2023-06-08 11:00:00
Relief and applause in the film industry right before the exam, which was not a box office hit
“It is a good thing that audiences come to the cinema”
I’m interested in whether I’ll get energy from summer masterpieces such as smuggling, kidnapping, and The Moon.
Foreign currency magnum variables such as flash… Independent film support required
The Korean film industry, which seemed to be driven to the brink by failing to produce significant box office results and freezing investment, finally exploded. It’s regarding the movie ‘Sin City 3’.
According to the integrated computer network for movie theater tickets (KOBIS) on the 8th, as of the 7th, the cumulative number of viewers for Crime City 3 recorded 6.26 million in 8 days since its release on the 31st. Among the films released this year, it is the first Korean film to exceed 2 million cumulative viewers, and it is the number one box office hit, including foreign films. In the first week of release, the audience was 4.51 million, nearly 1 million more than the 3.55 million of the previous film, Crime City 2. If the current trend continues, it seems possible to reach 10 million viewers. Despite such box office success, the fact that most Korean films are struggling remains unchanged, but the Korean film industry generally applauds or breathes a sigh of relief for box office success.
A scene from the movie ‘Sin City 3’. Provided by Avio Entertainment
Crime City 3 was already considered a predictor of the success or failure of Korean films this year even before its release, and expectations and concerns regarding its box office success were high. It is also true that only two Korean films that exceeded 1 million cumulative audiences this year were ‘Negotiation’ and ‘Dream’, and most of the films, including those two, failed to break even through theatrical screenings.
After the spread of the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19), the number of movie theater audiences sharply decreased as they became accustomed to the pattern of watching movies through online video services (OTT) led by Netflix. Since last year, social distancing due to Corona 19 has been eased and some audiences have increased, but it was not easy to refill empty theater seats. However, the situation seemed to get worse as movie theaters raised ticket prices all at once for reasons such as rising prices and improving profits. Among producers, even complaints regarding excessive price hikes were expressed.
Among these, expectations for Crime City 3 were high because Crime City 2, released last year, was the only movie following Corona 19 to exceed 10 million viewers and set a record of 12.69 million viewers. Although there were expectations, Sin City 3’s current box office score exceeds the expectations of the film industry. It is true that Crime City 3 is not very different from the previous work, and there was a reputation that the level of completion was inferior, and considering the atmosphere of the theater district these days, it is true that it will be difficult to exceed 10 million no matter how well it does.
However, following the release, the audience went crazy over Ma Dong-seok’s hot fist, the trademark of Sin City, and dispelled these concerns. On the movie review site, responses such as “It was really hot”, “I laughed following watching a movie for the first time in a while”, “It’s cool and relieves stress”, “I look forward to the next action of Dong-seok Ma who defeats the bad guys more” etc.
It is the theater that is most pleased with the box office. The theater was crowded for the first time in a while, and a lot of popcorn and Coke were sold. In addition, by raising the ticket price, we can expect an additional effect that can slightly soften the level of criticism that the audience has decreased.
It’s not their success, but the producers are welcoming it. A mid-level producer said, “It is important that more people go to the theater to watch a movie. That’s why the box office success of Crime City 3 is something to be welcomed.” This means that once you visit the theater, you are more likely to turn your attention to other films.
There is optimism that Crime City 3 can serve as a priming water for blockbuster releases this summer. ‘Smuggling’, ‘Kidnapped’, ‘The Moon’, and ‘Concrete Utopia’ are considered blockbuster Korean films this summer. Among them, Smuggling decided to open in late July, and Kidnapped is expected to be released next. (Kidnapped has a similar meaning to bargaining, so it is expected that the title will change when it is released.) It is said that the opening date of The Moon and Concrete Utopia has also been confirmed in August.
In the case of last year, despite the box office success of Sin City 2, the films that were released followingward drank a lot, but the industry expects that this year will be a little different. First of all, the key is whether the kidnapper who will open the summer gate can take over the box office baton of Crime City 3.
Despite such expectations, there is a cautious opinion that it is too early to be optimistic that the Korean film industry will revitalize only with the box office success of Crime City 3. Excluding Crime City 3, the only Korean film in the top 10 in the KOBIS audience rankings on this day was ‘Dooly the Little Dinosaur: The Great Adventure of the Ice Planet’, which ranked 10th. The crime city is sucking in audiences like a black hole, and audiences for other films, especially Korean films, are rapidly falling out. The box office success of small and medium-sized films is still red light. The recent lack of foreign currency also helped Crime City 3’s box office success. Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ is struggling to swim, and even Transformers are powerless to compete with Crime City. However, with Flash and Elemental being released next week, and tough foreign movies such as Indiana Jones and the Mission Impossible series also awaiting release, it is necessary to wait a little longer to see if Sin City 3 will run for a long time.
Aside from the box office success of Sin City 3, a transformation of the Korean film industry, including changes in production methods, seems inevitable. An official from the film industry said, “Now we need to focus our investment capabilities on films that can be clearly differentiated from OTT and have reasons to go to the theater.” Competition with OTT has even raised production costs, so now there is a need to make a blockbuster movie that works in the global market with OTT or overseas copyrights in mind, and investment is likely to be more prudent.
The franchise strategy that can be popular like a crime city is also attracting attention. With the success of Crime City 3, the series planned for up to 7 episodes, including Crime City 4, which has already been made, is expected to be made as scheduled. However, as there are voices of criticism that Crime City 3 is boring or of low quality despite such box office success, how to differentiate in the future remains a task for the series to cruise smoothly.
There are also voices that help to prevent independent or low-budget films from dying out due to a decrease in the number of film productions should be done at the same time. As one of the expedients, it is known that discussions are already underway to promote Korean films, such as issuing vouchers, through a council in which theaters and others participate.
Senior Reporter Uhm Hyeong-joon [email protected]
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