And The Despot (2016)

The Lovers And The Despot
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $55,511Details
International Box Office $51,115Details
Worldwide Box Office $106,626
Further financial details...

Synopsis

Tells the story of young, ambitious South Korean filmmaker Shin Sang-ok and actress Choi Eun-hee, who met and fell in love in 1950s post-war Korea. In the 70s, after reaching the top of Korean society following a string of successful films, Choi was kidnapped in Hong Kong by North Korean agents and taken to meet Kim Jong-il. While searching for Choi, Shin also was kidnapped, and following five years of imprisonment, the couple was reunited by the movie-obsessed Kim, who declared them his personal filmmakers. Choi and Shin planned their escape, but not before producing 17 feature films for the dictator and gaining his trust in the process.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$14,925 (26.9% of total gross)
Legs:3.72 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:52.1% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:8 opening theaters/13 max. theaters, 2.8 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $69,175

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 13,701-13,800) 13,729 $55,511
All Time International Box Office (Rank 19,701-19,800) 19,717 $51,115
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 23,701-23,800) 23,798 $106,626
All Time Domestic Highest Grossing Limited Release Movies (Rank 5,401-5,500) 5,483 $55,511

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play
Vudu:Vudu

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: September 23rd, 2016 (Limited) by Magnolia Pictures
International Releases: September 8th, 2016 (Wide), released as The Lovers and the Despot (South Korea)
September 23rd, 2016 (Wide), released as The Lovers and the Despot (United Kingdom)
Video Release: September 23rd, 2016 by Magnolia Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 95 minutes
Comparisons: Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Set in South Korea, Set in North Korea, Movie Director, Film Actor, Kidnap, Early / Simultaneous Video-on-Demand release, Government Corruption, 1960s, 1970s, Escape
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Documentary
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Factual
Production/Financing Companies: BFI, Creative England, BBC Storyville, The Documentary Company, Influence Films, ZDF/ARTE, SVT, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, NTR , Pumpernickel Films, Submarine Entertainment, Hellflower Film, Tigerlily Films, Tribeca Documentary Fund, Media Programme of the European Union
Production Countries: United Kingdom
Languages: English, Japanese, Korean

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 13,701-13,800) 13,729 $55,511
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 13,201-13,300) 13,230 $69,175
All Time Domestic Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 12,701-12,800) 12,744 $55,511
Top 2016 Movies at the Domestic Box Office (Rank 401-500) 424 $55,511
All Time Domestic Highest Grossing Limited Release Movies (Rank 5,401-5,500) 5,483 $55,511
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office for Limited Release Movies (Rank 5,601-5,700) 5,654 $69,175
Top 2016 Limited Release Movies at the Domestic Box Office (Rank 201-300) 245 $55,511
All Time Domestic Box Office for Based on Real Life Events Movies (Rank 1,701-1,800) 1,769 $55,511
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 12,001-12,100) 12,055 $55,511
All Time Domestic Box Office for Factual Movies (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,119 $55,511
All Time Domestic Box Office for Documentary Movies (Rank 1,001-1,100) 1,042 $55,511
All Time Domestic Box Office for Not Rated Movies (Rank 2,501-2,600) 2,549 $55,511
All Time Domestic Box Office for Magnolia Pictures Movies (Rank 201-300) 214 $55,511

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Sep 23, 2016 60 $14,925   8 $1,866   $14,925 1
Sep 30, 2016 58 $14,495 -3% 13 $1,115   $37,102 2
Oct 7, 2016 86 $3,444 -76% 5 $689   $48,071 3
Oct 14, 2016 97 $1,720 -50% 5 $344   $51,348 4
Oct 21, 2016 106 $1,010 -41% 2 $505   $53,442 5
Oct 28, 2016 99 $1,001 -1% 3 $334   $55,180 6

