SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- The Brad Pitt-led film "Heart of the Beast" is set for a weekend box-office showdown with the animated film "Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island."

According to data from the Korean Film Council's integrated ticket sales network Friday, "Heart of the Beast," directed by David Ayer, drew more than 21,000 viewers Thursday, accounting for 18.2 percent of total ticket sales, to top the box office.

Released Wednesday, "Heart of the Beast" follows James (Brad Pitt), a former special forces soldier stranded in the remote Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash, as he struggles to survive alongside Odin, his military dog.

The Japanese animated film "Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island" ranked second at the domestic box office, drawing more than 19,000 viewers Thursday for an 18.0 percent share.

Released Sept. 30, "Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island" has attracted more than 2.362 million viewers to date.

"CSAT, The Secret Behind the Questions," directed by Lee Yong-jae and released Wednesday, ranked third with more than 10,000 viewers, accounting for 7.9 percent of ticket sales.

The comedy follows the antics of exam writers who are isolated from the outside world for 40 days while preparing questions for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). Lee Sun-bin plays Maeng Bo-ram, a Korean language teacher who joins the exam-writing committee due to a computer error, while Yoo Jae-myung plays Moon Ju-yeol, head of the Korean language question-writing committee.

"Assassins," directed by Hur Jin-ho, ranked fourth with more than 7,000 viewers, accounting for 6.4 percent of ticket sales. Its cumulative audience has surpassed 3.406 million.

As of 9 a.m. Friday, "Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island" led advance ticket sales with a 20.1 percent share and more than 54,000 advance ticket buyers.

"Final Interview," a psychological chamber drama set for release Nov. 4, ranked second with a 12.2 percent advance ticket share and more than 32,000 advance ticket buyers. "Heart of the Beast" followed in third with an 11.2 percent share and more than 30,000 advance ticket buyers.

"CSAT, The Secret Behind the Questions" ranked fourth with a 7.8 percent advance ticket share and more than 21,000 advance ticket buyers.

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