[Focus] April Theaters Aiming for a Box Office Rebound

Three Korean Films Released Consecutively
Can the Mood Turn Around in May-June?

On the streets, cherry blossoms are bursting open like popcorn. April, when flowers that were frozen all winter begin to bloom. Will spring come to the theaters as well? Several Korean films have prepared to meet audiences with considerable momentum. The keywords are sports and romance.

In an era where movie theater tickets cost 15,000 won, the Japanese animation The First Slam Dunk stirred nostalgia and surpassed 4 million viewers, while Avatar: The Way of Water became a 10-million viewer film. Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume no Tojimari also attracted 3.2 million viewers. The feelings of Korean films watching this are complex. There is relief that the spark in theaters has not been extinguished, but also a bittersweet taste.

Now it is Korean films’ turn. Restoring trust is the key. The basketball-themed sports film Rebound, which will continue the 농놀 (basketball play) craze, will be released on the 5th; the romance film Killing Romance starring actors Lee Sun-kyun and Lee Ha-nee on the 14th; and Dream, depicting a homeless soccer team, on the 26th. Industry attention is focused on whether these Korean films releasing one after another this month will become the foundation to heat up the theaters in May and June.

Will Rebound Continue the 농놀 Boom?

'Rebound' steal
[Photo by Barunson E&A]

Continuing the 농놀 craze with the power of a true story. Rebound, opening on the 5th (directed by Jang Hang-jun), brings to the screen the story of the Busan Jungang High School basketball team and coach Kang Yang-hyun (currently the coach of the 3X3 men’s national basketball team), who reached the national tournament finals in 2012 with only six players and no substitutes. It depicts the miraculous eight days during which the weakest basketball team and the 25-year-old rookie coach ran tirelessly.

Directed by Jang Hang-jun, who previously presented Turn On the Lighter (2002) and Forgotten (2017), this is his first film in six years. Actor Ahn Jae-hong, playing coach Kang Yang-hyun, bears an astonishing resemblance to the real person. He delivers natural laughter with his unique comedic timing and fulfills his role well.

New actors also appear as the six basketball players. Lee Shin-young, known from the drama Crash Landing on You (2020), plays Cheon Ki-beom, and Jung Jin-woon, formerly of the group 2AM, plays Bae Gyu-hyuk. Kim Taek, Jung Geon-ju, Kim Min, and Ahn Ji-ho also join as the team.

In a recent interview with this publication, Ahn Jae-hong expressed confidence, saying, "Nothing is as passionate as basketball, and no genre is as passionate as sports films." He added, "Watching it in theaters allows you to fully feel the thrill and fun." He said, "I hope Rebound will create a storm in theaters like Busan Jungang High School, which led the underdog rebellion."

Comedy Disguised as Romance? Killing Romance

'Killing Romance' stills [Photo by Lotte Entertainment]

Actors Lee Sun-kyun and Lee Ha-nee are courting audiences as a couple. Killing Romance, opening on the 14th, tells the story of Jonathan (Lee Sun-kyun), a chaebol from an island nation, and top star Yeorae (Lee Ha-nee), who suddenly retires after falling in fateful love, and their fan club’s third-generation fan, bodyguard Beom-woo (Gong Myung), who together devise an outrageous comeback plan.

Director Lee Won-seok, who delivered fresh and witty laughs with How to Use a Man (2013), takes the helm, collaborating with screenwriter Park Jung-ye, known for The Beauty Inside.

The production team expressed confidence in appealing to audiences in their 20s and 30s. Park said she wrote the script with the motto "Let’s create something the world has never seen." Director Lee explained, "It may look like a light story, but no scene was made carelessly. It touches reality but uses slightly exaggerated devices to evoke cinematic fun."

Rather than focusing on romance, the film aims to deliver laughter and tension. Director Lee said, "I dreamed of an anti-romance. It is completely different from existing love films."

Both Laughter and Emotion in Dream

The film Dream, attracting attention with the collaboration of singer IU (Lee Ji-eun), actor Park Seo-joon, and director Lee Byung-heon, will be released on the 26th.

Dream tells the story of Hong Dae (Park Seo-joon), a reckless former soccer player, and So-min (IU), a passionless PD, who challenge an impossible dream together with a homeless ragtag national team. It is directed by Lee Byung-heon, who made 16.26 million viewers laugh with Extreme Job (2019).

It is inspired by the true story of the Korean national team at the 2010 Brazil Homeless World Cup. Actors Kim Jong-soo, Ko Chang-seok, Jung Seung-gil, Lee Hyun-woo, Yang Hyun-min, Hong Wan-pyo, and Heo Jun-seok come together as a team on the field.

Park Seo-joon described it as "a work where I could truly feel what an ensemble is," and IU said, "I realized how important teamwork is."

Why Are April-May Releases Important?

[Photo by Yonhap News]

The theaters in April are expected to be dominated by sports and comedy. The film The First Slam Dunk, released on January 4, attracted 4.3 million viewers and led a basketball craze. Attention is on whether two Korean films dealing with basketball and soccer respectively will continue this momentum. A comedy film aligned with recent box office trends will also appear.

An industry insider said, "It is important how the films released in April are evaluated. If they are considered fun, it will lay the foundation for Korean films to regain lost trust."

There is an expectation that if Korean films achieve remarkable results in April, the theater atmosphere will revive. Major works such as Crime City 3 in May, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3, and Disney’s The Little Mermaid are scheduled for release, raising anticipation. If films released in April and May succeed consecutively, the momentum could continue into summer.

The industry is closely watching April and May. A source said, "Amid concerns and skeptical reactions about recent ticket price increases and the stagnation of Korean films, it is noteworthy what results the films released during this period will achieve." They added, "In this atmosphere, theaters are also trying to turn the mood around by holding ticket price events. It is important to regain audience trust with good films during this time."