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As the summer season heats up, domestic blockbuster films are engaging in a fierce competition to captivate audiences, with distributors banking on consecutive releases to draw moviegoers back to theaters.
Yet, in a notable shift, the appetite of moviegoers for novelty and fresh narratives has begun to trump the allure of eye-catching visuals and star-studded casts, reshaping the trajectory of major film releases.
Case in point: Director Ryoo Seung-wan’s crime action film "Smugglers" achieved its breakeven point during its third week in theaters, boasting an impressive 4.35 million nationwide admissions, according to data from the Korean Film Council. Despite ranking second at the box office over the weekend, "Smugglers," with a production cost of approximately $15.8 million, has managed to make its mark. Set in a tranquil seaside village of the 1970s, the film revolves around a crime caper involving the village's seemingly peaceful residents engaging in smuggling activities. Director Ryoo's distinct sense of humor and intense action sequences, combined with a star-studded ensemble including Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah, Zo In-sung, Park Jung-min, and Go Min-si, have collectively contributed to the movie's broad appeal.
Hot on the heels of "Smugglers" comes director Um Tae-hwa’s "Concrete Utopia," a dystopian thriller that chronicles the lives of the inhabitants of Hwanggung Apartment No. 103, the sole structure left standing in the aftermath of a devastating Seoul earthquake.
Debuting with a resounding impact, "Concrete Utopia" garnered 1.12 million attendees in its opening weekend, steadily approaching the break-even point as it nears 4 million admissions. Sharing a budget comparable to that of "Smugglers," the film's adherence to a webtoon source material was a calculated risk, considering the uneven track record of previous webtoon-inspired movies. Nonetheless, the allure of the unprecedented setting presented in "Concrete Utopia" has proven enticing.
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| ▲ Lotte Entertainment |
Conversely, summer releases "Ransomed" and "The Moon" have found themselves struggling to resonate with audiences. Critiques from both critics and viewers have highlighted a sense of déjà vu within their plots, ultimately undermining the grand budgets and impressive production values that these films brought to the table.
In the case of "Ransomed," set in Lebanon, the familiar tandem of Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon from "Along with the Gods" star as diplomats embroiled in a mission to rescue a colleague. Despite the exotic locale and action-packed narrative, "Ransomed" fell short of rekindling enthusiasm due to its predictable storyline. The film managed to draw 981,488 moviegoers since its August 2nd release.
Meanwhile, "The Moon," which premiered on the same day, suffered a similar fate. In a manner widely anticipated, this Korean sci-fi production centered around lunar themes followed in the footsteps of previous disappointments such as "Space Sweepers" (2021), "Seo Bok" (2021), and "Jung_E" (2022). Despite meticulous set design, sophisticated computer-generated effects, and a budget of 28 million won, the movie struggled to captivate an audience already fatigued by an abundance of Hollywood space survival narratives like "Gravity" (2013) and "Interstellar" (2014). "The Moon" managed to draw 483,834 attendees as of Monday, a significant distance from its break-even point of 60 million.
Industry insiders are quick to emphasize that the triumph of domestically produced blockbusters now hinges on their ability to present fresh, inventive themes and unprecedented settings. Citing the successes of innovative K-content like "The Glory" and "Squid Game," analysts assert that films such as "The Moon" underscore local audiences' thirst for novel narratives and unconventional scenes.
As current attendance figures mirror trends from last August, where 12.14 million patrons visited theaters, questions loom over the sustainability of the current box office trajectory. Kim Dong-ha, a professor at Hansung University's College of Future Convergence Social Science, noted that maintaining a cycle of profitable investments might become challenging for producers and distributors in the coming months, potentially impacting the funding landscape for future projects.
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Joy, nunimbos@gmail.com
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