Yeon Sang-ho’s Colony Surpasses 3 Million Admissions Following Cannes Premiere
- Horror Movies Uncut
- 8 hours ago
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Yeon Sang-ho's Colony Surpasses 3 Million Admissions in Korea Following Cannes Premiere
Yeon Sang-ho's latest genre feature continues to gain momentum at the Korean box office.
According to Deadline, the filmmaker's zombie thriller Colony has surpassed 3 million admissions in South Korea after reaching the milestone during its second weekend in theaters. The film recently made its world premiere in the Midnight Screenings section of the Cannes Film Festival before launching domestically on May 21.
Since its release, Colony has accumulated 3.47 million admissions and generated approximately $24.84 million at the Korean box office, according to figures from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). The performance currently places it as the second highest-grossing Korean release of 2026 behind The King's Warden, which has earned more than $108 million.
The film crossed the 3 million admissions mark in just 10 days, reaching the benchmark faster than The King's Warden, which required 14 days to achieve the same feat.
The success of Colony also highlights a strong year for Korean cinema. Six of the top ten highest-grossing films released in Korea during 2026 are domestic productions, including The King's Warden, Salmokji: Whispering Water, Once We Were Us, Humint, and Choir of God. Industry observers have pointed to the trend as a sign of renewed strength for local productions after several challenging years at the box office.
Meanwhile, A24's Backrooms opened in second place on the weekly chart following its May 27 debut, earning approximately $2.19 million during its first weekend in Korean theaters. Other notable releases currently performing well include Michael, which has reached a cumulative gross of more than $10 million, and Project Hail Mary, which currently ranks among the year's top earners.
Written and directed by Yeon Sang-ho, Colony stars Gianna Jun as a biotechnology professor attending a conference in Seoul when a mysterious outbreak begins transforming attendees into zombies. The film marks another genre entry from the filmmaker, whose work has helped establish him as one of the most recognizable voices in contemporary Korean horror and thriller cinema.
The project is produced by Wow Point, Smilegate, Midnight Studio, and Showbox. Showbox is handling international sales and distribution, with the film already sold to more than 120 territories worldwide. In North America, distribution rights have been acquired by Well Go USA.
With strong word of mouth, a successful Cannes launch, and continued box office momentum, Colony is shaping up to be one of the biggest horror success stories of the year in South Korea.