Korean Content Soars, but Theaters Remain 'Silent'

No Notable New Releases in a Month
Disappointing Performance of 'The Batman'
"Unpredictable Situation, Must Be Cautious"
New Releases Expected by End of April

The article content is unrelated to the image. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "I want to showcase the movie quickly, but it feels overwhelming."

Although half of March has passed, theaters remain quiet. The newly completed films lie dormant on each distributor's web hard drive, gathering dust, but no one dares to take them out and show them.

Typically, the schedule is announced a month before a movie's release, and promotional marketing begins. Posters, teasers, and trailers are released, leading up to the premiere day. As of the 15th, none of the major four distributors have announced any new releases for April. Since the release of the actor Choi Min-sik-starring film The Mathematician in the Strange Land (director Park Dong-hoon) on the 9th, the atmosphere has been one of cautious waiting.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, the number of new COVID-19 cases in the past week increased from 210,000 to 380,000. The number of confirmed cases rose by 1.4 times in one week. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters predicted that the outbreak would decline starting from the 23rd, but the number of critically ill patients is expected to reach 2,120 by early next month.

There is a consensus that due to the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the spread of the Omicron variant, distributors cannot confidently set movie release dates and have no choice but to leave films on web hard drives.

A film industry insider said, "In the case of foreign films, they are released globally simultaneously, so they are playing in theaters, but the Hollywood blockbuster The Batman, which was released amid interest, did not attract as many viewers as expected," adding, "The situation is not good, so we have no choice but to be cautious."

He continued, "It is expected that there will be new releases around the end of April, but it is still cautious and burdensome to present new films during the COVID-19 period," adding, "Because the situation is unpredictable with the spread of Omicron and the emergence of variant viruses, it is difficult to take a step forward easily." He added, "I think a similar atmosphere will continue for the time being."

The insider also said, "Some films that have endlessly postponed their release are exploring other paths, such as knocking on the doors of online video streaming services (OTT)," expressing hope that "quality films will be shown in theaters and meet many viewers."

It is not that there are no new releases at all. The action film Hot Blood will be released on the 23rd, the Korean-French co-production Vanishing: Unsolved Case (director Denis Dercourt) starring actor Yoo Yeon-seok and B Cut, starring Kim Dong-wan, a former member of the group Shinhwa, will be released on the 30th, and Take Care of My Mom (director Park Kyung-mok) starring Kim Young-ok will open on the 13th of next month. Foreign films Belfast will meet audiences on the 23rd, and Stella and Super Sonic 2 will be released on the 6th of next month.

As warm winds blow, it remains to be seen whether spring will come to the theaters as well.

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