The much-anticipated space epic “Interstellar” nabbed the top spot on Korea’s weekend box office chart in its opening week.

Christopher Nolan’s film garnered more than 1.25 million viewers in the four days after its release on Thursday and dominated 1,310 of the 2,599 screens nationwide, according to the state-run Korea Film Council.

The film, starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, is an end-of-days sci-fi flick, which takes place at a time when humanity is facing extinction as a result of drought and famine. A mysterious wormhole is discovered in space that will enable mankind to survive. A group of explorers, which includes Cooper (McConaughey) and Amelia Brand (Hathaway), is given the mission of saving humankind by finding a habitable new planet. 

While “Interstellar” is lengthy, at a hefty 169-minute running time, and deals with serious science subjects such as Einstein’s theory of relativity, the film’s emphasis on love and its emotional, thought-provoking plot have attracted viewers of all ages. Following suit after Nolan’s previous successes here with “Memento” (2002), the “Dark Knight” trilogy (2005-2012) and “Inception” (2010), the film insiders expect that “Interstellar” is expected to draw more viewers and set another box office record this season.

Debuting at second this weekend was local comedy flick “Fashion King,” starring actor Joo Won and K-pop star Sulli of f(x), drawing 233,500 viewers.

David Fincher’s American thriller “Gone Girl,” featuring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, is still very popular in theaters, holding the third spot. It has garnered 1.5 million viewers since its release on Oct. 23.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)