[Focus] How Did 'Pamyo' Make Money at the Theater?

7 Million People Mobilized in 15 Days, 64.9 Billion KRW Sales
Showbox Recovers from Poor Performance at Once
Young Planning, Simple Structure, Play Marketing
‘Wearing Headbands and V Signs’ Choi Min-sik Styling Craze

The film "Pamyo" quickly attracted over 7 million viewers. It has been only two months since the film "Seoul's Spring" surpassed 10 million viewers. The production cost of "Pamyo" was 14 billion KRW, and it easily exceeded the break-even point (3.3 million viewers) within a week of its release. Considering that even small to medium-sized films with a few famous actors typically have production costs approaching 8 to 9 billion KRW, and major studio films often cost between 20 to 30 billion KRW, this is a well-managed budget.

As of the 7th, "Pamyo" has accumulated 6,766,761 viewers. The total revenue is 64.93862 billion KRW. Showbox, the company that invested in and distributed the film, has recovered from last year's poor performance in one fell swoop. The industry is eager to analyze the extraordinary success of "Pamyo."

Smart and Clever 'Young Planning'

The success of "Pamyo" can be summarized as "audiences recognized a smart film made by a young director."

Director Jang Jae-hyun was born in 1981 and is 43 years old. He began studying film at age 25 after completing his military service. His short film made during university, "The 12th Assistant Priest" (2007), gained attention and was developed into the commercial film "The Priests" (2015). He debuted with this and continued his universe with the film "Svaha" (2019). He is praised for opening new horizons by portraying unique worlds involving Catholic exorcism rituals and cult religions as an attractive occult genre.

Initially, Director Jang prepared "Pamyo" as a horror film. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, he completely changed the script he was writing. After considering "what kind of film audiences want to see in theaters" and "what kind of film would attract many viewers," he overhauled the entire plot. Instead of setting a typical protagonist common in horror films, he changed the story to focus on a team of four boldly moving forward. This smart planning, aimed at making a successful commercial film for theaters, proved effective.

At the exhumation filming site, Director Jang Jae-hyun (left) and actor Choi Min-sik
[Photo by Showbox]

'Exhumation' stills [Photo by Showbox]

Broken in the Middle? Two-Part Structure

Just like the line "The fox cut the tiger's waist," "Pamyo" is also broken in the middle. The film is structured in two parts. Although the overall story flows continuously, it is divided into parts like two separate episodes. Some find it awkward that the film starts with "occult" and ends with "anti-Japanese" themes, but this appears to be a clever choice that absorbed the Generation Z audience (born late 1990s to early 2010s).

Generation Z, who mainly enjoy and consume "short-form" content, are accustomed to watching short videos. Therefore, some find sitting through a two-hour movie in a theater uncomfortable. "Pamyo" precisely targets this. It offers an experience as if watching two separate videos, with one story ending and another beginning, maintaining immersion. This also worked as an advantage for middle-aged and older viewers, as the friendly structure helped convey the story clearly and aided understanding.

Content to Chew, Bite, and Taste Like a Game

Marketing is also important for commercial films. It is interesting that "Pamyo" is thoroughly focused on Generation Z. In the past, the film would have prominently featured the veteran actor Choi Min-sik, emphasizing "acting skills," "experience," and "box office star" qualities. However, "Pamyo" put Choi Min-sik in the background and spotlighted younger actors like Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun. This appears to be a meticulously calculated strategy during marketing.

Choi Min-sik greeting the audience on stage
Photo by Showbox

Although 61-year-old actor Choi Min-sik was not a familiar figure to the general public, "Pamyo" broke his fixed image. He had never appeared in variety shows before, but ahead of the release, he appeared on the tvN variety program "You Quiz on the Block" and shared his story. This was quite different from his previously conservative path. It clearly showed that even Choi Min-sik, who has acted for decades, must change with the times.

Now, film "stage greetings" have become a "culture," not just "fan service." With the growing online influence, "memes" (internet viral content) are created and consumed like games. This calls for strategies tailored to this trend. Recently, during stage greetings, Choi Min-sik wore a "headband" given by an audience member and carried a snack bag. Photos and videos of this spread online, becoming a hot topic. With the trend of "Hal-kkul" (grandfather dressing up), there is a playful atmosphere discussing what costume to gift Choi Min-sik at the next stage greeting. This keeps interest in the film alive.