[Focus] Ma Dong-seok Made 40 Billion Won from 'Beomjoedosie'?... Reasons Why It Was Possible

Planning, Starring, Producing, and Writing All by 'Ma Dong-seok'
Four-Part Series Box Office Hits 400 Billion Won
Additional Revenue from Overseas Sales and VOD Also 'Solid'
Opening the 'Actor Creator Era' in Korean Film Industry

'The Outlaws 4' has entered the '10 Million Movie' Hall of Fame. It is the 24th Korean film and the 33rd film overall to achieve this milestone. It also set a rare record as the first Korean film series to have three installments reach 10 million viewers. The total box office revenue from the four films in the series is approximately 395.2 billion KRW. Actor Ma Dong-seok planned the 'The Outlaws' series and took charge of the lead role, screenplay, and production, landing himself in a lucrative position. He is the first actor to plan a film and attract 10 million viewers. How much has he earned from the 'The Outlaws' series?

Actor Ma Dong-seok [Photo by Yonhap News]

4th installment grosses 103.1 billion KRW at theaters... How is the revenue distributed?

According to the Korea Film Council's integrated box office system, the cumulative audience for 'The Outlaws 4' surpassed 10.8 million as of the 23rd. The cumulative box office revenue is 103.1 billion KRW. Previously, the first film (2017) attracted 6.88 million viewers and earned 56.3 billion KRW, the second film (2022) drew 12.69 million viewers with 131.2 billion KRW, and the third film (2023) had 10.68 million viewers and 104.6 billion KRW in revenue. The total box office revenue from the four films in the series reaches nearly 400 billion KRW.

The biggest beneficiary is Ma Dong-seok. The film industry regards 'The Outlaws' as a film born from his hands. Typically, for theatrical releases, the Korea Film Council deducts a 3% film development fund and 10% value-added tax from the total revenue, and the remaining profit is split 50:50 between theaters and distributors. From the distributor's half, a 10% distribution fee is deducted. Then, after subtracting pure production costs and marketing expenses, the remaining money is divided 40% to the production company and 60% to investors. Investors further distribute funds to sub-investors according to their shares.

The distributor for the four films in the series is ABO Entertainment. Since its establishment, ABO has only distributed 'The Outlaws.' Ma Dong-seok's Big Punch Pictures and Hong Film each hold a 25% stake, while BA Entertainment holds 20%. Additionally, Don Lee (Ma Dong-seok) owns 15%, Jang Won-seok, CEO of BA Entertainment, holds 10%, and Kim Hong-baek, CEO of Hong Film, owns 5%. Ma Dong-seok's total stake in ABO reaches 40%. Last year, ABO, which co-distributed and was the main investor for the third film, recorded sales of 63.24105 billion KRW and an operating profit of 5.36113 billion KRW in 2023. This year's sales are also expected to be substantial.

From the second film onward, 'The Outlaws' has been co-produced by Ma Dong-seok's Big Punch Pictures, BA Entertainment, and Hong Film. The three companies split profits equally. Through the second and third films, these production companies received dividends of 30 billion KRW, roughly 10 billion KRW each. The fourth film's cumulative revenue is 103.1 billion KRW, with a production cost of 15.3 billion KRW, higher than the second film's 13 billion KRW. However, calculating by each share, it is estimated that they will again take close to 10 billion KRW.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Besides theatrical revenue, additional income from overseas sales is also significant. Generally, films that are hits domestically enjoy a halo effect overseas. Popularity at home leads to greater attention abroad. 'The Outlaws 4' was pre-sold to 164 countries including North America, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Thailand, following the second and third films attracting 10 million viewers each.

Revenue from IPTV and digital cable VOD is separate. The first to third films earned considerable income from home viewing. The first film sold 1.18 million VOD units within two months of release, generating about 1.13 billion KRW. The second and third films earned 13.97 billion KRW (1.53 million units) and 13.58 billion KRW (1.44 million units) respectively, indicating a structure capable of generating more revenue than the first film. Moreover, the fourth film has already generated the highest additional revenue overseas before its release, making substantial home viewing income possible.

Ma Dong-seok's era as an actor-creator blooms... 30 to 40 billion KRW 'jackpot'

Ma Dong-seok, who has worked with Marvel Studios in the U.S., is an actor who commands high appearance fees. It is highly likely that he earned a significant guarantee from 'The Outlaws.' In addition to a fixed guarantee, he probably signed a contract to receive a portion of the box office profits as a running guarantee. The actor receives 10% of the excess profits. As the lead actor, producer, investor, and participant in lead roles and adaptation, Ma Dong-seok is calculated to have earned the most from 'The Outlaws.'

Industry insiders speculate that Ma Dong-seok pocketed around 30 to 40 billion KRW from theatrical revenue alone for the four films in the 'The Outlaws' series. First, Big Punch Pictures, Ma Dong-seok's production company involved in the production of the second, third, and fourth films, likely earned about 10 billion KRW per film, securing at least 30 billion KRW. Considering his personal acting fees, distributor shares, and additional revenue, this calculation is plausible.

Ma Dong-seok has changed the flow of the Korean film industry. There was a time when directors ran production companies and oversaw film investment and distribution, wielding enormous power. At that time, directors were truly the 'boss,' and actors had to wait to be chosen by good directors. Ma Dong-seok proved that as a creator, with ability and capital, one can achieve anything without relying on directors.

His discerning eye for good scripts and directors as a creator drove the success of 'The Outlaws,' and through this, Ma Dong-seok solidified his position as a 'producer,' pioneering a new path. In Hollywood, actors like Tom Cruise, Vin Diesel, and Dwayne Johnson play major roles across acting, directing, and producing, but domestically, Ma Dong-seok is unique in this regard.