Three of the most highly anticipated films of this summer are signaling an intense competition ahead of their releases.

Director Na Hong-jin's new film, Hope, which is set to hit theaters on the 16th, opened ticket reservations early and has already secured the number one spot in reservation rates. As of the 8th, it holds the top position in both reservation rate at 45.6% and the number of tickets reserved at 150,000.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which opens on the 29th, opened its reservations today (the 8th), 21 days ahead of its release. Odyssey, scheduled for release on August 5, will open its reservations on the 9th, about a month before it hits theaters.

Both films have opened reservations more than 21 days before their release dates, marking the beginning of a fierce battle for ticket sales.

Hope is expected to be the first among the tentpole films to capture the market. Both the reservation rate and the number of tickets sold are at levels that suggest a major box office success. Anticipating the market dominance of Hope, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Odyssey are also moving quickly to open reservations as part of a strategy to secure audiences early.

Starting today (the 8th), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is distributing approximately 2.05 million discount vouchers worth 6,000 won each for movie tickets. All three films are expected to compete fiercely to take advantage of this favorable opportunity. The early opening of reservations is also part of a strategy to preemptively attract moviegoers.

Attention is focused on how the three-way battle will unfold between the new film from the reliable director Na Hong-jin, Hope; the guaranteed 7 million-viewer franchise series, Spider-Man: Brand New Day; and the new film from Hollywood's top box office draw, Nolan, titled Odyssey.



(Reported by Kim Ji-hye | SBS Entertainment News)