[Zoom In] Will Only Marvel Movies Remain in Theaters After All?

'Top Gun 2' and 'Thor 4' Major Blockbuster Hits
Box Office Boom for Theatrical Feature Films
"Production Costs Rise, Star Dependence to Increase"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "Theaters will survive, and audiences will gain the freedom to choose movies. Most people will want to watch large franchise films like Marvel because the visual enjoyment experienced on the sofa is lacking."(Tom Hanks)

Actor Tom Hanks predicted that well-planned large commercial films would dominate Hollywood theaters. This has become a reality as we enter the endemic phase. The same applies to Chungmuro. In May, popcorn returned to cinemas and seat adjacency was allowed, bringing back audiences who had left the theaters.

Ma Dong-seok's punch was strong. The sequel to "The Outlaws" (director Kang Yoon-sung), which was released on October 3, 2017, and attracted 6.88 million viewers, "The Outlaws 2" (director Lee Sang-yong) became the first 10 million viewer film of the year. On the 11th, it surpassed a cumulative audience of 12,588,779, overtaking "Aladdin" to rank 13th in all-time box office. The clear good-versus-evil storyline, Ma Dong-seok’s signature action delivering catharsis, and humor shone brightly. The popularity of Son Seok-gu from the drama "My Liberation Notes," which sparked the "Chuang" craze, also attracted female audiences.

The baton was passed to "Uncle Tom" Tom Cruise. The movie "Top Gun: Maverick" held the box office top spot for two consecutive weeks, accumulating 4.65 million viewers. The image of fighter jets racing across the sea and snow-covered mountains vividly unfolded on the big screen, making it a must-watch film in theaters and gaining popularity. Tom Cruise, who visited Korea ahead of the release, attracted domestic audience interest with special fan service.

Riding the momentum, the Marvel film "Thor: Love and Thunder" was released on the 6th and surpassed 1 million viewers in just four days. It started smoothly by attracting 1,184,510 viewers during the first weekend. Additionally, it drew attention by recording higher audience numbers than "Jurassic World: Dominion" and "Top Gun: Maverick" during the same period last month. This seems to reflect the interest in the new Marvel release, which has a solid fandom in Korea. Marvel films are recognized as representative large blockbusters, and there is a strong perception that they are best enjoyed in theaters.

This summer, major distributors are presenting large blockbusters side by side. CJ ENM will release director Choi Dong-hoon's "Alien+In," Lotte Entertainment will release director Kim Han-min's "Hansan: Rising Dragon," Showbox will release director Han Jae-rim's "Emergency Declaration," and Megabox Joongang Plus M will release director Lee Jung-jae's debut film "Hunt" from late July to early August in theaters.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

A film industry insider said, "Looking at the movies audiences have recently chosen in theaters, most are works planned and made as commercial films for theaters in Hollywood," adding, "They were shot with Dolby, IMAX cameras, etc., considering the viewing environment, and the story was crafted accordingly to optimize the screening experience."

The insider also said, "After the pandemic, the movies loved in theaters are mostly large blockbusters. The tendency to focus more on action and specific genres rather than story or romance is expected to deepen. Accordingly, production costs will continue to increase, and star dependency will also rise."

He continued, "Ticket price increases and high-quality content from online video services (OTT) are raising audience expectations day by day. While the most important thing is the fun of the movie, safe choices considering box office success will likely continue."

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