As the monthslong coronavirus pandemic has emptied South Korean theaters, the number of moviegoers in the country dropped to an all-time low in March, data showed Monday. A total of 1.83 million people went to the cinema last month, plunging 87.5 percent from 14.7 million tallied a year ago, according to data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). It is the lowest monthly box office number since KOFIC started to compile such data in 2004. The total revenue nose-dived 88 percent on-year to 15.

Thriller “Time to Hunt” will finally be released on Netflix on Thursday, following a contentious two-week delay. “Time to Hunt” will be released simultaneously in some 190 countries at 4 p.m. local time on Thursday, Netflix said Monday. The streaming company was originally slated to release the film on April 10. However, the release was postponed as a court banned the film’s overseas distribution after the film’s overseas distributor Contents Panda, which w

After over a monthlong delay, the movie “Time to Hunt” will be available on Netflix with the streaming platform announcing that a new release date will soon be made available. Netflix had postponed the premiere of “Time to Hunt” scheduled for April 10, after a court ruling prohibited the release of the movie outside Korea following a dispute between local and overseas film distributors. Kwon Ji-won, the CEO of Little Big Pictures, the film’s local distributor, re

Six years after the Sewol ferry sank to the dark bottom of the sea on April 16, 2014, many questions still linger and the truth remains undisclosed. The incident, which took the lives of more than 300 people, most of them high school students, is remembered as a disaster caused by the many shortcomings of our society. Movies and documentaries inspired by the tragedy or that delve into it remind us that the case is still ongoing.　 The latest such film is “Ghost Ship” by director Ki

With the ever-dropping number of moviegoers, three major multiplexes are holding screenings of Marvel hero movies starting Wednesday. Megabox on Monday said it will screen six of the most popular films from the Marvel series from Wednesday to April 29. “Logan” and “Deadpool” will start screening Wednesday, with “Avengers” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron” to be screened starting April 23. “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: End

The number of weekend moviegoers continued its downside trend to hit a new low this week as the novel coronavirus scare has battered the South Korean film industry, data showed Monday. A total of 79,711 people went to cinemas on Saturday and Sunday, down from the previous record low of 80,180 tallied a week earlier, according to the data by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). It is the first time that a weekend figure dropped below 80,000 since KOFIC started to compile local box office data in 2

As people continue to isolate themselves inside houses owing to the prolonged virus spread, it’s about time that even those who only watch films at cinemas have turned on televisions and downloaded mobile applications searching for movies to binge-watch on. Although online streaming platforms, such as Netflix, Watcha and Wavve, in Korea also offer amazing assortment of films, most require a small contribution of monthly subscription, which may come as a burden for some.  Here are s

South Korean actor Lee Tae-ri’s Hollywood debut film “Anastasia: Once Upon a Time” was released in the US on Tuesday, his agency said Friday. According to Starhaus Entertainment, the film was released through major cable networks and video streaming platforms, such as Amazon, iTunes and Google Play Movie, in the US. The Korean release date has not yet been confirmed yet. In the film adaptation of the classic 1997 animation film of the same title, the 27-year-old actor takes

  Netflix announced Thursday that it would tentatively push back the release of “Time to Hunt” after a local court prohibited the film’s distribution by Netflix outside South Korea. “Due to the court ruling yesterday, we’ve been forced to postpone the global premiere of ‘Time to Hunt,’” Netflix said in an official statement. The global release had been scheduled for April 10. The dystopian action film from Yoon Sung-hyun, which was origin

Though the ongoing coronavirus crisis has stopped the clock for most industries, some big players in the film scene are sticking to their original plans and preparing to release new works this summer. 　　 In recent months, the local film industry has been struggling hard with the ongoing pandemic. Film productions have been postponed or halted. Numbers of cinemagoers have drastically dropped, hitting the lowest point in history, as people refrain from visiting public spaces.　 Meanwhile, amid s

The Seoul Independent Film Festival on Monday announced the full lineup of its annual screening tour “Indie Picnic,” hosted by the organization. The lineup of 24 independent films that received awards or premiered at last year’s film fest includes five feature-length films and 19 short films. “Evaporated,” by director Kim Sung-min, winner of last year’s award for best long feature, tells the story of the family of a young child who disappears without a tra

The number of moviegoers dropped to a record low over the weekend as lingering fears of the novel coronavirus keep people staying at home, data showed Monday. A total of 80,180 people went to cinemas on Saturday and Sunday, down sharply from a combined 86,274 tallied a week earlier, according to the data by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). It is the lowest weekend number since KOFIC started to compile local box office data in 2004. The record-breaking downbeat trend in the number of moviegoer

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many people stuck indoors are coming up with ways to spend time at home, and for movie lovers it is an almost welcome chance to watch famous series one never had a chance to start or rewatch a favorite movie series. Two of the best-known series in cinema of the 21st century are “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001), “The Lord of the Rings: T

The impact of the novel coronavirus on the film industry may continue into early next year, as films not only postpone imminent releases, but suspend shootings and push back entire production schedules. Filming of blockbuster aviation disaster flick “Emergency Declaration,” originally scheduled to start last month, has been postponed, according to the film’s distributor and investor Showbox. “As the film is set inside a plane, it’s a big project in itself and req

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki on Wednesday announced that the government would exempt cinemas from paying into the movie development fund to help theaters weather the impact of COVID-19. The exemption will apply retroactively from February. The government expects the total amount that will be exempted to reach 54 billion won ($44.28 million), the average amount collected annually as movie development fund since 2016. Under the law, movie theaters are required to cont