'The Odyssey' overtakes 'Spider-Man' as Korea's top overseas movie of 2026

Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" has become the highest-grossing foreign film released in Korea this year, surpassing "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" in a box office race that had been running neck and neck for weeks.

As of Sunday, "The Odyssey" has drawn 8,471,082 admissions, according to the Korean Film Council, edging out "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," which had previously held the title of top-earning foreign film of 2026 here.

Nolan's film crossed the 8 million mark on Friday, just 24 days after its release, faster than "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," which took 26 days to reach the same milestone, and set the record for the fastest run to 8 million box office sales among this year's releases. It has held the top spot in advance ticket sales for 28 consecutive days starting two days before its release, and has topped the daily box office every single day since its Aug. 5 debut, a 25-day streak that shows no signs of breaking.

The film's success defies almost every recent trend in the Korean box office. Annual movie attendance remains far below pre-pandemic levels amid the rise of streaming and short-form video, leaving even top multiplex chains like CJ CGV in the red in the first half of this year.

Despite this slump, a nearly three-hour-long movie is drawing crowds, largely thanks to people in their 20s and 30s who usually prefer short video clips.

According to CGV booking data on Sunday, moviegoers in their 30s accounted for 26 percent of advance ticket sales for "The Odyssey," the largest share among all age groups, followed by those in their 20s at 24 percent and 40s at 23 percent.

Experts say the trend shows young audiences are not necessarily against long movies. They simply need a clear reason to choose them.

For "The Odyssey," familiarity plays a big role. Many Koreans in their 20s and 30s grew up reading comic book adaptations of the story from Greek mythology that sold over 10 million copies, giving them an easy connection to the story.

Positive response about the film's IMAX version also has fueled the craze.

A major IMAX theater in Seoul has become a top destination for fans and the popularity of the IMAX version has caused a severe problem with scalping, as tickets originally priced at around 20,000 won ($15) are reselling for nearly 120,000 won.

With "The Odyssey" now sitting atop the chart, attention in the box office has begun shifting toward what comes next.

"Assassin(s)," a Korean historical thriller centered on the 1974 assassination of first lady Yuk Young-soo, has already claimed the top spot in advance ticket sales among upcoming Korean releases, its distributor Hive Media Corp said Saturday. This signals that domestic films may finally get a chance to reclaim some of the box office territory Hollywood has dominated for most of the summer.