A Long-Awaited Spring at the Theaters... 'Fast & Furious 9' Hits Box Office Success

Surpasses 1 Million Viewers in Five Days After Release... Other Films Struggle
Domestic Films Postpone Releases "Step-by-Step Easing and Practical Support Needed"

On the 18th, CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul was less crowded than usual. On this day, CGV announced that it will raise movie ticket prices by 1,000 won starting from the 2nd of next month to overcome the crisis caused by the prolonged COVID-19 situation. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

A spring day has finally arrived at the theaters. Over 700,000 viewers gathered over the past three days last weekend.

According to the Korea Film Council's integrated ticketing system on the 24th, the number of moviegoers who visited theaters from the 21st to the 23rd was 749,835. This is the highest weekend record this year. It marked a turning point in the atmosphere that had been stagnant due to the spread of COVID-19.

About 84% of the total audience watched "Fast & Furious 9: The Ultimate." With 628,103 viewers, the cumulative audience surpassed 1 million just five days after its release, reaching 1,132,898. It overtook "Godzilla vs. Kong (703,185)" and "Minari (1,125,209)" to rank third in this year's box office. This rare hit has injected momentum into the normalization of the theater industry.

It is difficult to expect the level before COVID-19 immediately. Except for "Fast & Furious 9: The Ultimate," other films' performances are sluggish. Only two films attracted more than 10,000 viewers: "Doraemon: Stand by Me 2 (27,496 viewers; cumulative 59,328)" and "Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (19,752 viewers; cumulative 2,044,636)." "Spiral" drew 9,679 viewers (cumulative 122,851), "The Spy" had 7,532 viewers (cumulative 303,271), and "Rain and Your Story" gathered 6,200 viewers (cumulative 365,321).

Domestic mid-to-large scale films are also postponing their releases repeatedly. These include "Miracle," which already held a production briefing aiming for next month's release, as well as "Hostage" and "Mogadishu." Most production companies plan to monitor the COVID-19 situation further and choose an appropriate release time due to opposition from producers and others. A distributor official said, "The movie theater environment is still unstable due to seat distancing and food consumption restrictions," adding, "We hope for the government's phased easing and practical support."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.