The film 'HOPE' has surpassed 4 million moviegoers nationwide in 19 days since its release, crossing the critical threshold toward its breakeven point.
According to the Korean Film Council's integrated ticketing computer network on August 3, 'HOPE' attracted 335,810 viewers nationwide over its third weekend (July 31 to August 2), maintaining the No. 2 spot at the box office. Its cumulative audience stands at 4,110,550.
'HOPE' surpassed the cumulative mark of 4 million moviegoers around midnight on August 1, just 19 days after hitting theaters. This makes it the third film released this year to reach the 4 million milestone, following 'The King's Warden' and 'COLONY'.
Estimated to have cost over 50 billion won in production expenses, the breakeven point for 'HOPE' is approximately 5 million viewers. While originally projected to be around 7 million, the breakeven threshold was reportedly lowered significantly due to advance sales to 200 countries overseas. With 5 million set as the benchmark, the film has now reached 80 percent of its breakeven goal.
However, as it entered its third week in theaters, the momentum of 'HOPE' has cooled considerably. It drew 1.5 million viewers in its first weekend, 760,000 in its second weekend, and 330,000 in its third weekend. Given its remaining steam, reaching the breakeven point will not be an easy task. Current projections place its final tally anywhere from the late 4 millions to the early 5 millions.
A major variable is the strong performance of two powerful competitors. 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' has been picking up box office speed faster than expected (surpassing 3 million in 5 days), and 'Odyssey', opening on August 5, also poses a formidable challenge. With two days left until its release, 'Odyssey' has recorded an advance booking rate of 40.3% with 361,000 tickets sold, closely trailing 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' (40.9%, 366,000 tickets).
If the two films engage in an unyielding competition, the ticket sales momentum for 'HOPE', currently sitting at No. 3 or 4, could slip further. 'HOPE' currently records an advance booking rate of 3.9% with 34,000 tickets, placing it in the lower tier at No. 4 behind another upcoming release, 'Heartsping: Teenieping of Love' (7.6%, 68,000 tickets).
While a prolonged theatrical run could help the film reach its breakeven point despite the slow pace, losing advance booking shares to the three new releases would make it difficult to secure screens.
The team behind 'HOPE' plans to pull out all the stops to secure new audiences and encourage repeat viewings through word-of-mouth and active promotion. Entering its fourth week since release, the film's main cast members will continue greeting audiences through stage appearances this week.
(SBS Star News, Reporter Kim Ji-hye)
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