Theater Industry Hit Hard by COVID-19, Saved by 'Soul'

Last Weekend Drew 303,342 Viewers... Cumulative Audience Reaches 400,000 in Five Days Since Release
'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train' Ranks 2nd at Box Office with Special Screenings Only

The theater industry, hit hard by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has rebounded with new releases.

According to the Korea Film Council's integrated ticketing system, the number of moviegoers last weekend (22?24) was 362,585. This is more than four times the 87,287 visitors from the third weekend of this month (15?17).

This success is thanks to the new release "Soul." Last weekend, it attracted 303,342 viewers across 2,018 screens (18,638 showings). With a seat occupancy rate of 9.6%, it accounted for 84.4% of the box office revenue share. It is the first time since the second weekend of November last year (6?8), when "Collectors" drew 423,583 viewers, that a weekend box office number one film attracted over 300,000 viewers. Surpassing 400,000 cumulative viewers (408,212) within five days of release, it has revitalized the struggling theaters.

Scheduled to open on the 27th, "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train" ranked second at the box office with special screenings alone. It attracted 10,284 viewers across 24 screens (89 showings). Among films securing over 10,000 seats, it showed the highest seat occupancy rate (45.6%), signaling a strong surge this week. This film previously became the highest-grossing movie in Japan, surpassing "Spirited Away."

Other films all failed to attract over 10,000 viewers. The new release "Connect" recorded 7,132 viewers, and "Wonder Woman 1984," which had led the weekend box office for four consecutive weeks, drew 4,379 viewers. Following them were "In the Mood for Love" (3,531), "Pahim" (2,957), "Tenet" (2,318), "Mochuari Connection" (2,156), "Blind" (1,936), and "I Am Woman" (1,590).