▲ This image, provided by Plus M Entertainment and Forged Films, shows a poster for the Korean film "Hope." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 24 (Yonhap) -- Director Na Hong-jin's new film "Hope" remained atop the local box office for a ninth consecutive day Friday, putting it on track to dominate the weekend and surpass 3 million admissions.

According to data from the Korean Film Council, "Hope" drew about 115,000 moviegoers Thursday, accounting for 64.8 percent of total box office revenue to retain the No. 1 spot.

Since its release on July 15, the film has attracted a cumulative 2.647 million viewers and is expected to surpass the 3 million mark this weekend.

Starring Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung and Jung Ho-yeon, "Hope" tells the story of residents of Hopo Port, a village near the Demilitarized Zone, as they battle mysterious unidentified life forms that suddenly appear.

The film has drawn mixed reactions for its intense action, computer-generated imagery depicting extraterrestrial creatures and comic dialogue woven into tense situations. It currently holds a CGV Egg Index score of 83 percent, based on audience ratings.

Animated feature "Minions & Monsters" ranked second at the domestic box office with about 16,000 admissions, accounting for 8.7 percent of ticket sales.

The live-action adaptation of the animated film "Moana" came in third with about 13,000 moviegoers, followed by the thriller "Eyes," starring Shin Min-a, in fourth place with around 9,000 admissions.

As of 9 a.m. Friday, "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," set to open July 29, topped the advance reservation chart with a booking rate of 49.8 percent, with about 398,000 people having reserved tickets.

"Hope" ranked second with a reservation rate of 25.0 percent, or about 200,000 advance ticket sales, followed by director Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey," which opens Aug. 5, at 11.0 percent, representing about 88,000 reservations.

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