'The Odyssey' Reaches 10 Million Viewers Through IMAX and Repeat Viewings... Different from 'The King's Warden'

[Financial News] Director Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' has surpassed 10 million cumulative viewers, becoming the protagonist of a new box office record.
According to Universal Pictures on the 6th, 'The Odyssey' recorded a cumulative audience of 10,000,279 as of 4 p.m. on that day, according to KOBIS. It became the first foreign film of the year to reach 10 million viewers just 33 days after its release.

'The Odyssey' became the second film this year to surpass 10 million viewers, following the Korean film 'The King's Warden'. For a foreign film, it is the first in four years since 'Avatar: The Way of Water'. It is the 10th foreign film in history to reach 10 million viewers, and the 35th overall when including both Korean and foreign films.
Director Nolan has joined the ranks of "double ten-million-viewer directors" by producing his second film in Korea that has surpassed 10 million viewers, 12 years after 'Interstellar' (2014). This is the fourth such record, following the Russo brothers of the 'Avengers' series, James Cameron of the 'Avatar' series, and director Chris Buck of the 'Frozen' series.
The craze for special theaters, including IMAX, played a significant role in the box office success of 'The Odyssey,' which was filmed entirely with IMAX cameras. Analysis suggests that special theaters, which maximize experiences not available through other media such as over-the-top (OTT) services, are establishing themselves as a core competitive advantage for movie theaters.
As of the 5th, the number of viewers who watched 'The Odyssey' in IMAX theaters was tallied at approximately 1,102,000. This is the all-time record, surpassing the 929,000 viewers of 'Avatar: The Way of Water'.

CJ CGV Co., Ltd. analyzed that while both 'The Odyssey' and 'The King's Warden' achieved long-term box office success driven by word of mouth, there were differences in their driving forces. The explanation is that while 'The King's Warden' steadily expanded its audience base based on broad mass appeal, the success of 'The Odyssey' was driven by demand for special theaters and repeat viewings. As of the 2nd, the rate of repeat viewings for 'The Odyssey' reached 6.3%.
CJ CGV Co., Ltd. stated, "'The Odyssey' is a work that demonstrates that audiences are still seeking differentiated experiences that can only be enjoyed in theaters," adding, "It is not just a box office success for a single movie, but is also rekindling interest in theater viewing and the value of content that can only be experienced in movie theaters."
It was pointed out that, in particular, the significant increase in audiences visiting special theaters such as IMAX and 4DX has confirmed the demand for "watching good movies in a good environment." This suggests that theaters can differentiate themselves as "spaces of experience" that maximize the immersion and completeness of content, going beyond simply being places to consume movies.
"Going forward, it will become increasingly important for theaters to go beyond simply screening movies and provide the optimal viewing experience tailored to the characteristics of the content," said CJ CGV Co., Ltd. "We hope that the success of 'The Odyssey' will revitalize the stagnant movie theater industry and serve as an opportunity for audiences to reconsider why they watch movies in theaters."
 
[email protected] Shin Jin-ah Reporter