Weekend Theater Audience Hits 80,000... Superhero Movies Also Lackluster

On the 15th, as a cluster infection of the novel coronavirus is occurring in the metropolitan area, a movie theater in Seoul shows a quiet scene. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jong-gil] Movie theaters are still facing red lights. The recession continues due to the aftermath of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). According to the Korea Film Council's integrated ticketing system for movie theaters on the 13th, the number of viewers who visited theaters last weekend (11th-12th) was 79,711. For two consecutive weeks, the number did not exceed 100,000. In fact, it decreased by 466 compared to the first weekend of this month (4th-5th), which had 80,177 viewers. This is the lowest since the Korea Film Council began official statistics in 2004.

The box office has long lost its significance. The leader, "1917" (14,390 viewers), failed to attract even 15,000 viewers. "Ip Man 4: The Finale" (10,508 viewers) barely surpassed 10,000, while "Open the Door" (7,235 viewers), "Judy" (5,824 viewers), and "Invisible Man" (5,479 viewers) all failed to reach that mark. The government extended the high-intensity "social distancing" measures until the 19th, showing a clear downward trend. Since even anticipated releases show no signs of opening, the slump is expected to continue for the time being.

Theaters see the re-screening of popular superhero movies as an opportunity for recovery. However, as of 8 a.m. on the 13th, the number of reserved viewers falls far short of expectations. "Logan" has 398 reservations, and "Deadpool" has 210. A theater official said, "It will improve significantly on the 29th when 'Avengers: Infinity War' and 'Avengers: Endgame' are re-screened."

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