Na Hong-jin's 'Hope' exceeds 68% reservation rate, clashing with Spider-Man

Na Hong-jin's Return After 10 Years, 'Hope' with 50 Billion Won Investment Ignites the Market

Director Na Hong-jin's new film , his first in 10 years, is shaking up the summer theater landscape. As of 7:00 AM on the 15th, pre-bookings for have already exceeded 600,000. The total booking rate, including upcoming releases, has reached 68.1%.

This is an SF action thriller with a production budget of over 50 billion won, the largest in Korean film history. In an interview on the 7th, Director Na expressed his pressure, mixing jokes with sincerity, saying, "Why are they suddenly doing this to me? I'm making a movie after 10 years..." The work has already recovered about half of its net production cost through pre-sales to approximately 200 countries.

Since Megabox Central, which operates the distributor Plus M Entertainment, has entered corporate rehabilitation proceedings, the weight of box office success on is even heavier. This work, which drew attention by being invited to the competition section of this year's Cannes International Film Festival, stars Hwang Jung-min, Zo In Sung, and Jung Ho-yeon. As the new work from Director Na, who directed and , it features diverse creature chase scenes on a scale rarely seen in Korean cinema.

'Spider-Man' Resumes Bookings After Rating Controversy, to Face Nolan's 'The Odyssey'

, considered the new hope of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), has reopened its booking window. The film, which had suspended bookings because the rating deliberation was not yet complete, was rated for ages 12 and up by the Korea Media Rating Board on the 15th. The current booking rate is recording 11.3%.

The Korea Media Rating Board stated the reason for the classification, "The content of facing evil forces alone does not hinder the formation of healthy values in adolescents aged 12 and older." The judgment was that while there are physical conflicts between characters, tension in dangerous situations, and some use of slang, they are expressed mildly and concisely. Previously, this film started bookings while the rating was unconfirmed, but bookings were temporarily suspended on the 10th following complaints that it disturbed market order. With the rating confirmed six days after the suspension, CGV and Lotte Cinema resumed bookings starting from 2:10 PM this afternoon. Megabox is also expected to start bookings soon.

, releasing domestically on the 29th, depicts the process of Peter Parker (Tom Holland), who has forgotten his identity due to the events of the previous film (2021), facing a new threat. Destin Daniel Cretton directed the film.

Director Christopher Nolan's will join the fray ahead of its August 5th release. This work, which filmizes Homer's classic , portrays the ten years it takes for the hero Odysseus, who led the Trojan War to victory, to return home. It stars Matt Damon (Odysseus), Tom Holland (Telemachus), and Anne Hathaway (Penelope). Director Nolan and lead actors Matt Damon and Charlize Theron will visit Korea on August 3rd for promotion.

Competition to Secure Discount Vouchers and Intensifying Booking War

The booking war for this summer peak season is already showing intense patterns. Following the 8th, when the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism distributed an additional 2.05 million 6,000 won movie discount vouchers, the movement of Hollywood blockbusters accelerated. began pre-bookings on the 8th, and began on the 9th, both competing to secure discount coupons before their respective releases.

Unlike , which surpassed 16 million viewers after releasing in February without major competition, this summer, faces a head-on battle with powerful Hollywood blockbusters. The competition to secure special theaters is also fierce, with vying for 4-sided ScreenX, for 4-sided ScreenX, and for entire IMAX screens.

Plus M Entertainment and Sony Pictures Korea are in charge of distributing and . had started bookings before the rating deliberation by the Korea Media Rating Board was completed, and was requested by the Korea Film Council to suspend new bookings on the 10th.