[Zoom In] Word-of-mouth Hits 'Hansan' and 'Top Gun'... Audiences Have Changed

'Hansan' Reaches 2 Million in 5 Days
'Top Gun' Long-running Success with 7 Million
'Emergency Declaration' Launches in 3 Days
"Audiences Truly Enjoying Movies, Dark Age May Return"

According to distributor Lotte Entertainment's data for "Hansan: Rising Dragon," starring Park Hae-il and Byeon Yo-han, the cumulative audience surpassed 2 million on the fifth day after its release, the 31st. The photo shows a promotional video for the movie at a cinema in Seoul on the 1st.
[Image source=Yonhap News] Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Will the movie 'Hansan: Rising Dragon,' which depicts Admiral Yi Sun-sin's Battle of Hansan, become the second film this year to surpass 10 million viewers?

According to the Korea Film Council's integrated box office data on the 1st, the movie 'Hansan: Rising Dragon' (Director Kim Han-min, hereafter 'Hansan') topped the weekend box office, attracting a cumulative audience of 2,270,207. It surpassed 2 million viewers within five days of its release. This pace is faster than the 10-million viewer films 'Ode to My Father' (2014), 'Miracle in Cell No. 7' (2013), and 'Masquerade' (2012).

'The Outlaws 2,' which became the first 10-million viewer film this year, surpassed 2 million viewers on its fourth day. The reservation rates are also similar. Attention is focused on whether 'Hansan' will lead the revival of Korean cinema and lay the groundwork for a long-term box office success.

'Hansan' portrays the Battle of Hansan, where Admiral Yi Sun-sin and the Joseon navy, united by desperate strategy and courage, defend Joseon against the advancing Japanese forces five years before the Battle of Myeongnyang. Directed by Kim Han-min, who previously directed 'The Admiral: Roaring Currents' (2014) which attracted a maximum audience of 17.61 million, this film has garnered attention as his next work. It is planned as part of a Yi Sun-sin trilogy, followed by 'Noryang' starring Kim Yoon-seok.

The 51-minute naval battle scene is considered the highlight of the film and is praised for the enjoyment it offers on the big screen. Another protagonist of 'Hansan' is the turtle ship. The cinematic thrill of the turtle ship cutting through the waves and defeating the Japanese forces towards the end of the battle is significant. This appeal has led to the film being regarded as a great summer theater experience, drawing audiences.

While 'Hansan' rules the sea, 'Top Gun: Maverick' (hereafter 'Top Gun') dominates the sky. 'Top Gun' defeated major July releases to secure 4th place in the weekend box office and continues to enjoy word-of-mouth success. The film surpassed 1 million viewers on its 4th day, 2 million on the 8th, 3 million on the 12th, 4 million on the 18th, 5 million on the 23rd, 6 million on the 30th, and 7 million on July 31st, its 41st day, maintaining long-term box office success.

Hollywood actor Tom Cruise is showing his colleagues the photo time pose at the press conference for the movie 'Top Gun: Maverick' held on the afternoon of the 20th at Lotte Hotel World in Songpa-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the afternoon of the 25th, attendees posed at the press screening of the movie 'Emergency Declaration' held at Megabox COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. From the left: Park Hae-joon, Im Si-wan, Kim Nam-gil, Jeon Do-yeon, Han Jae-rim, Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Kim So-jin.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The sequel returning after 35 years, 'Top Gun' is an aviation action blockbuster that tells the story of the top pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise) returning as an instructor and the new team members who undertake life-or-death missions. Following its success in North America, it has steadily attracted audiences domestically, becoming the highest-grossing foreign film of the year.

Will Korean cinema return to pre-pandemic levels? There is growing opinion that it remains to be seen whether the revived summer box office momentum is a true recovery or a temporary phenomenon. On the 3rd, the aviation disaster film 'Emergency Declaration' (Director Han Jae-rim) will be released. It is expected that a competitive dynamic will unfold between 'Hansan' and 'Emergency Declaration.' Industry attention is focused on whether these two Korean films will attract more audiences to theaters.

An industry insider commented, "Major anticipated films, each with budgets of 20 to 30 billion won, are being released one after another by various distributors, and audiences are returning to theaters to watch new releases, increasing attendance." They added, "The important thing is to observe whether audiences, satisfied with good films during the peak summer season, continue to visit theaters."

There is a consensus that audiences have changed since the pandemic. The insider said, "Word of mouth has become crucial. Evaluations of films are posted within two hours of release, and in this multi-channel era, manipulation is impossible. Audiences with higher standards now properly consume good films. Recent releases show that truly entertaining works have steadily succeeded through word of mouth, while others have received cold responses."

The insider also noted, "So far, the only film scheduled for release during Chuseok is 'Confidential Assignment: International.' It cannot be ruled out that theaters may return to a dark period after the summer season. It is still too early to say that Korean cinema has fully revived."

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