Spider-Man Rarely Seen at Night... Outdoor Film Industry Rally Announced

Operating hours limited to 10 PM until January 2 next year... Profit opportunity at risk
"Average daily screenings reduced by about 1.5 times" 'Emergency Declaration' and 'Kingmaker' postponed
Film industry to hold outdoor rally in front of National Assembly tomorrow "Minimum survival conditions must be guaranteed"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Most modern movie theaters are cinema complexes?large-scale theaters with multiple screening rooms within a single building. Multiple screening rooms share essential facilities such as box offices, projection rooms, lobbies, and concession stands, which is advantageous for operators. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, normal operations have become difficult, and the situation is now quite the opposite. Increased building rental fees and labor costs have become burdens. In fact, the three major multiplex chains (CJ CGV, Lotte Cinema, Megabox) have been posting monthly losses since February last year. Although the phased return to normal life (With Corona) last month seemed to provide some relief, recent quarantine measures have been strengthened again. Operating hours are restricted to 10 p.m. until January 2 of next year.

This regulation is particularly painful for movie theaters because it comes at a time when a chance for profitability has appeared after 23 months. The highly anticipated film is Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man: No Way Home." It attracted over 1 million viewers within two days of its release. Over the past weekend (17th?19th), it drew 1,743,475 viewers, bringing the cumulative total to 2,770,460. Multiplex insiders express their regrets. Mr. A said, "The expected number of viewers for last weekend was over 2.5 million," adding, "Due to the operating hour restrictions, it only reached about 70% of that."

The problem lies in the weekdays this week. The biggest advantage that viewers enjoy at cinema complexes is the freedom and guarantee of variety that comes from exhibiting and selling a large number of different titles. The running time of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is 148 minutes. Screenings cannot start after 7:10 p.m. The situation is even more difficult for "Drive My Car," which won the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival. With a running time of 179 minutes, it is hard to attract viewers after work. Mr. B, a multiplex insider, said, "On average, about 1.5 screening sessions per day are reduced," adding, "It's unfortunate because this affects the prime evening hours."

As the government postponed the transition to Phase 2 of the gradual return to normal life (With Corona) and announced special quarantine measures for four weeks due to the worsening COVID-19 situation, a notice about the operation of the vaccine pass section is posted at a movie theater in Seoul on the 30th. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Under worsening conditions, domestic distributors are avoiding releases or fleeing to online video services (OTT). "Emergency Declaration," starring Song Kang-ho and Lee Byung-hun, has given up its January release next year. "Kingmaker," starring Sol Kyung-gu and Lee Sun-kyun, which was scheduled to open on the 29th, has postponed its release to the Lunar New Year holiday next year. Overseas films such as "Tokyo Revengers," "Clifford the Big Red Dog," and "Feedback" have also delayed or canceled their releases. Mr. A expressed concern, saying, "If high-intensity social distancing is extended in January next year, other Korean films like 'Blood of the Policeman' (January 5) and 'Special Delivery' (January 12) could face the same fate."

"Happy New Year," which opens on the 29th, will be simultaneously released on the OTT platform TVING. Some films have started negotiations with other OTT platforms. Mr. C, a distributor, said, "Only a small number of films are sold to OTTs. The number of films piling up in warehouses continues to increase," adding, "If sales continue to be blocked, the entire film industry will inevitably be shaken." In 2019, 76% of the film industry's revenue came from movie theater ticket sales.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Amid the ongoing crisis, the film industry will hold an outdoor rally at 10 a.m. on the 21st in front of the National Assembly building in Yeouido. The Korean Film Producers Association, Korean Film Directors Guild, Film Importers and Distributors Association, and Theater Association issued a statement on the 20th, strongly requesting that "when adjusting operating hours for multi-use facilities, exceptions be made considering the unique characteristics of movie theaters and the film industry."

They argued, "The number of viewers, which approached 230 million in 2019, plummeted to about 60 million last year, and a similar level is expected this year," adding, "The cumulative damage within the film industry caused by this is immeasurable." They emphasized, "Operating hour restrictions are not simply a problem for movie theaters alone. They seriously infringe on the public's enjoyment of cultural life and could spread damage throughout the film industry, leading to a domino collapse of related industries," and urged, "We ask that at least the minimum conditions for survival be guaranteed."

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