Fandom enables some movies to stay longer in theaters
The posters for “The Night Owl,” left, and “Hero” / Courtesy of NEW, CJ ENM
'No film is a failure if it has fans'
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Since the pandemic outbreak, viewers have shifted to streaming services to watch movies and fewer people are going to theaters than before. Against this backdrop, a movie's opening week at the box office has become a stronger predictor of a film's overall commercial success than it used to be, as moviegoers ― both frequent and infrequent ― are influenced by word of mouth generated by social media and reviews when they decide whether to go to a theater or wait until the film becomes available on streaming services.
So if word of mouth online and critical ratings during a film's first week are mostly negative, the number of moviegoers tends to decrease thereafter, and the screening period is ultimately shortened.
However, movies with a strong fan base are likely to stay longer in theaters thanks to repeated viewings.
Despite its wins at major awards including Cannes Film Festival, “Decision to Leave” had lower-than-expected opening ratings. However, it experienced a resurgence of interest as one of the most talked-about films this year, prolonging its stay in theaters and recouping production and marketing costs.
“After a certain amount of time, 'Decision to Leave' fans started sharing the film's iconic quotes on social media, which developed into a series of memes and created a collective buzz. Avid fans also watched the film more than once, expanding its theatrical run,” a CJ ENM official said.
The fandom culture in Korea's film industry is nothing new. However, unlike in previous years when fans independently rented out theaters for group screenings and shared their reviews of certain films, studios and distributors have begun to mobilize fans and organize limited-engagement screenings ahead of the opening.
Period thriller “The Night Owl,” which has taken the top spot at the box office for three consecutive weeks, launched a fandom name event in November. The musical film “Hero,” which is coming to theaters next week, also gave its fan base ― from the decade-old stage musical of the same title ― the nickname of “dongji,” which means “comrade” in English.
Film critic Yoon Sung-eun said film industry officials are turning to supporters to exert their power as fans and share their thoughts about films with a wider audience.
“Ticket prices have increased after the start of the pandemic, and moviegoers seem to have gotten more selective. They want to respect their time, money and effort when going to the cinema, so they refer to other people's reviews and critic scores,” she said.
“Nowadays, moviegoers look for films that they can empathize with. That is why musical genre films with singalong screenings attract a large group of fans. Some fans re-watch a film in many formats, like IMAX, 4D and Dolby Cinema, while others re-watch it to discover hidden meanings,” Yoon said.
Director Park Chan-wook's thank-you note to “Decision to Leave” fans who have watched the film several times, extending its showing in theaters / Courtesy of CJ ENM
But film market researcher Kim Hyung-ho pointed out that fandom in the film industry is overrated, although he agrees that it is one of the factors that can be evaluated to determine whether a film can stay longer at the box office and generate financial returns.
“In my opinion, fandom only comprises 3-6 percent of total ticket sales. However, fans cannot be taken lightly because word of mouth can be powerful, especially if it is negative. A film that is branded a flop can be fatal to everyone involved,” he said.
In August, film distributor Showbox requested a police investigation following rumors that there was a marketing company intentionally leaving negative reviews about its aviation disaster action film, “Emergency Declaration.”
The film, which cost more than 26 billion won ($20 million) to produce, has been one of the most anticipated films this year due to its star-studded cast consisting of Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun and Jeon Do-yeon. However, it reached only 2 million in ticket sales, which is far below the break-even point of 5 million.
Film distributors agreed that fans help their movies get attention and affect many others to want to see them.
“Their impact on the box office results is not significant, but regardless of that, we are thankful for fans who appreciate our movies, share their reviews on social media and engage with director and actors,” the CJ ENM official said.
“Although a film itself may have received less than favorable reviews, the character or a genre could be among the few highlights that fans appreciate. Thus, it is hard to predict what fans look for or appreciate in the films in particular. That is out of our scope,” he added.