“Parasite” Breaks Box Office Records After Oscar Sweep

Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite is reaping box office riches after its groundbreaking Oscar Best Picture win.

The twisted South Korean thriller collected $5.5 million over the weekend; an exceptional 234% increase in ticket sales and the biggest post-Oscar boost of any best picture winner in the past decade.

In the seven days since the Academy Awards on Feb. 9, the film has brought in $8.8 million, representing 20% of its domestic tally. To date, Parasite has become a box office darling, making $44 million in the U.S; a massive result for a foreign language film.

The movie also saw a notable surge this weekend overseas, adding another $12.7 million for an international bounty of $161 million. Those receipts push it past the $200 million mark worldwide with ticket sales currently at $204 million.

Parasite became the first non-English film in history to take home the Academy Award for best picture.

Out of its six Oscar nominations, it also won for original screenplay, director and international feature.

Though it has been available on home entertainment since January, its domestic distributor Neon expanded Parasite to 2,001 theaters in North America after it became the toast of awards season.

That marks the widest release for a foreign language film since 2004’s Kung Fu Hustle played in 2,503 venues.

“It’s a great win for Parasite,” said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst with Comscore. “This example can put to rest the notion that streaming and the big screen are adversaries. Parasite is doing well on home video and in movie theaters. Both formats can be successful.”

Best picture winners are often able to leverage Oscar triumphs for box office glory. Last year’s winner Green Book saw a 121% increase in revenue the weekend after its victory, the biggest post-Oscar bump at the time.

The road trip drama with Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen ended its theatrical run well; making $85 million from venues in North America and $329 million globally.

Moonlight, The Artist, Slumdog Millionaire, and Million Dollar Baby are other recent Oscar best picture winners that had subsequent lifts in ticket sales.