S. Korean animation ‘The King of Kings’ still strong in North American box office in 2nd week

“The King of Kings,” a South Korean animation about the life of Jesus, is going strong at the North American box office in its second week since debut, records showed Sunday.

According to Box Office Mojo, a U.S.-based online tracker of box-office revenue, the film came in third place at the North American box office, adding US$$6.68 million in sales from 3,535 theaters on Friday.

The animation, which debuted in North American theaters on April 11, grossed $34.694 million in North America in the past eight days, and another $35 million in Britain and Australia, among other countries.

The film slipped to third place with the debut of “Sinners” by Warner Bros Pictures, but its ticket sales stayed relatively strong compared to other top 10 films, which saw a 20 to 80 percent loss of sales this week.

U.S. magazine Variety estimated the film would add $17 million in ticket sales this weekend, down some 12 percent from the previous weekend.

“The King of Kings” was written and directed by Jang Seong-ho, head of Mofac Studios renowned for its top-notch visual effects, and features the birth and resurrection of Jesus, inspired by Charles Dickens’ book “The Life of Our Lord.”

Jang said the development of the film took a decade from planning to completion.