Zombie-themed comedy tops summer box office with 4.5 million viewers

The cast of My Daughter is a Zombie pose for a photo during a press event at a theater in southern Seoul on July 21 2025 From left Yoon Kyung-ho Cho Yeo-jeong Lee Jung-eun Choi Yu-ri and Jo Jung-suk AJP Han Jun-gu — The cast of "My Daughter is a Zombie" pose for a photo during a press event at a theater in southern Seoul on July 21, 2025. From left, Yoon Kyung-ho, Cho Yeo-jeong, Lee Jung-eun, Choi Yu-ri and Jo Jung-suk. AJP Han Jun-gu

SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - Actor Jo Jung-suk's latest film has attracted over 4.5 million moviegoers as of Monday, less than three weeks after its release late last month, becoming this year's first South Korean film to achieve the milestone.

According to the Korean Film Council, "My Daughter is a Zombie" drew about 762,000 moviegoers over the long holiday weekend marking the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day which began last Friday, dominating the box office here for three consecutive weeks since it hit local theaters on July 30.

Adapted from a popular web-based cartoon by Lee Yun-chang, the horror comedy revolves around a man who tries to protect his daughter infected with an unknown zombie virus by training her to survive.

Despite an overall downturn of the film industry which struggles with falling audience numbers, the comedy's success appears fueled by family outings, with many viewers bringing their kids during the summer vacation season.

Meanwhile, racing drama "F1" starring former Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt, has surpassed 4 million viewers in its cumulative attendance, ranking a solid second at the box office as it continues to draw viewers since its release in late June, buoyed by strong word-of-mouth, becoming the early '90s star's highest-grossing film ever.

Cheon Soram cheons@ajunews.com