South Korean film director Park Chan-wook's Cannes entry The Handmaiden opened in his home country on June 1. The film went on to top the three-day holiday weekend local box office, earning $15.6 million. The film was screened in 1,167 movie theaters and recorded at least 2.22 million admissions three days after its launch.
The Handmaiden, by far, is Park's bestselling movie film based on its opening weekend alone. The film has been sold to at least 175 countries, and currently stands as the bestselling Korean film of all time.
Before the official screening of The Handmaiden, the week's box office record belonged to Hollywood blockbuster X-Men Apocalypse, which recorded $5.43 between Friday and Monday. The film went on to garner $19.1 million in ticket sales following its two weekends at the box office.
The Handmaiden is adapted from Fingersmith, a novel written by Welsh writer Sarah Waters. The source material was based on the Victoria era, but Park decided to set his film in Korea during the time of the Japanese occupation.
Aside from breaking box office records, The Handmaiden is also making big waves in the film critics' circle. The film was selected to compete in the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. The film competed in the Palme d'Or category but was bested by Daniel Blake, a movie about an ailing Englishman fighting the bureaucracy of the healthcare system.
The Handmaiden art director Ryu Seong-hie was awarded the Vulcan Award of the Technical Artist for her work on the film.
The Handmaiden tackles the world of lesbianism with the Japanese occupation as its backdrop. It stars Kim Min-hee as Lady Hideko and Kim Tae-ri as Sook-hee.
