Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” has become the highest-grossing Hollywood release in Korean box office history, surpassing “Avatar: The Way of Water” in local-currency earnings.
The Universal release had generated KRW139.2 billion, or approximately $101.5 million, as of Oct. 11. That total makes it Korea’s biggest international film to date and places it behind only two domestic titles on the territory’s all-time chart.
Jang Hang-jun’s “The King’s Warden” set the overall record this year with KRW153.2 billion, equivalent to $111.7 million. Lee Byeong-heon’s 2019 comedy “Extreme Job” remains narrowly ahead of “The Odyssey,” having earned KRW139.6 billion, or about $101.8 million.
A Record Run Across Korean Cinemas
Revenue is only one measure of the film’s performance. “The Odyssey” has reached 12 million admissions, a figure equal to roughly 24% of Korea’s population. No other international release has exceeded 10 million admissions this year.
The film spent seven consecutive weekends at No. 1, establishing the longest top-ranked weekend streak for an international title in Korea. As of Sept. 13, it had also led all international films at the daily box office for 40 straight days, another record.
It reached the 10 million-admission threshold after 33 days, faster than any previous non-franchise international film. It became both the first international film with a 15+ rating and the first August release of any kind to cross that benchmark.
The result gives Nolan two non-franchise international films with more than 10 million admissions in Korea, making him the first director to achieve that distinction. “The Odyssey” is now his highest-grossing film in the territory, as well as Universal’s biggest Korean release.
Premium Screens Drive More Milestones
“The Odyssey” has also rewritten records for premium-format screenings. It holds Korea’s Imax record, with its total continuing to rise as the movie plays into its 10th week on Imax screens.
No film released in Korea has recorded more combined admissions across Imax and Dolby Cinema. Imax screenings remained continuously sold out through the fifth week of release, the longest recorded sellout run. Each new release of Imax tickets also caused congestion on CGV’s servers before producing another wave of sellouts.
Audience demand was evident before the opening. The film recorded the year’s highest advance-ticket sales and remained the leader in Korean presales for 43 consecutive days through Sept. 14, the longest presales streak of the year.
A Promotional Campaign That Became an Event
The film’s Korean promotional tour generated several post-pandemic highs. A Seoul press conference attracted 209 media representatives, the largest turnout for a promotional tour since the pandemic.
A CGV-hosted premiere received 32,411 applications, producing a competition rate of 463 applicants for every available place. It was the highest participation CGV has recorded for a Korean premiere event.
The visiting delegation appeared 11 times across Korean television shows and online programming. Its Cine21 Master Talk exceeded 1 million views, setting a record for that series.
The movie also received unsolicited recommendations from Korean stars including BTS member Jungkook, TXT’s Soobin and members of Riize. Those endorsements helped generate further discussion on social media.
Separately, voluntary content made by influencers and YouTubers produced an estimated KRW1.27 billion, approximately $1 million, in earned media value. Sales of books connected to “The Odyssey” increased thirtyfold following the film’s release.
Nolan’s visibility extended beyond movie rankings. He became the first international film director to appear on Korea’s non-drama buzzworthiness chart, which is usually populated by local television personalities and entertainers.
ShowBiz Take
“The Odyssey” has not simply broken one box office record in Korea; it has delivered a performance spanning revenue, admissions, advance sales, premium formats and audience engagement. Its 12 million admissions and seven-weekend reign show that the result was sustained well beyond opening-week interest.
The narrow gap between “The Odyssey” and “Extreme Job” also leaves the all-time standings in motion. With the Universal release still playing on Imax screens as it entered its 10th week, its reported premium-format total was continuing to grow. For now, however, “The King’s Warden” and “Extreme Job” remain the only Korean films with higher local-currency grosses.