Four of Top 5 Box Office Hits in Korea Are Domestic Films... Hollywood Blockbusters Are Coming

[Anchor]

From "The Man Who Lives with the King" to other hits, Korean cinema has been exceptionally strong this year. Starting this week, however, highly anticipated Hollywood films are set to hit theaters.

Reporter Lee Joo-hyung has the story.

[Reporter]

South Korea is one of the few countries where domestic films have not been overshadowed by Hollywood productions.

This year, as the film market shows signs of recovery, four of the top five box office hits are Korean films.

In the first half of the year, the market share of domestic films in terms of revenue was more than double that of Hollywood films, marking the highest level in the past decade.

Even global hits like "Super Mario," which topped the worldwide box office with over 1 trillion won in revenue, and "Michael," which ranked second, only managed to attract around 1.5 million viewers in Korea.

However, Hollywood is knocking on the door of the Korean market again starting this week with a wave of blockbusters.

The charge is led by "Disclosure Day," a film by legendary blockbuster director Steven Spielberg.

The master director, who has shown an interest in extraterrestrial civilizations since "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "E.T.," poses chilling questions amidst a chase between those trying to hide the existence of aliens and those attempting to expose them.

[Steven Spielberg/Director: I believe much more now than when I made 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (1982) that we are not the only intelligent civilization in the universe.]

The scene where the protagonist suddenly speaks Korean due to the alien's supernatural powers is also quite impressive.

"Toy Story," the pioneer of 100% CG-animated 3D films, is also returning with its fifth installment.

It has been 31 years since the first film, and the main antagonist for the toy protagonists is no longer a doll, but a tablet device.

Through the bickering between digital devices and analog toys, the film showcases Pixar's signature witty and heartwarming style, satirizing modern society.

In addition, "Supergirl," a female superhero film from DC Comics that rivals Marvel, will be released next week, marking its first live-action adaptation in 42 years. The buzzworthy film "Marty Supreme," featuring global young star Timothée Chalamet, who reportedly practiced table tennis for six years to deliver a career-defining performance, is also set to be released soon.

Amidst the rapid growth of Korean cinema and the pursuit from Hollywood, the theater industry is wrapping up the first half of the year and heading toward the summer season, traditionally the biggest battleground for films.

Reported by Lee Joo-hyung | Video Editing by Ahn Yeo-jin | Design by Hwang Se-yeon | VJ by Oh Se-gwan
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.