▲ A still from the new Japanese animated film "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -- The Movie: Infinity Castle" is seen in this image provided by Animax Broadcasting Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 8 (Yonhap) -- Japanese animation film "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle" has topped the weekend box office for the third straight week, with total admissions nearing 4 million, data showed Monday.

According to the Korean Film Council, "Demon Slayer" drew about 498,000 moviegoers from Sept. 5-7, accounting for 46.8 percent of weekend sales.

Since its release on Aug. 22, the film has remained No. 1 at the weekend box office for three consecutive weeks, attracting a cumulative 3.96 million viewers. It was expected to surpass the 4 million mark later in the day.

Directed by Haruo Sotozaki, the movie is the first installment of a trilogy depicting the final battle between demon slayers and "blood demons" who indiscriminately kill humans.

Coming in second was "The Conjuring: Last Rites," which drew 164,000 people over the same period. The film is the final installment of the "Conjuring" series about the fight against demonic forces.

Ranking third was "Murderer Report," a thriller starring Cho Yeo-jeong and Jung Sung-il about a psychological game between a serial killer and a journalist, which attracted 149,000 viewers.

As of 8:30 a.m. Monday, the most reserved film was director Park Chan-wook’s new work "No Other Choice," with a reservation rate of 23 percent and about 64,000 presold tickets.

The film, starring Lee Byung-hun as Mansoo, an unemployed family man seeking reemployment, was recently invited to the competition section of the 82nd Venice Film Festival.

[Copyright ⓒ K-VIBE. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution are prohibited.]