#1 of 8 #1 Korean-language movie of May 2016
2016 · Action
$9.8M worldwide · 41% of the chart's total
$67.1K US & Canada · <1% $9.7M elsewhere · 99%
Korean box office · May 2016
Korean Box Office, May 2016: Top-Grossing Releases
Phantom Detective (2016) is the highest-grossing Korean-language movie released in May 2016, with $9.8M worldwide, ahead of Proof of Innocence (2016) at $8.6M and Canola (2016) at $3.1M. 8 Korean-language films released in May 2016 report a worldwide gross, $23.7M in all, <1% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 5% on April 2016, whose releases took $22.6M. By genre, Drama leads with $12.1M across 4 Korean releases.
- May 2016 releases with a gross
- 8
- combined worldwide
- $23.7M
- Phantom Detective (2016), the #1
- $9.8M
- vs April 2016
- +5%
#1 of 8 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Korean Hits of May 2016?
Phantom Detective (2016) leads with $9.8M, 41% of the total. The top 5 together took $23.5M, 99% of what all 8 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Korean Release of May 2016, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in May 2016.
- 1 May 20, 2016 US and Canada: $67.1K Rest of the world: $9.7M Worldwide: $9.8M
- 2 May 19, 2016 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $8.6M
- 3 May 19, 2016 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.1M
- 4 May 4, 2016 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.8M
- 5 May 1, 2016 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $156.4K
- 6
May 1, 2016 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $145.9K - 7
May 1, 2016 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $42.2K - 8
May 5, 2016 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $37.4K
By release week
Which Week of May 2016 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 21 (May 15–21) took $21.5M, led by Phantom Detective (2016). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 1–7 Hello Jadoo (2016) $2.2M Hello Jadoo (2016)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 8–14 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 15–21 Phantom Detective (2016) $21.5M Phantom Detective (2016)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 22–28 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 23 Wk 23 May 29–Jun 4 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 2016 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 2011 earned the most: $51.5M from 3 films, led by Sunny (2011). May 2016 took $23.7M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2007 5 films | 5 | $22.5M | – | Secret Sunshine (2007) $11.6M |
| May 2008 5 films · −96% | 5 | $868K | −96% | Do You See Seoul? (2008) $299.6K |
| May 2009 3 films · +374% | 3 | $4.1M | +374% | Castaway on the Moon (2009) $3.7M |
| May 2010 1 film · −73% | 1 | $1.1M | −73% | Bedevilled (2010) $1.1M |
| May 2011 3 films · +4585% | 3 | $51.5M | +4585% | Sunny (2011) $51.1M |
| May 2012 4 films · −7% | 4 | $47.8M | −7% | All About My Wife (2012) $29.4M |
| May 2013 4 films · −39% | 4 | $29M | −39% | Montage (2013) $13.3M |
| May 2014 2 films · −61% | 2 | $11.3M | −61% | Obsessed (2014) $10.7M |
| May 2015 4 films · −46% | 4 | $6.1M | −46% | The Shameless (2015) $2.8M |
| May 2016 8 films · +290% | 8 | $23.7M | +290% | Phantom Detective (2016) $9.8M |
By genre
Which Korean Genres Earned the Most in May 2016?
Drama took $12.1M across 4 films, 51% of the total, ahead of Action ($9.9M) and Comedy ($8.6M). A film counts once for each of its genres.
May 2016 Korean Box Office by Genre
-
Drama $12.1M4 films · #1 Proof of Innocence (2016) -
Action $9.9M2 films · #1 Phantom Detective (2016) -
Comedy $8.6M1 film · #1 Proof of Innocence (2016) -
Crime $8.6M1 film · #1 Proof of Innocence (2016) -
Animation $2M2 films · #1 Hello Jadoo (2016) -
Romance $183.3K2 films · #1 Our Love Story (2016) -
Adventure $156.4K1 film · #1 Kai (2016) -
Documentary $42.2K1 film · #1 Breathing Underwater (2016)
Archive
Korean Box Office in 2016, Month by Month
The months of 2016 with their totals: October leads with $113.1M, led by Luck-Key (2016).
- January $11.5M #1 A Melody to Remember (2016)
- February $106.3M #1 A Violent Prosecutor (2016)
- March $493.1K #1 Hiya (2016)
- April $22.6M #1 Time Renegades (2016)
- May $23.7M #1 Phantom Detective (2016)
- June $69.4M #1 The Wailing (2016)
- July $107.9M #1 Train to Busan (2016)
- August $57.5M #1 Tunnel (2016)
- September $63.2M #1 The Age of Shadows (2016)
- October $113.1M #1 Luck-Key (2016)
- November $24.9M #1 My Annoying Brother (2016)
- December $90.6M #1 Master (2016)
FAQ
Korean Box Office May 2016: Questions & Answers
The chart's numbers in short: the #1 film, the total, the billion-dollar hits and the US & Canada share, answered from the same 8 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing Korean-language movie in May 2016?
Phantom Detective (2016) leads with $9.8M worldwide, $67.1K of it in the US & Canada. Next come Proof of Innocence (2016) at $8.6M and Canola (2016) at $3.1M.
How much did Korean-language movies released in May 2016 earn?
8 Korean-language films released in May 2016 report a worldwide gross, $23.7M in all, or $3M per film on average. April 2016 releases took $22.6M.
How many Korean-language movies released in May 2016 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Phantom Detective (2016), earned $9.8M.
How is the May 2016 Korean box office chart ranked and where do the numbers come from?
Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date in May 2016. The figures are the reported box office grosses in our database. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films or a blockbuster total on an obscure title, is left out rather than shown as a fact, and so are films whose stored language is most likely wrong.
How often is the May 2016 Korean box office chart updated?
Grosses change while films are in theaters and whenever a new figure is reported; this chart reads the latest numbers in our database, so an older film can still move after a re-release.