Will any upcoming Hollywood blockbusters be hits in Korea?

Amid the ongoing slump of Hollywood blockbusters at the local box office, attention is focused on whether any of the upcoming mega-scale films can break the trend or struggle to compete against a diverse lineup of Korean movies.

First on the list is “Venom: The Last Dance,” an American superhero film.

The final installment in the Venom trilogy, opening in Korea on Oct. 23, sees Tom Hardy return to his role as Venom, one of Marvel’s most complex characters.

The previous films in the series attracted 3.8 million admissions for “Venom” (2018) and 2.1 million for “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” (2021) in Korea.

Directed by Kelly Marcel, “Venom: The Last Dance” follows Eddie and Venom as they evade forces from both their worlds, marking the conclusion of their saga.

Next is Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” the sequel to his 2000 classic “Gladiator,” opening on Nov. 13 in Korea.

The film continues the story of Lucius (Paul Mescal), the former heir to the Roman Empire, set 20 years after he takes on Maximus’ legacy and becomes a gladiator after the Roman army invades his home.

Following that is “Wicked,” an epic musical fantasy film based on the 2003 Broadway hit. Premiering in Korea on Nov. 20, the film is directed by Jon M. Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians,” “GI Joe: Retaliation,” “Step Up 3D”) and stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and Ariana Grande as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. After their encounter with the Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads as their lives take different path.

While Wicked has a loyal fanbase and the added draw of Grande’s star power, its potential success in Korea remains uncertain.

According to Korean Film Council data, out of the 50 Hollywood blockbusters released from January to September 2023, only “Wonka” and “Inside Out 2” managed to surpass 3 million tickets sold, compared to six films hitting this mark last year.

Positioned as a box office smash, “Dune: Part 2,” “Furiosa: Mad Max Saga,” “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” had their star-studded cast and veteran director make visits to Korea and meet with local fans as part of of the promotion, but their efforts to lure local moviegoers to the cinema barely paid off.

Market data showed that the occupancy rate of foreign movies at the local box office shrank to as low as below 20 percent in September, a contrast to Korean movies’ 80 percent occupancy rate — a figure for the first this year.

While it’s becoming harder to guess the performance of movies and the box office territory, a few more Korean blockbusters — “Harbin,” “Firefighters” — as well as enjoyable genre films “Amazon Bullseye,” “Hear Me: Our Summer” — are in the queue for November and December release.