Does everybody have to watch Avengers?
3 big chains devote 1,800 screens out of 2,200 to blockbuster
By Baek Byung-yeul
An electronic board at a Seoul multiplex theater indicates all screens were showing “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” / Yonhap
The much-hyped Hollywood blockbuster “Avengers: Age of Ultron” has been raking in millions of dollars in the 17 days since its release on April 23, surpassing the 9 million viewer mark.
As for the moviegoers, however, one question seems to be lingering in their minds, “What do multiplex theaters exist for? For us or for the movie chains?
Those who feel these chains handicaps individuals’ freedom of choice are now calling for the adoption of an anti-trust effort, similar to the Paramount Decree in Hollywood.
Ever since entertainment conglomerate CJ CGV first introduced multiplex theaters in 1998 with the motto “all sorts of films in one place,” the film industry has witnessed great success thanks to almost 300 multiplexes nationwide. They posted record revenue of some 2 trillion won ($1.8 billion), making the country the world’s seventh largest film market.
But in the case of the Avengers sequel, that occupied over 1,800 screens among a total of some 2,200 nationwide, the multiplex theaters have been criticized for not allowing moviegoers to make a choice.
The Hollywood blockbuster is still being shown on 1,170 screens as of May 11, according to data collected by the Korean Film Council.
Culture critic Bae Kook-nam criticized that this as clearly showing the “harmful consequences” of multiplex theaters.
“Multiplex theaters have been providing great convenience to movie fans as they can pick what to watch among dozens of films at one place. However, their original intent has been fading over the past few years,” Bae told The Korea Times.
The industry has been controlled by three big cinema chains — CJ CGV, Lotte Cinema and Megabox. The three control almost 80 percent of the entire film market, owning 41.3 percent, 29.1 percent and 19.7 percent of screens, respectively.
“As many people know, it is very hard to enjoy indie films or lesser-known titles at those theaters because they are generally allocated to bad time slots like early in the morning or in the dead of night. They should be aware that screening films cannot be equal to selling merchandise,” he said.
Bae also stated that this isn’t an issue just for companies running multiplex theaters, claiming Korea needs the anti-trust Paramount Decree.
The Avengers is one of the latest series of movies that has helped CJ CGV screen movies with over 10 million paid viewers each.
Last year’s “Roaring Current” and “Ode to My Father” earlier this year are others in this category. .
The Paramount Decree is a 1948 U.S. Supreme Court decision, divorcing film studios from their theater holdings. Bae called for the government to adopt this rule to strengthen the competitiveness of the country’s film industry.
At the moment there is no such law forbidding distributors to own theater chains and that consequently damages audiences’ right to choose.
“Also, letting one cash cow movie dominate the big screen doesn’t help the film industry because that obviously limits minor films from becoming known to the public,” Bae said.