[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

“The First Slam Dunk”

(Japan)

Opened Jan. 4

(Adventure/Comedy)

Directed by Takehiko Inoue

Based on the Slam Dunk manga series written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue, the animated sports film follows Ryota Miyagi, a high school student who plays the point guard at the school’s basketball team and his journey to win the basketball championship at a nationwide basketball competition.

“Gentleman”

(South Korea)

Opened Dec. 28

Crime/Action

Directed by Kim Kyung-won

Private detective Ji Hyun-soo (Ju Ji-hoon) pretends to be a prosecutor in order to find his missing client, fight evil crimes and track down outlaws masterminded by Kwon Do-hoon (Park Sung-woong), the head of a large law firm. Together with merciless prosecutor Kim Hwa-jin (Choi Sung-eun), Ji works on solving a murder case to prove his innocence after he is falsely accused of being the killer.

Hero

(South Korea)

Opened Dec. 21

Drama

Directed by Yoon Jae-kyoon

The first film adaptation of the award-winning musical depicts the life of Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910). “Hero” revisits the final year of Ahn, who assassinated Japan’s first resident general of Korea, Ito Hirobumi, at Harbin Station in northern China on Oct. 26, 1909. Five months later, Ahn was executed in a Chinese prison at the age of 34. Top musical actor Jung Sung-hwa portrays Ahn, starring alongside Kim Go-eun and Na Moon-hee.

“Avatar: The Way of Water”

(US)

Opened Dec. 14

Action

Directed by James Cameron

Many years after the events of "Avatar," Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Ney'tiri (Zoe Saldana) must leave home and explore Pandora to fight a difficult war against invading humans. Now with three children for “a new kind of” family story, according to Walt Disney, the film is largely set in water, introducing the new oceanic tribe of Na’vi called Metkayina.