The Oldboy re-release outgrosses its original run, putting it on pace to rake in $1 million at the box office. Released 20 years ago in 2003, Oldboy is a South Korean revenge thriller directed by visionary director Park Chan-wook. It follows a man who, after being held captive for 15 years for unknown reasons, sets out to get revenge on those who hurt him. Oldboy was later remade into a much less acclaimed American film of the same name in 2013. Celebrating two decades since the original release, Park’s movie is now hitting theaters once more in a remastered re-release.
Oldboy has proven successful in this release, and is now set to earn $1 million in its run. According to Deadline, Oldboy’s re-release has grossed an estimated $880,000 over the course of five days. This total already puts the movie at a higher domestic gross than its original run, which amounted to $707,000.
The Oldboy Re-Release’s Success Is A Win for International Film
Oldboy’s success is remarkable for a theatrical re-release, which are often only moderately successful at the box office. Typically, it takes huge blockbuster films to achieve a re-release success of this nature. In recent years, notable examples have included James Cameron’s Avatar and Titanic, which were already massive commercial hits in their original runs. For Oldboy, an international film, to outpace its original run in just five days is no small feat.
Oldboy was a critical success in its time, though it did not receive equal box office success in the United States. At the time, the level of violence in the film divided some critics and led to questions of whether it was necessary. It is iconically brutal and bloody; to begin with, Oldboy‘s lead character makes use of a hammer as a weapon. With the recent success, however, it seems 2023 audiences have a better appreciation of what Park was trying to say with each violent moment.
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Oldboy’s success also represents an increasing appreciation for international cinema in the United States. Even a decade ago, the majority of international films were often reduced to art house theaters. Thanks in part to recent renowned films like the Oscar-winning Parasite, that trend is shifting, and international films are being appreciated by wider audiences. The needle may be moving slowly, but the momentum of Oldboy’s re-release is a step in the right direction.
