[Focus] Ten Million Actor and Director Appear... Will They Move 20 Million Viewers?

Movies Mil-su, The Moon, Unofficial Operation, Concrete
Six Summer Films Released in Succession... Who Will Smile?
Kim Hye-su, Seol Kyung-gu, Ha Jung-woo, Lee Byung-hun All Star Cast

[Photo by Yonhap News]

A 100 billion won battle is unfolding in the summer box office. Each distributor has lined up big-budget films costing around 20 billion won for release in July and August. The lineup is impressive. With star directors and actors who have created 10 million viewer hits leading the charge, there is keen attention on whether the market will revive or if last year's disappointing situation will repeat.

The summer market in July and August, which includes vacation season and summer break, has traditionally been considered the peak season for tentpole films (key commercial movies that support the annual cash flow). Although the term "peak season" lost its meaning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the theater scene is showing signs of revival as the impact of the pandemic recedes. Will the six Korean films debuting in this atmosphere capture the 20 million viewers expected in the summer market?

Summer War Featuring 10 Million Viewer Stars

'Smuggling' stills [Photo by NEW]

The summer market opens with the crime action film "Mil-su" directed by the 10 million viewer director Ryu Seung-wan. Distributor NEW will release "Mil-su" on the 26th. Director Ryu, known for "Berlin" (2013), "Veteran" (2015), and "The Battleship Island" (2017), presents his new work after "Mogadishu" (2021), starring actors Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah, and Park Jung-min. With a budget of 18 billion won, the film tells the story of haenyeo (female divers) who get involved in smuggling against the backdrop of the blue sea. It is expected to be a film well-suited for summer. The movie will also be shown in IMAX format, showcasing the vast ocean, the deep underwater world, and action scenes on a large screen.

'The Moon' stills [Photo by CJ ENM]

One week later, on August 2, CJ ENM will release the new film "The Moon" by 10 million viewer director Kim Yong-hwa. Director Kim, who achieved double 10 million viewer hits with the "Along with the Gods" series (2017-2018), brings space to the screen. The story depicts the struggle of an astronaut stranded alone on the moon after an accident and a former space center chief trying to rescue him. It is about a manned spacecraft on a lunar mission encountering solar wind and becoming stranded, a first for Korean cinema. With a production budget of 28.6 billion won, the film realizes the vastness of space on screen. There is considerable anticipation whether a Korean-style space film can rival popular Hollywood space movies. Actors Sol Kyung-gu and EXO member Do Kyung-soo (D.O.) star in the lead roles.

'Secret Operation' stills [Photo by Showbox]

On the same day, Showbox's "Unofficial Operation" will compete. Originally known under the title "Kidnapping," the film stars Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon and is directed by Kim Seong-hoon, who directed "Tunnel" (2016) and the Netflix series "Kingdom." The buddy action film tells the story of diplomat Min-jun (Ha Jung-woo) who travels to Lebanon to rescue a missing colleague and a local taxi driver Pan-su (Ju Ji-hoon). The film was the first to be screened for the press, showing confidence and aiming for word-of-mouth success. Attention is on whether the collaboration between the two actors who have led double 10 million viewer hits and director Kim, with a production budget in the 20 billion won range, will pay off.

Lotte Entertainment will release the disaster film "Concrete Utopia" on September 9. Actor Lee Byung-hun leads the cast, with Park Seo-joon and Park Bo-young also starring. Produced by Climax Studio and directed by Um Tae-hwa, who directed "Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned" (2016), the film is adapted from the second part of Kim Soong-nyung's webtoon "Cheerful Bully," titled "Cheerful Neighbor." The story begins as survivors gather in the only remaining Hwanggung Apartment in Seoul, which has become a ruin after a massive earthquake. Subsequently, the IP (intellectual property) will be used to build the same universe, presenting "Wilderness," "Cheerful Bully," and "Concrete Market" as films and dramas respectively. There is high expectation whether this black comedy on disaster will receive a good response in the summer market.

'Concrete Utopia' stills [Photo by Lotte Entertainment]

The final contenders are trusted actors Jung Woo-sung and Yoo Hae-jin. On September 15, Jung Woo-sung's directorial debut "Protector" and Yoo Hae-jin's "Sweet & Sour" will be released simultaneously. "Protector" is an action film about Soo-hyuk, who is released after 10 years in prison, discovers he has a daughter he never knew about, and wants to live an ordinary life while being targeted by others. The film stars Kim Nam-gil, Park Sung-woong, and Kim Jun-han. It is Jung Woo-sung's first feature-length directorial work.

"Sweet & Sour" is Yoo Hae-jin's first romantic comedy film and is gaining attention. It tells the story of Chi-ho (Yoo Hae-jin), a genius confectionery researcher who knows only about snacks, meeting Il-young (Kim Hee-sun), a person with an optimistic mindset who only knows to move forward, and what happens between them. Yoo Hae-jin's transformation is notable, having delivered strong performances in "Tazza" (2006), "The Pirates" (2014), "Lucky" (2016), and "Night Owl" (2022). Directed by Lee Han, who made "Punch" (2011) and "The Witness" (2019), the film features Kim Hee-sun as Yoo Hae-jin's romantic partner.

Recovery of 20 Million Viewers vs. Cutthroat Competition... Foggy Summer Market

Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible ? Dead Reckoning" opens on the 12th. With a reservation rate approaching 60%, Tom Cruise's power is expected to shine again in the summer box office following last year. In June last year, Tom Cruise's "Top Gun: Maverick" attracted 8.16 million viewers and was a box office success. Expectations are high this year as well. If the film boosts the theater atmosphere, the Korean films releasing one after another can take over the baton smoothly. The industry expects the market to grow and the theater atmosphere to revive.

However, there are also concerns. Some predict a repeat of last summer's cutthroat competition. At that time, "The Outlaws 2" surpassed 10 million viewers and "Top Gun: Maverick" raised the mood, followed by releases of "Alienoid" Part 1, "Emergency Declaration," "Hunt," and "Hansan: Rising Dragon," but only "Hunt" and "Hansan" surpassed the break-even point. Despite being big-budget productions costing hundreds of billions of won, films that did not meet expectations tasted disappointment.

A film industry insider said, "The current theater market is unpredictable." He added, "It is good that big films are releasing one after another, expanding the market and attracting audiences back to theaters, but since changes in movie-watching habits are being sensed, it has become difficult to predict box office success prematurely."

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