[K Movie Golden Age]② 'The Outlaws 2' Becomes First 10 Million Viewer Hit in Endemic Era, Cinema Returns

'The Outlaws 2' Becomes First 10 Million Movie in Endemic Era
28th All-Time & 20th in Korea Record
Park Chan-wook, Song Kang-ho, Lee Jung-jae, Jung Woo-sung Met at Cannes
"Realized the Value of Cinema Over the Past 2 Years"
"Strived to Make Good Films During the Pandemic"
"Film Industry Is an Important Livelihood, Happy to See Recovery"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] The Cannes Film Festival was also curious. What would endemic films look like? In the movie "The Truman Show," a man trapped on a set is watched by 1.7 billion people in 220 countries through over 5,000 cameras for 10,909 days. One day, a light falls from the sky, and upon seeing his deceased father alive, he realizes everything is fiction and escapes the set. This year, Cannes paid homage to the film’s ending on its 75th poster and asked what endemic cinema might look like. Just as we cannot know how Jim Carrey, who walked out the door, lived or what scenes he faced, the festival conveyed a message to look into what form endemic films might take. The appearance of endemic films was the topic of discussion.

Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), theaters froze over the past two years, and audiences enjoyed movies and other content through online video streaming services (OTT) instead. The focus shifted to OTT. Theaters suffered astronomical losses.

Filmmakers did not lose their dreams. They believed that once the epidemic subsided, audiences would return to theaters. They also realized the preciousness of movie theaters. The space of theaters, once taken for granted, and the act of gathering to watch movies together was recognized as something special. This became a driving force to create better films. The belief grew that only good films would bring audiences back.

The movie "The Outlaws 2," starring actor Ma Dong-seok, was released on the 18th of last month and surpassed 10 million viewers at 1:50 PM on the 11th. This achievement was made in just 25 days after release and marked the first film to gather over 10 million viewers since the pandemic, setting a record for the highest audience post-pandemic. The film surpassed 1 million viewers on day 2, 2 million on day 4, 3 million on day 5, 4 million on day 7, 5 million on day 10, 6 million on day 12, 7 million on day 14, 8 million on day 18, 9 million on day 20, and 10 million on day 25. It is expected to surpass the records of "Frozen" (2014), "Interstellar" (2014), and the highest-grossing May release "Parasite" (2019).

It was recorded as the 28th film in history to reach this milestone. Additionally, it was the first 10 million viewer celebration since "Frozen 2," released on November 21, 2019, after two and a half years, and the first endemic 10 million viewer celebration for a Korean film since "Parasite," released on May 30, 2019, after three years.

Park Chan-wook, Lee Jung-jae / Photo by CJ ENM, AFP Yonhap News

There is a saying that reaching 10 million viewers requires a bit of divine help. The perception of theater revival amid stagnation and the allowance of eating and drinking inside theaters have greatly influenced the changed atmosphere of endemic theaters. Especially, it is a victory for well-planned commercial genre films made for theaters, and the popular appeal of actor Ma Dong-seok seems to have driven the popularity. Additionally, Son Seok-gu, who recently gained immense popularity with his charming performance in the JTBC drama "My Liberation Diary," attracted female audiences to theaters, which was a masterstroke.

Korean filmmakers gathered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival looked on with envy as if they had never forgotten movies, watching local audiences enjoying the festival together. They cheered for the success of "The Outlaws 2," which is drawing audiences at a rapid pace. If Tom Cruise was at Cannes, then we have Ma Dong-seok and Son Seok-gu. There is consensus that all situations and timing aligned perfectly. In Cannes, France, they asked what endemic cinema might look like.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

(Jung Woo-sung) "I heard this is the first time the Cannes Film Festival is being held so grandly offline this year, and honestly, I was even happier to hear about the success of 'The Outlaws 2' here. It feels like audiences are finally returning to theaters. Of course, people here don’t wear masks anymore, but every time I leave my hotel room, I think, 'Oh right, a mask,' and go back to get it. Even this morning, it felt strange to go out without a mask. We lived like that for two years. Hearing about the box office success made me think, 'It’s finally coming to an end.'"

(Director Park Chan-wook) "There’s no way to confirm, but the fact that we can all gather and watch movies in theaters at the end of the pandemic means the most to me. Even though it’s a natural thing, it feels more meaningful. I couldn’t go to theaters for a while, but in the last 7-8 months, I’ve been going diligently. During this period, I felt that many good films were being made. Visiting theaters multiple times a week and watching many films made me realize how precious the experience of watching movies in theaters is to us, and that it’s not something to be taken for granted. I was overwhelmed by films to the point of tears. Of course, making 'The Little Drummer Girl' (OTT content) was a good experience, but watching movies again in theaters with people is especially precious and sincerely felt."

Jung Woo-sung Song Kang-ho / Photo by Megabox Joongang Corp. Plus M, CJ ENM

(Lee Jung-jae) "As a filmmaker who has been eagerly waiting for the endemic, the film industry is a very important place of life for me. Not only for us but also for many people working in theaters. We just hope things improve quickly as we slowly approach the endemic. 'Hunt' couldn’t shoot in the U.S. due to COVID-19. The film features three countries; we planned to shoot Thailand and Tokyo streets in Korea, but I thought we must go to Washington, but we couldn’t. This summer, not only 'Hunt' but many good films will be released, so I’m personally very excited. There are no concerts or fan meetings, so I can only meet fans in theaters. That’s why I’m looking forward to the release even more."

(Song Kang-ho) "As a filmmaker, I’m just glad. The film industry itself has been struggling for the past three years due to the pandemic, so it’s heartening to see audiences comfortably returning to theaters. Starting with 'Broker,' 'Emergency Declaration,' which couldn’t be released last year, is scheduled to be released in August to meet audiences. Probably '1 Win' will be released in the fall. Recently, I’ve been filming director Kim Ji-woon’s 'Cobweb.' I’m eagerly looking forward to meeting more audiences soon."

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