Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho’s latest sci-fi film, "Mickey 17," topped the North American box office over the weekend, becoming the first film by a South Korean director to debut in the top spot. 

According to the U.S. entertainment magazine Variety on Sunday, the dystopian sci-fi comedy, which was released on Friday, claimed the number one spot at the box office with 19-point-one million dollars from three-thousand-807 theaters in North America. 

The film reportedly picked up an additional 34-point-two million dollars internationally, bringing its global total to 53-point-three million dollars. 

However, the earnings fell short of industry expectations, which had estimated the film would earn around 20 million in its opening weekend in North America.

U.S. media outlets reported that Warner Bros. is unlikely to recoup the film's production cost of 118 million dollars during its theatrical run.