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Sep 23, 2016 60 $22,607   10 $2,261   $22,607 1
Sep 30, 2016 62 $22,020 -3% 13 $1,694   $44,627 2
Oct 7, 2016 89 $5,001 -77% 5 $1,000   $49,628 3
Oct 14, 2016 103 $2,804 -44% 5 $561   $52,432 4
Oct 21, 2016 109 $1,747 -38% 2 $874   $54,179 5
Oct 28, 2016 106 $1,332 -24% 3 $444   $55,511 6

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date		 Opening
Weekend		 Opening
Weekend
Screens		 Maximum
Screens		 Theatrical
Engagements		 Total
Box Office		 Report
Date
South Korea 9/8/2016 $0 0 76 89 $38,708 10/27/2016
United Kingdom 9/23/2016 $7,198 6 6 11 $12,014 10/12/2016
 
Rest of World $393
 
International Total$51,115 10/27/2016

International Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time International Box Office (Rank 19,701-19,800) 19,717 $51,115
All Time International Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 18,401-18,500) 18,447 $51,115
All Time International Box Office for Based on Real Life Events Movies (Rank 2,001-2,100) 2,050 $51,115
All Time International Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 16,701-16,800) 16,753 $51,115
All Time International Box Office for Factual Movies (Rank 1,301-1,400) 1,392 $51,115
All Time International Box Office for Documentary Movies (Rank 1,201-1,300) 1,227 $51,115
All Time International Box Office for Not Rated Movies (Rank 1,901-2,000) 1,934 $51,115
All Time International Box Office for Magnolia Pictures Movies (Rank 101-200) 178 $51,115

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 23,701-23,800) 23,798 $106,626
All Time Worldwide Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 22,301-22,400) 22,301 $106,626
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Based on Real Life Events Movies (Rank 2,401-2,500) 2,491 $106,626
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 20,201-20,300) 20,247 $106,626
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Factual Movies (Rank 1,601-1,700) 1,631 $106,626
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Documentary Movies (Rank 1,401-1,500) 1,449 $106,626
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Not Rated Movies (Rank 2,901-3,000) 2,975 $106,626
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Magnolia Pictures Movies (Rank 201-300) 228 $106,626

Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.

Production and Technical Credits

Robert Cannan    Director
Adam Ross    Director
Robert Cannan    Producer
Adam Ross    Producer
Jim Hession    Screenwriter
Adam Ross    Screenwriter
Robert Cannan    Screenwriter
Natasha Ojumu    Producer
Nathan Halpern    Composer
Jim Hession    Editor
Lizzie Francke    Executive Producer
Richard Holmes    Executive Producer
Nick Fraser    Executive Producer
Kate Townsend    Executive Producer
Sheryl Crown    Executive Producer
Maggie Monteith    Executive Producer
Victoria Steventon    Executive Producer
Cristina Ljungberg    Executive Producer
Sandra Whipham    Executive Producer
Alastair Sirkett    Sound Designer
Abigail Harding    Archival Producer
Victoria Chalk    Co-Editor
Charlie Hawryliw    Additional Editor
Ollie Huddleston    Additional Editor
David Charap    Additional Editor
Amine Ramer    Music Supervisor
Connie Farr    Music Supervisor

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

Theater Averages: The Week’s Best Average Money can Buy is $9,511

September 28th, 2016

The Best Democracy Money Can Buy

Like last week, no films joined the $10,000 club this past weekend. Two came close though. Firstly, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy earned $9,511 in its lone theater. That’s excellent for a documentary and hopefully this start will help it be seen by more. The number one overall film, The Magnificent Seven, was close behind with an average of $9,446. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Dirty 30 is Apt Description

September 23rd, 2016

Queen of Katwe

Like last week, approximately 30 films open in limited release this week. That is far too many and all but ensures most will not find an audience. Furthermore, it means I have to be a little more liberal when it comes to pruning releases that don’t have enough buzz to talk about. There are lots of films that still made the cut, including a few highlights: The Age of Shadows, Audrie & Daisy, The Dressmaker, The Lovers And The Despot, My Blind Brother, and Queen of Katwe. Some of these are playing on VOD, so they will go nowhere in theaters. Several are aiming for Oscars, including Queen of Katwe, which will expand semi-wide next week. More...


