Box office admissions hit rock bottom Monday: data The number of box office admissions plunged to a new all-time daily low on Monday, with the coronavirus pandemic keeping would-be moviegoers at home, data showed. Courtesy of CGVThe number of box office admissions plunged to a new all-time daily low on Monday, with the coronavirus pandemic keeping would-be moviegoers at home, data showed.The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) said Tuesday that only 15,726 tickets were sold at cinemas the previous day, the first time a daily figure fell below 20,000 since KOFIC began compiling box office data in 2004.Even the No. 1 film in the box office, "Ip Man 4: The Finale," had an underwhelming draw with 2,718 admissions.Monday is typically a slow day at the movies. Combine that with the fallout from the pandemic and theaters nationwide have taken a beating.Multiplex chains like CGV have closed 35 locations, and film distributors have altered their release plans.With no new release set to move the needle in April, the downtrend may continue, an industry source said. (Yonhap)Apr 7, 2020
COVID-19 prompts theaters to increase on-screen diversity Donnie Yen Ji-Dan in film “Ip Man 4: The Finale” / Courtesy of Ziness CommunicationVirus-hit movie theaters see strong presence of international films By Kwak Yeon-sooWhile major domestic and Hollywood films are being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Japanese, European and South American films are filling the void to keep movie goers happy. The number of people going to see a film here fell to a 16-year low last month due to lingering fears over the spread of the virus. According to data provided by the Korean Film Council, 1.83 million went to the cinema in March, down 87 percent from 14.67 million a year ago.A total of 80,180 people visited movie theaters Saturday and Sunday, down sharply from 86,274 the weekend before.Hong Kong martial arts film “Ip Man 4: The Finale,” which was released April 1, topped the local box office over this weekend, drawing in 15,866 viewers. It is a biopic of legendary Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man, best known as the teacher of Bruce Lee.“What's shocking is that a slew of domestic films attracted audiences of less thaApr 6, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Korean streaming service market grows 32.7% in 2019: report Film “The Irishman.” Courtesy of NetflixThe South Korean online movie streaming service market expanded 32.7 percent last year from a year earlier on the back of rising demand for binge-watchable mobile platforms, a report showed Monday.According to the annual report published by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), the total revenue of the over-the-top (OTT) platforms' film services reached 71.8 billion won (US$58.1 million) in 2019, up from 54.1 billion won a year ago.It accounted for 77.2 percent of the country's video-on-demand market for movies that involves internet-based film archives, totaling 93 billion won last year, up 27.2 percent on-year.The report said global OTT businesses, including U.S. giant Netflix, have made their presence clear in South Korea by providing well-known content, including Oscar-nominated films "The Irishman" and "Marriage Story."Netflix had an estimated 2 million subscribers in South Korea last year, compared with 400,000 tallied in February 2018, it noted."Netflix announced partnerships with Korean productions including CJ ENM and Studio DraApr 6, 2020
Number of weekend moviegoers plunges to record low The number of moviegoers dropped to a record low over the weekend as lingering fears of the novel coronavirus keep people staying at home. YonhapThe number of moviegoers dropped to a record low over the weekend as lingering fears of the novel coronavirus keep people staying at home, data showed Monday.A total of 80,180 people went to cinemas on Saturday and Sunday, down sharply from a combined 86,274 tallied a week earlier, according to the data by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).It is the lowest weekend number since KOFIC started to compile local box office data in 2004.The record-breaking downbeat trend in the number of moviegoers has been continuing for weeks as people are asked to avoid public gatherings and outdoor activities to prevent the spread of COVID-19.An all-time low of 25,873 tickets was sold on March 23, while the monthly total hit 1.83 million, the lowest since 2004.Due to the fallout from the coronavirus epidemic, multiplex chains like CGV have closed some of their theaters nationwide, and film distributors have rescheduled their release plans. South Korea has reportApr 6, 2020
Disney shuffles movie schedule due to virus, 'Mulan' set for July Cast members and director of “Mulan” pose at the European premiere for the film in London, March 12, 2020. ReutersWalt Disney Co will release the live-action epic "Mulan" in movie theaters in July and Marvel's "Black Widow" in November, the company said on Friday as it reshuffled a schedule disrupted by the global coronavirus outbreak.Among other changes, Disney postponed the release of a new "Indiana Jones" movie by one year to July 2022, the company said in a statement.Movie theaters around the world have been closed and film production has been put on hold to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.Hollywood studios are optimistic that theaters will be back in business by late July. Disney set the debut of "Mulan," which was supposed to reach theaters last month, for July 24. ViacomCBS Inc's Paramount Pictures moved a new animated "SpongeBob" movie to July 31, and AT&T Inc's Warner Bros said it planned to release "Wonder Woman 1984" on Aug. 14."Black Widow," starring Scarlett Johansson, had been scheduled to kick off the summer blockbuster season, traditioApr 5, 2020
