Korean movie theaters are experiencing an unusual imbalance as 2025 comes to a close, with major Hollywood sequels preparing to dominate screens while domestic productions have largely retreated from the competitive year-end market. This dramatic shift offers a revealing glimpse into the current state of Korea's film industry as it heads into 2026, highlighting the challenges local filmmakers face in competing with big-budget international releases.
Leading the Hollywood charge is James Cameron's highly anticipated "Avatar: Fire and Ash," the third installment in the epic science fiction franchise, which will hit Korean theaters on December 17. Korean audiences will get to see the film two days ahead of its U.S. release, following the local industry convention where major productions typically launch on weekdays rather than Fridays. The previous "Avatar" films have set incredibly high expectations for this latest entry, with both the 2009 original and 2022's "The Way of Water" crossing the 10-million-admissions mark in Korea – the traditional benchmark for megahit status in the country.
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" is undoubtedly positioned as the biggest release of the year-end season and represents the latest chapter in what has become the highest-grossing film franchise of all time. The success of its predecessors in Korea has created sky-high expectations, with industry observers closely watching whether Cameron's latest visual spectacle can maintain the franchise's remarkable track record in the Korean market.
Arriving earlier in the season is "Wicked: For Good," the much-anticipated follow-up to last year's musical sensation, which opens on November 19. The original installment earned 2.24 million admissions in Korea – a respectable but unspectacular performance for a major Hollywood production, especially when compared to its massive success in the United States, where it grossed $473 million. Whether the sequel can match or exceed those numbers remains uncertain, particularly given that Korean viewers are generally less familiar with "The Wizard of Oz" mythology than their American counterparts.
Completing the trio of major Hollywood releases is "Zootopia 2," hitting screens on November 26, nine years after the original animated film captured global audiences. The 2016 film was an instant worldwide sensation, grossing over $1 billion globally and proving to be a solid hit in Korea with more than 4.6 million tickets sold. Given animation's strong performance at the Korean box office in recent years, the sequel could easily emerge as one of the season's major draws and potentially outperform its predecessors.
With the exception of independent productions, major Korean releases have virtually vanished from the year-end calendar – a move that appears to be a calculated strategic response to avoid direct competition with these Hollywood juggernauts. The few domestic films that are braving the competitive landscape represent interesting experiments in international collaboration and genre filmmaking.
"Love Barista," a Korean-Vietnamese co-production starring former "Running Man" celebrity Lee Kwang-soo, opens on November 19, a full month after its Vietnamese release. Directed by Kim Sung-hoon, known for "Confidential Assignment," this comedy follows a Korean celebrity – essentially Lee playing a version of himself – who finds himself unexpectedly stranded abroad. The project represents a cross-border collaboration strategy that's becoming increasingly common among Korean productions seeking to expand their market reach beyond domestic returns.
This international co-production approach has shown promising results in recent months. Just a few months ago, the Korean-Vietnamese co-production "Leaving Mom," starring Tuan Tran and Jung Il-woo, achieved remarkable success by selling 2.2 million tickets in Vietnam during its impressive 15-day run atop the box office charts, demonstrating the potential of these cross-cultural partnerships.
On December 3, actor-turned-director Ha Jung-woo presents "The People Upstairs," a chamber farce adapted from Cesc Gay's 2020 film "Sentimental." This marks Ha's second directorial effort and his first R-rated project, following last April's corporate comedy "Lobby," which chronicled a business golf outing gone disastrously wrong. "The People Upstairs," which premiered at the Busan International Film Festival earlier this year, follows two couples whose seemingly pleasant dinner party spirals into complete chaos after noise complaints unexpectedly bring them together.
Opening the same day is "The Informant," which showcases "Squid Game" villain Heo Sung-tae in a decidedly lighter role than audiences might expect. In this comedic twist on the detective genre, he plays an incompetent police officer who partners with a cunning informant, offering viewers a completely different side of the acclaimed actor. The film celebrated its world premiere at the 2025 New York Asian Film Festival, generating positive buzz among international audiences.
These Korean releases share a notable common thread: they're all lean, accessible comedies designed for easy viewing without demanding intense emotional investment from audiences. This approach represents a proven survival strategy in Korean cinema that has gained significant traction over the past few years, viewed by industry insiders as a low-risk, high-return formula in an entertainment landscape struggling with declining theater attendance and increasingly cautious investors.
The comedy-focused strategy appears to be delivering results, with three of this year's top five Korean box office earners being comedies that prioritized breezy, accessible entertainment over more challenging fare. Leading the pack is this year's domestic box office champion "My Daughter is a Zombie," which attracted 5.6 million admissions, followed by "Boss," which earned 2.4 million admissions during the Chuseok holiday period, demonstrating the commercial viability of this lighter approach.
Several other highly anticipated projects that initially targeted year-end releases have either postponed their debuts or remain undecided about their release strategies. "Seven O'Clock Breakfast Club," featuring top-tier stars Suzy and Lee Jin-wook, has now been pushed to early 2026, despite having its world premiere in the competition section at this year's Busan International Film Festival, suggesting that even films with strong star power are being cautious about the competitive year-end market.
Meanwhile, "Project Y," which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before screening in Busan, pairs popular actresses Han So-hee and Jeon Jong-seo in what's described as a crime caper. While the film has reportedly been eyeing a year-end release, no official date has been announced, leaving audiences and industry observers wondering whether it will join the limited slate of domestic releases or wait for a more favorable release window in the new year.