  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Full Financials
  7. Cast & Crew
  8. Trailer

Synopsis

Tells the story of young, ambitious South Korean filmmaker Shin Sang-ok and actress Choi Eun-hee, who met and fell in love in 1950s post-war Korea. In the 70s, after reaching the top of Korean society following a string of successful films, Choi was kidnapped in Hong Kong by North Korean agents and taken to meet Kim Jong-il. While searching for Choi, Shin also was kidnapped, and following five years of imprisonment, the couple was reunited by the movie-obsessed Kim, who declared them his personal filmmakers. Choi and Shin planned their escape, but not before producing 17 feature films for the dictator and gaining his trust in the process.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$14,925 (26.9% of total gross)
Legs:3.72 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:52.1% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:8 opening theaters/13 max. theaters, 2.8 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $69,175

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 13,701-13,800) 13,729 $55,511
All Time International Box Office (Rank 19,701-19,800) 19,717 $51,115
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 23,701-23,800) 23,798 $106,626
All Time Domestic Highest Grossing Limited Release Movies (Rank 5,401-5,500) 5,483 $55,511

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play
Vudu:Vudu

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: September 23rd, 2016 (Limited) by Magnolia Pictures
International Releases: September 8th, 2016 (Wide), released as The Lovers and the Despot (South Korea)
September 23rd, 2016 (Wide), released as The Lovers and the Despot (United Kingdom)
Video Release: September 23rd, 2016 by Magnolia Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 95 minutes
Comparisons: Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Set in South Korea, Set in North Korea, Movie Director, Film Actor, Kidnap, Early / Simultaneous Video-on-Demand release, Government Corruption, 1960s, 1970s, Escape
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Documentary
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Factual
Production/Financing Companies: BFI, Creative England, BBC Storyville, The Documentary Company, Influence Films, ZDF/ARTE, SVT, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, NTR , Pumpernickel Films, Submarine Entertainment, Hellflower Film, Tigerlily Films, Tribeca Documentary Fund, Media Programme of the European Union
Production Countries: United Kingdom
Languages: English, Japanese, Korean

Production and Technical Credits

Robert Cannan    Director
Adam Ross    Director
Robert Cannan    Producer
Adam Ross    Producer
Jim Hession    Screenwriter
Adam Ross    Screenwriter
Robert Cannan    Screenwriter
Natasha Ojumu    Producer
Nathan Halpern    Composer
Jim Hession    Editor
Lizzie Francke    Executive Producer
Richard Holmes    Executive Producer
Nick Fraser    Executive Producer
Kate Townsend    Executive Producer
Sheryl Crown    Executive Producer
Maggie Monteith    Executive Producer
Victoria Steventon    Executive Producer
Cristina Ljungberg    Executive Producer
Sandra Whipham    Executive Producer
Alastair Sirkett    Sound Designer
Abigail Harding    Archival Producer
Victoria Chalk    Co-Editor
Charlie Hawryliw    Additional Editor
Ollie Huddleston    Additional Editor
David Charap    Additional Editor
Amine Ramer    Music Supervisor
Connie Farr    Music Supervisor

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

Theater Averages: The Week’s Best Average Money can Buy is $9,511

September 28th, 2016

The Best Democracy Money Can Buy

Like last week, no films joined the $10,000 club this past weekend. Two came close though. Firstly, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy earned $9,511 in its lone theater. That’s excellent for a documentary and hopefully this start will help it be seen by more. The number one overall film, The Magnificent Seven, was close behind with an average of $9,446. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Dirty 30 is Apt Description

