Bong Joon-ho and Ma Dong-seok also failed to surpass the 3 million viewer mark... The hard-to-overcome 3 million barrier [Mid-Year Review - Movies]①

Table of Contents

(Seoul=UD News) Reporter Jang Areum = In the first half of 2025, many films failed to surpass the 3 million viewer mark. Works that exceeded 3 million cumulative viewers (as of June 27) include three titles: "Ya dang" which ranked first in box office success for the first half, "Mission: Impossible - Fallout," which ranked second, and "Mickey 17," which ranked third. The film industry's sense of crisis has grown even stronger as it differs significantly from the box office trends of the past three years, where 10 million viewers were reached during the pandemic period of 2022 and the endemic periods of 2023 and the first half of 2024. ◇ The top-grossing film of the first half is 'Opposition' by Kang Haneul, Yoo Ha-jin, and Park Hae-jun

상반기 흥행 1위를 차지한 작품은 337만여 명이 관람해 손익분기점 250만 명을 넘긴 '야당'이다. 지난 4월 중순 개봉한 '야당'은 대한민국 마약 판을 설계하는 브로커 야당, 더 높은 곳에 오르려는 검사, 마약 범죄 소탕에 모든 것을 건 형사가 서로 다른 목적을 갖고 엮이며 펼쳐지는 이야기를 그린 범죄 액션 영화다. 청소년관람불가임에도 5월 초 황금연휴까지 장기 흥행을 이어왔다.

'The opposition' succeeded in its run by adopting the marketing slogan of 'well-cooked kimchi stew,' which resonated with audiences who shared this common assessment. Although it is a work with a predictable taste created using familiar and familiar ingredients such as 'drug court,' 'prosecutor,' and 'detective,' it can be said to have resulted in a satisfactory dish. Additionally, it was also evaluated as timely for addressing issues such as the reality of drug crime and collusion with political forces, as well as the dispute over investigative authority between prosecutors and police.

In particular, the fact that it used an unfamiliar entity called 'opposition' as its material and emphasized subtle differences played a part. 'Opposition' is a slang term used in drug-related crimes to refer to informants who provide information to investigative agencies. The three-dimensional narrative involving both prosecutors and detectives, coupled with the genre appeal of crime action, added richer enjoyment, enhanced even further by the powerful performances of the actors. ◇ Bong Joon-ho's highly anticipated "Mickey 17," even with frequent box office hit Ma Dong-seok, faces box office disappointment

This year's most highly anticipated work was undoubtedly Bong Joon-ho's 'Mickey 17'. Released on the last day of February, 'Mickey 17' is a film about 'Mickey', who is used as disposable manpower (expendable) for dangerous tasks and, when he dies, is reprinted. The story unfolds as 'Mickey' faces his 17th near-death experience, and when it is believed that he has died, 'Mickey 18' is printed, leading to an unpredictable series of events.

Bong Joon-ho, who won top honors at both the Cannes International Film Festival and the Academy Awards with his film "Parasite" (2019), was expected to bring vitality back to theaters with his comeback work. However, despite aiming for the early March Three-One Festival period, it only managed to attract 3.01 million viewers in total.

The production budget for 'Mickey 17' is known to be around 170 billion won (approximately $118 million), while the domestic box office revenue is about 29.7 billion won, indicating that the film recorded a significant loss. Due to the low preference of SF genres among domestic audiences and unlike familiar emotional resonances formed in films such as 'Memories of Murder', 'Monster', and 'Parasite', the content requiring philosophical contemplation about cloned humans and human dignity led to mixed reactions.

In particular, domestic films aimed to maximize the gap between their release dates in order to avoid competing with 'Mickey 17.' At the time, one industry insider commented on 'Mickey 17's performance, saying, "The failure of 'Mickey 17' is painful," and added, "Many Korean films were pushed back trying to avoid 'Mickey 17,' but its failure left theaters even emptier. This makes the success of 'Mickey 17' even more regrettable."

The series 'Beomjongdoji,' which had achieved three 10 million viewer successes, also garnered anticipation with actor Ma Dong-seok's participation. However, 'Holy Night: Demon Hunters,' aiming for the May Golden Week box office, also faced a downturn. The occult action film 'Holy Night: Demon Hunters,' released at the end of April, is about a city thrown into chaos by a group that worships evil. The 'Holy Night' team, consisting of Baou (played by Ma Dong-seok), Sharon (played by Seo Hyun), and Kim Gun (played by Lee Da-wit), who have special abilities, aim to eliminate the forces of evil.

'거룩한 밤: 데몬 헌터스'의 손익분기점은 200만 명이었으나, 최종 77만여 명을 동원했다. 마동석의 액션과 오컬트의 만남으로 기대가 컸으나, 장르의 깊이와 연출이 아쉽고 조악한 CG로 인해 완성도가 낮다는 혹평을 받았다.

◇ Concerns about lack of mega hit spreading

The first half of the year's box office saw a variety of works across different genres ranking evenly, rather than specific mega-hits. Works that made it to the top 10 box office rankings for the first half include 'Hitman 2' (2.54 million viewers), 'Harbin' (2.15 million viewers), 'Sungbu' (2.14 million viewers), 'High Five' (1.79 million viewers), 'Black Nuns' (1.67 million viewers), 'Captain America: Brave New World' (1.65 million viewers), and 'How to Train Your Dragon' (1.37 million viewers). Including comic action films like 'Hitman 2' and 'High Five', occult films like 'Black Nuns', superhero films like 'Captain America: Brave New World', and fantasy films like 'How to Train Your Dragon' all made the list, drawing attention.

The absence of major hits is causing significant concern for the film industry as it prepares for the peak summer season. Even big-budget films like "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning" with its long franchise history and "Mickey 17" directed by master filmmaker Bong Joon-ho have failed to achieve remarkable results. This indicates that the domestic film industry is further contracting. A decline in the industry weakens investment justifications, thereby further shrinking opportunities for large-scale productions. Given that tentpole works have traditionally been major drivers of the film industry, there is an urgent need to find a way out of the increasingly evident vicious cycle in the film industry. It remains to be seen whether any hit films this summer can surpass the 3 million viewer mark and bring vitality back to theaters.

aluemchang@news1.kr

Copyright ⓒ UD News. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited. AI use for learning prohibited.

▶ "'Squid Game Season 3' ending revealed... an endgame of kill or be killed"

▶ 'Yeon Jeong-hoon♥' Kang Hana reveals first look at her husband's parents' house in Pangyo... includes a whirlpool in the bedroom.

▶ 25th term Yeongchul full edit...'NaSolSaGye' 17th term Oksoon and SeoSa evaporation [NIssue]