First in Korea
An increasing number of movies have their world premieres in Korea, with the box office records in Korea becoming the barometer of global hit in more and more cases.
The examples, this year alone, include Liam Neeson’s Nonstop (February 27), Pompeii (February 20), Noah (March 20) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (March 26), all of which are or are expected to be blockbusters. In the recent past, The Amazing Spiderman, Les Misérables, Iron Man III, and Thor: The Dark World were screened first in Korea in 2012 and 2013.
Hollywood is focusing on the Korean film market for its rapid growth. Last year, the number of local moviegoers broke the 200 million mark, and that of the movies watched by each surpassed four to reach the highest in the world. The sales of Hollywood movies are surging at the same time. Avatar gained 125 billion won (US$116 million) with 13.3 million viewers in 2009, and Iron Man III raked in 71 billion won (US$65 million) with nine million. Frozen attracted 10.3 million viewers to earn 82 billion won (US$76 million).
In addition, Korean moviegoers are said to be more scrupulous and trendier. This means that a box office hit in Korea is likely to lead to a smash hit in the international market.