The film 'Pupil,' starring actor Shin Min-a, has passed the final hurdle in its journey to reach the break-even point.
According to data from the Korean Film Council's integrated computer network for movie theater tickets on July 13, 'Pupil' maintained the number two spot at the box office, drawing 257,816 viewers nationwide from July 10 to 12. The cumulative number of viewers stands at 1,277,263.
'Pupil,' which was released on June 24, surpassed 1 million viewers in 16 days and exceeded 1.2 million viewers in its third week of release. It now needs approximately 530,000 more viewers to reach its break-even point of 1.8 million.
'Pupil' gained momentum through word-of-mouth after overtaking 'Toy Story 5' to reach number one at the box office in its second week. Although the film's overall quality has been described as somewhat lacking, its appeal as the only thriller-horror movie suitable for the summer season captured the hearts of audiences. It also benefited from the distribution of 6,000 won movie discount coupons on July 8.
Having passed the final hurdle toward its break-even point, the box office performance of 'Pupil' this week is more critical than ever. This is because the highly anticipated film 'Hope' is scheduled for release on July 15. 'Hope' currently holds a 63.6% reservation rate with 410,000 tickets reserved. It is almost certain to surpass 500,000 pre-sale tickets before its release.
When a major blockbuster is released, the films currently ranked first and second at the box office are the most affected. 'Moana' and 'Pupil' currently occupy the most screens in theaters. However, it is expected that a significant number of screens will be reallocated starting July 15, when 'Hope' is released.
The film must attract as many viewers as possible this weekend, its fourth week, to get closer to the break-even point. If 'Hope' creates a box office sensation, the space for other films will shrink even further.
If 'Pupil' reaches its break-even point, it is expected to be recorded as an unexpected success in the film industry for the first half of this year, alongside 'Salmokji,' which was released in April and drew 3.24 million viewers.
(SBS Entertainment News, Reporter Kim Ji-hye)
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