Can "Dogul" Surpass the Break-Even Point? Even the No.1 Can't Smile at the Box Office

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Due to the resurgence of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus infection), the number of moviegoers visiting theaters has decreased. Although the film "Dogul" has maintained the number one spot at the box office for 16 consecutive days, the record is slow to the point of being meaningless.

According to the Korea Film Council's integrated box office data on the 20th, "Dogul" (directed by Park Jeong-bae) attracted 29,473 viewers on the 19th, securing the top spot at the box office. The cumulative audience count is 1,120,220.

In second place, "The Day I Died" (directed by Park Ji-wan) drew 10,319 viewers, with a cumulative audience of 177,475, while third place "Samjin Group English TOEIC Class" (directed by Lee Jong-pil) attracted 9,775 viewers, bringing its total audience to 1,483,643.

The total number of moviegoers visiting theaters on the 19th was 86,075.

The caper movie "Dogul," released on the 4th, seemed to be doing well by consistently holding the number one spot at the box office, but it barely surpassed the 1 million mark in its second week. Since then, it has struggled to gain momentum, reaching only 1.12 million viewers by the 16th day. With a break-even point at around 2.5 million viewers, there is still a long way to go.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) announced that as of midnight on the 20th, there were 320 new domestic COVID-19 cases and 43 imported cases. The total new confirmed cases increased by 20 from the previous day to 363. With the number of confirmed cases remaining in the 300s for three consecutive days, there are concerns about a third wave centered in the metropolitan area.

While "Dogul" could expect long-term success like "Dambo," the two films are somewhat different. "Dambo" is a family-targeted human drama that was released during the Chuseok holiday, which helped attract audience interest. Additionally, it succeeded in surpassing the break-even point by steadily drawing viewers as COVID-19 cases were declining.

"Dogul," being a crime entertainment movie targeting viewers in their 20s and 30s, is inevitably affected by the decrease in theater attendance. Although it avoided the worst-case scenario by holding stage greetings in the first and second weeks, the path to breaking even remains distant. However, there is hope to surpass the break-even point through additional rights sales such as VOD and IPTV.

On this day, "Run," the new film by director Aneesh Chaganty, who broke the foreign film box office record with "Search," was released, adding to the weekend theater lineup. The break-even of "Dogul" depends on fate, making it a bittersweet November.

Theaters are expected to contract further. Health authorities have warned that the number of confirmed cases could rise from the 300s to the 400s. Caution is required for everyone's safety.

Moreover, sighs deepen among productions that have no choice but to release their films in December under these circumstances.

Photo = CJ Entertainment