Korean film 'The Assassin(s)' on track to lead box office during Chuseok holiday

SEOUL, Sept. 24 - The Korean historical thriller "The Assassins(s)" is seen as a frontrunner to top the local box office during the upcoming Chuseok holiday, driven by a strong showing in advance ticket sales. Starring Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho, the film garners 31% of pre-ticket sales, with over 238,000 tickets pre-sold, as per data from the Korean Film Council.

Directed by Hur Jin-ho, the film takes inspiration from the 1974 assassination attempt on former South Korean President Park Chung-hee, resulting in the death of the first lady. The global blockbuster "The Odyssey," ranking second, accounts for 17.1% of pre-ticket sales, while Christopher Nolan's film has collected over 11.2 million admissions in Korean theaters since its August release, placing it as the second most-watched film this year, trailing only the Korean historical drama "The King's Warden."

Other notable films, including the final installment of the crime franchise "Tazza: Song of Beelzebub" and the Korean remake of "The Intern," follow with 14.6% and 7.2% of pre-ticket sales, respectively. Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong's Venice-winning feature "Possible Love" accounts for 4.9%. The holidays of Lunar New Year and Chuseok are typically the busiest periods for the Korean film industry, with many distributors scheduling major releases around these times.

This year, "The Intern" opened a week before Chuseok, while three films - "The Assassins(s)," "Tazza: Song of Beelzebub," and "Possible Love" - hit theaters on the same day, a day before the four-day holiday. Additionally, the webtoon-based Korean film "Reawaken Man: The Red" is set to premiere a week later. Earlier this year, "The King's Warden," which opened about two weeks before the Lunar New Year holiday in February, amassed 16.9 million admissions, becoming the most-watched film in South Korea for the year.

It remains to be seen if another Korean film will replicate its success, especially with two public holidays in early October, presenting another potential opportunity to attract audiences to cinemas.