▲ This poster, provided by Showbox, shows the film "Colony." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, May 29 (Yonhap) -- Filmmaker-animator Yeon Sang-ho’s zombie thriller "Colony" is expected to dominate the weekend box office as it closes in on the 3 million admissions mark, widely considered its break-even point.

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated ticketing system Friday, "Colony" remained atop the local box office the previous day with 125,000 moviegoers, accounting for 55.2 percent of total ticket sales revenue.

Since opening on May 21, the film has accumulated more than 2.5 million admissions. During last weekend’s Buddha’s Birthday holiday period alone, it attracted about 1.8 million viewers.

At the current pace, the film is expected to surpass the 3 million admissions threshold this weekend.

Starring Jun Ji-hyun and Koo Kyo-hwan, "Colony" tells the story of a large-scale zombie outbreak at a shopping mall in the middle of a city, where humans and zombies engage in a desperate fight for survival.

The film has drawn strong audience interest since its release for its fresh premise featuring rapidly evolving zombies that share collective intelligence.

Horror film "Backroom," about people trapped in an unknown space struggling to escape, ranked second with 33,000 viewers and a 15.5 percent revenue share Thursday.

"Michael," a biographical film about the life of pop icon Michael Jackson, came in third with 18,000 viewers and an 8.3 percent share, followed by "The Mandalorian & Grogu," based on the "Star Wars" universe, with 12,000 viewers and a 6.1 percent share.

As of 9 a.m. Friday, "Colony" also topped advance reservation rates at 39.6 percent, with more than 180,000 moviegoers waiting to see the film.

Comedy film "Wild Thing," starring Kang Dong-won, Uhm Tae-goo and Park Ji-hyun and set for release on June 3, ranked second in reservations at 12 percent with 54,000 advance bookings, while "Backroom" followed with 11.1 percent and 50,000 reservations.

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