Gov't plans to support virus-hit film industry draw mixed opinions The South Korean government's recent plans to give financial support to the virus-hit film industry is drawing mixed views on whether they are effective and realistic enough for theaters and filmmakers to get over the crisis. YonhapThe South Korean government's recent plans to give financial support to the virus-hit film industry is drawing mixed views on whether they are effective and realistic enough for theaters and filmmakers to get over the crisis.Earlier this week, the government said it is considering an exemption from charges for the film development fund for a limited period as part of comprehensive measures to back up industries struggling with slumping demand due to the coronavirus outbreak.All local movie theaters should contribute 3 percent of ticket sales every month to the fund. The total amount of annual imposition is about 54 billion won (US$43.5 million).The government's plan also includes funding for opening marketing to some 20 films that have had their premieres pushed back because of the virus, and subsidies to help movie studios resume their filming or producinApr 2, 2020
'Extraction': Chris Hemsworth is mercenary in poster for Netflix film Film “Extraction.” Courtesy of NetflixNetflix is giving a glimpse of the new film Extraction.The streaming service shared a poster for the new action movie Tuesday featuring Chris Hemsworth as Tyler Rake, a mercenary tasked with rescuing a drug lord's kidnapped son.The poster shows Hemsworth wearing a tactical vest in the forefront of the image and a chaotic scene in the background.Extraction is directed by Sam Hargrave and produced by the Russo brothers, Anthony and Joe Russo. Hemsworth previously collaborated with Russos while playing Thor in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers Endgame, which the brothers directed."@chrishemsworth is Tyler Rake. EXTRACTION, directed by ATOMIC BLONDE stunt coordinator Sam Hargrave and produced by the @Russo_Brothers, arrives Netflix 4/24," the post reads.Extraction is based on the graphic novel Ciudad, which the Russo brothers created with Andre Parks and Fernando Leon Gonzalez. The film co-stars David Harbour and Derek Luke."Tyler Rake is a fearless black market mercenary with nothing left to lose when his skills are solicited to rescueMar 31, 2020
CGV closes down 35 movie theaters CGV's movie theater is seen empty in this outlet in Seoul, March 2. / Courtesy of CGVBy Kim Jae-heunThe country's biggest multiplex operator CGV temporarily closed 30 percent of its movie theaters here starting last Saturday as a result of the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. CGV has been making every effort to continue its business amid the plunging number of moviegoers but it has come to the point where it can no longer hold out. The multiplex operator owns 116 movie theaters across the country and 35 among them including ones in Chungdam, Myeongdong and Daehangno have now been shut downThe remaining 81 cinemas will not open every day and instead take turns to screen movies. Also, only movie theaters in Yongsan, Wangsimni and Youngdeungpo will be opened full time ― the rest will be limited to three showings per day. Normally, the movie theaters have seven screenings. All CGV employees will work three days a week as a result. The CEO, executives and manager will have their salaries cut by 30 percent, 20 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Those who have worked over 10 years areMar 30, 2020By Kim Jae-heun
'Search Out' observes social media-based cybercrime From left, actors Kim Sung-cheol, Heo Ga-yoon and Lee Si-eon in a scene from “Search Out” / Courtesy of D&YBy Kwak Yeon-soo“Search Out” is a thriller surrounding the “dark heart of the internet,” drawing attention to the new age of cyberbullying, trolling and criminal activities connected to online games.Director Kwak Jung said the film was based on the deadly 2016 “Blue Whale Challenge” that incited participants to commit suicide. Allegedly 130 suicides in Russia were linked to the challenge but this has never been verified. The challenge was reportedly developed by a young Russian student who was arrested by the authorities in the same year.Conducted primarily through social media platforms, the game lasts for a total of 50 days, presenting the “player” with daily tasks.The daily tasks start off innocuously ― from listening to certain genres of music to watching horror films. But the tasks grow increasingly difficult as the days go on, and the final task is the person committing suicide. If the player refuses to compleMar 30, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Judy' tops weekend box office amid virus-caused slump The film “Judy” has sold over 41,000 tickets as of Monday. Courtesy of First RunBy Lee Gyu-leeBiographical film “Judy” landed at the top of the weekend local box office, recording 41,000 ticket sales since its release on March 25. The drama, starring Renee Zellweger, opened in third spot with 8,300 tickets sold, but soon started rising. The film, directed by Rupert Goold, has been acclaimed for its compelling story of “The Wizard of Oz” actress Judy Garland and Zellweger's convincing portrayal of her. Zellweger has won several awards for her role including an Oscar for best actress. “Judy” was one of few Hollywood films that premiered in Korea this month, as many distributors were reluctant to release their movies due to the coronavirus. This curbed box office competition for the film, with the war movie “1917” following in second. However, despite the film's performance at the local box office, ticket sales remain devastatingly low amid the coronavirus spread. The weekend sales have continued to decrease and this weekend's Mar 30, 2020By Lee Gyu-lee
