‘Exorcism’ and ‘The Roundup: No Way Out’ Break 10 Million Viewers, Setting New Spring Box Office Records
Korean cinema has made history with consecutive box office hits, even during the traditionally slow spring season. ‘Exorcism’ and ‘The Roundup: No Way Out’ have both surpassed 10 million viewers, leading to record-breaking sales and audience numbers for Korean films.
Record-Breaking Sales for Korean Films
According to the Korean Film Council, the box office success of ‘Exorcism,’ released in March, and ‘The Roundup: No Way Out,’ released in April, resulted in the highest-ever revenue for Korean films over two consecutive months. In April alone, Korean film sales reached 63.6 billion won, a 276.3% increase from the same period last year. The number of moviegoers also rose to 6.59 million, a 1.7-fold increase compared to the pre-pandemic average from 2017 to 2019.
‘The Roundup: No Way Out’ Thrives Amid Foreign Film Slump
‘The Roundup: No Way Out’ significantly contributed to the highest-ever April box office figures for Korean films. The film’s success was partly due to the lack of major Hollywood blockbusters, as the ongoing Hollywood strike led to a significant decline in foreign film sales and audience numbers.
Occult Film ‘Exorcism’ Surpasses 10 Million Viewers
‘Exorcism,’ an occult mystery film about eerie incidents involving a feng shui master, a mortician, and shamans who move a suspicious grave for a large sum of money, crossed the 10 million viewers mark within 32 days of its release. This milestone makes it the first occult film to ever achieve this feat in Korean cinema.
‘The Roundup: No Way Out’ Achieves Triple Ten Million Milestone
‘The Roundup: No Way Out’ follows monster detective Ma Seok-do as he tackles a crime syndicate led by a mercenary-turned-villain, Baek Chang-gi, and an IT genius CEO, Jang Dong-chul, alongside the Metropolitan Investigation Unit and Cyber Team. The film reached 10 million viewers within 22 days of its release, making it the first Korean film series to achieve the “triple ten million” milestone.
A Bright Future for the Korean Film Industry
These box office successes signal a positive recovery and growth for the Korean film industry. The rebound in audience numbers and sales post-pandemic is encouraging. With a continued focus on delivering high-quality content and producing a variety of genres, the future of Korean cinema looks promising. Additionally, the global competitiveness of Korean films is expected to strengthen further.
The phenomenal success of ‘Exorcism’ and ‘The Roundup: No Way Out’ highlights the new potential for Korean cinema, raising expectations for ongoing growth and development.
