Disney's 'Mulan' remake tops S. Korean box office despite boycott

SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Yonhap) -- Walt Disney's live-action remake of its 90s animation film "Mulan" topped the South Korean box office on its opening day despite an ongoing boycott, data showed Friday.

The film attracted 31,000 moviegoers on its opening day Thursday, outnumbering Christopher Nolan's sci-fi blockbuster "Tenet," which drew 17,500 viewers, according to data from the Korean Film Council.

The comedy drama "Oh! My Gran" sold 4,600 tickets to finish third and the horror animation film "Beauty Water" placed fourth with 2,800.

The remake of the 1998 animated film of the same title has been at the center of controversies for months, prompting boycott movements on social media at home and abroad.

The film's lead actress Liu Yifei drew backlash after having posted comments supporting Hong Kong's police in their crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations last year.

In the movie's closing credits, the company also thanks authorities in China's northern region of Xinjiang, where the film was partly shot. The Chinese government has been accused of persecuting millions of Uighur Muslims in the region.

brk@yna.co.kr
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