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
OpusData ID: 259320100 More info...
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 $76,747

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
MPA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 95 minutes
Geographical setting: North Korea, South Korea
Plot point: Escape, Film Actor, Government Corruption, Kidnap, Movie Director
Release detail: Early / Simultaneous Video-on-Demand release
Time period setting: 1960s, 1970s
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, Korean, Japanese

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

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

Top International Territories

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens/Theaters
Maximum
Screens/Theaters
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

Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.

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

Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.

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.


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 $76,747

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
MPA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 95 minutes
Geographical setting: North Korea, South Korea
Plot point: Escape, Film Actor, Government Corruption, Kidnap, Movie Director
Release detail: Early / Simultaneous Video-on-Demand release
Time period setting: 1960s, 1970s
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, Korean, Japanese

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

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

Top International Territories

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens/Theaters
Maximum
Screens/Theaters
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

Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.

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

Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.

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.