September 23rd, 2016

Queen of Katwe

Like last week, approximately 30 films open in limited release this week. That is far too many and all but ensures most will not find an audience. Furthermore, it means I have to be a little more liberal when it comes to pruning releases that don’t have enough buzz to talk about. There are lots of films that still made the cut, including a few highlights: The Age of Shadows, Audrie & Daisy, The Dressmaker, The Lovers And The Despot, My Blind Brother, and Queen of Katwe. Some of these are playing on VOD, so they will go nowhere in theaters. Several are aiming for Oscars, including Queen of Katwe, which will expand semi-wide next week. More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 13,701-13,800) 13,729 $55,511
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 13,201-13,300) 13,230 $69,175
All Time Domestic Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 12,701-12,800) 12,744 $55,511
Top 2016 Movies at the Domestic Box Office (Rank 401-500) 424 $55,511
All Time Domestic Highest Grossing Limited Release Movies (Rank 5,401-5,500) 5,483 $55,511
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office for Limited Release Movies (Rank 5,601-5,700) 5,654 $69,175
Top 2016 Limited Release Movies at the Domestic Box Office (Rank 201-300) 245 $55,511
All Time Domestic Box Office for Based on Real Life Events Movies (Rank 1,701-1,800) 1,769 $55,511
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 12,001-12,100) 12,055 $55,511
All Time Domestic Box Office for Factual Movies (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,119 $55,511
All Time Domestic Box Office for Documentary Movies (Rank 1,001-1,100) 1,042 $55,511
All Time Domestic Box Office for Not Rated Movies (Rank 2,501-2,600) 2,549 $55,511
All Time Domestic Box Office for Magnolia Pictures Movies (Rank 201-300) 214 $55,511

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Sep 23, 2016 60 $14,925   8 $1,866   $14,925 1
Sep 30, 2016 58 $14,495 -3% 13 $1,115   $37,102 2
Oct 7, 2016 86 $3,444 -76% 5 $689   $48,071 3
Oct 14, 2016 97 $1,720 -50% 5 $344   $51,348 4
Oct 21, 2016 106 $1,010 -41% 2 $505   $53,442 5
Oct 28, 2016 99 $1,001 -1% 3 $334   $55,180 6

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Sep 23, 2016 60 $22,607   10 $2,261   $22,607 1
Sep 30, 2016 62 $22,020 -3% 13 $1,694   $44,627 2
Oct 7, 2016 89 $5,001 -77% 5 $1,000   $49,628 3
Oct 14, 2016 103 $2,804 -44% 5 $561   $52,432 4
Oct 21, 2016 109 $1,747 -38% 2 $874   $54,179 5
Oct 28, 2016 106 $1,332 -24% 3 $444   $55,511 6

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date		 Opening
Weekend		 Opening
Weekend
Screens		 Maximum
Screens		 Theatrical
Engagements		 Total
Box Office		 Report
Date
South Korea 9/8/2016 $0 0 76 89 $38,708 10/27/2016
United Kingdom 9/23/2016 $7,198 6 6 11 $12,014 10/12/2016
 
Rest of World $393
 
International Total$51,115 10/27/2016

International Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time International Box Office (Rank 19,701-19,800) 19,717 $51,115
All Time International Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 18,401-18,500) 18,447 $51,115
All Time International Box Office for Based on Real Life Events Movies (Rank 2,001-2,100) 2,050 $51,115
All Time International Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 16,701-16,800) 16,753 $51,115
All Time International Box Office for Factual Movies (Rank 1,301-1,400) 1,392 $51,115
All Time International Box Office for Documentary Movies (Rank 1,201-1,300) 1,227 $51,115
All Time International Box Office for Not Rated Movies (Rank 1,901-2,000) 1,934 $51,115
All Time International Box Office for Magnolia Pictures Movies (Rank 101-200) 178 $51,115

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 23,701-23,800) 23,798 $106,626
All Time Worldwide Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 22,301-22,400) 22,301 $106,626
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Based on Real Life Events Movies (Rank 2,401-2,500) 2,491 $106,626
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 20,201-20,300) 20,247 $106,626
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Factual Movies (Rank 1,601-1,700) 1,631 $106,626
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Documentary Movies (Rank 1,401-1,500) 1,449 $106,626
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Not Rated Movies (Rank 2,901-3,000) 2,975 $106,626
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Magnolia Pictures Movies (Rank 201-300) 228 $106,626

Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.