코로나 이후에도 위기 직면한 영화관 여름 기대작으로 부흥할까?
It's time for our weekly Arts and Culture segment.
We have our culture correspondent Song Yoo-jin in the studio.
Welcome.
Good evening.
What do you have for us today?
Jung-min, it's been raining heavily this week and with schools starting summer vacation, I'm sure many of our viewers are wondering how to spend their time.
One option could be heading to the movie theater.
This year, we're seeing a number of films performing remarkably well at the box office, like the third installment of the "Roundup" series and the Pixar animation "Elemental."
But it's been quite a while since we've witnessed bustling crowds at movie theaters.
For this week, I delved into the reasons why fewer people are going to theaters and what can be done to reverse this.
Movie theaters have been going through a rough patch for the past few years.
First, there was COVID-19.
Hopes were high for a comeback after social distancing rules were eased, but it seems that things haven't turned around just yet.
The number of people visiting movie theaters in South Korea during the first half of this year only reached half of what it was in 2019, before the pandemic.
So, what's causing this sluggish rebound?
"Streaming services expanded their business significantly throughout the pandemic.
As the cinema industry suffered, many film professionals shifted toward these platforms.
As a result, we've seen a flood of high-quality original content on streaming services."
Another factor at play is the price of a ticket.
"Going to the movies is expensive these days, especially when compared to the lack of diversity in the films being screened."
Movie theater chains in the country raised ticket prices multiple times during the pandemic, citing a loss in operating profits.
A ticket now costs 14-thousand won on weekdays, that's around 11 U.S. dollars and 15-thousand on weekends so around 12 dollars.
This costs more than most of the priciest monthly subscription options among streaming services available in Korea.
However, there's hope for recovery.
It's summer season for theaters, which means a flurry of blockbuster Hollywood and domestic films will hit the big screen.
The stage is already set with "The Roundup: No Way Out" becoming the first film this year to attract over 10 million viewers while "Mission Impossible 7" enjoyed the best opening day among foreign films that premiered in Korea this year.
"The news of these films attracting such large audiences could further drive people to the theater to check them out."
But to really revitalize the movie theater industry, it's time for theaters to undergo a transformation.
"If theaters show other content too like they did with live-streaming the Olympics, I'd definitely come more often.
Watching those competitions on the big screen really pulled me into the excitement of the Games."
"The key is to create an experience that only theaters can offer through top-notch sound systems and special effects. Customers prioritize value for money, so if they're paying extra, they expect something beyond what they can get at home."
By adapting to evolving audience expectations, theaters can reclaim their position as a cultural hub.
Yoo-jin, for those who have plans to head to movie theaters, what are some films they can look forward to?
Well, for Korean speakers, four flagship domestic movies are set to reach theaters soon.
One of them is "Smugglers," directed by Ryu Seung-wan, known for his previous hit movie "Veteran."
In the realm of Sci-Fi, we have "The Moon," starring Seol Kyung-gu, Doh Kyung-soo, and Kim Hee-ae.
Then there's the disaster film "Concrete Utopia" and the action-packed "Ransomed."
For foreign films, Christopher Nolan, the mastermind behind "Inception" and "Interstellar," his latest work "Oppenheimer" will premiere next month.
"Barbie" by Oscar nominee Greta Gerwig will premiere next week...
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2023-07-14, 18:00 (KST)
