A still from "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" [Provided by Sony Pictures]
A still from "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" [Provided by Sony Pictures]

A surge in moviegoers seeking refuge from the scorching heat has brought a rare buzz back to cinemas this weekend, as the summer blockbuster season kicks into high gear and box office competition intensifies.

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day," which marks the return of Tom Holland's Spider-Man after a five-year absence, shot straight to the top of the box office upon opening and has been on an unstoppable run ever since.

According to the Korean Film Council's integrated ticketing system, "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" surpassed 3 million cumulative admissions — reaching exactly 3,001,973 — as of 1:05 a.m. Sunday, its fifth day in theaters. The film had crossed the 2 million mark just the day before, on Saturday.

Since opening Wednesday, the film has set records for the highest opening day of the year and the fastest film this year to reach 1 million, 2 million and 3 million admissions. Its run to 3 million came two days faster than "Exhuma" (2024), which went on to draw 11 million moviegoers.

A still from "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" [Provided by Sony Pictures]
A still from "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" [Provided by Sony Pictures]

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" is an action blockbuster in which Peter Parker (Tom Holland) — forgotten by everyone following the events of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (2021) — faces a mysterious enemy who still remembers his identity and gains uncontrollable powers through a DNA mutation, plunging him into deeper chaos as he fights to protect those he loves.

"Hope," director Na Hong-jin's first film in a decade, continues its steady box office climb even amid the wave of Hollywood tentpoles including "Spider-Man."

According to its distributor, "Hope" crossed the 4 million admissions mark as of midnight Sunday. It is the third Korean film released this year to surpass 4 million, following "The King's Warden" and "Gunche."

A still from "Hope" [Provided by Plus M Entertainment]
A still from "Hope" [Provided by Plus M Entertainment]

"Hope" has held the No. 1 spot in advance ticket sales among Korean films for 30 consecutive days. On Saturday, it posted a seat occupancy rate of 44.3% — nearly double its recent figures — demonstrating again the competitiveness of Korean cinema against a wave of anticipated foreign releases.

Analysts say the film's repeat-viewing craze is growing, driven by organic word of mouth and a widening online culture of sharing theories and interpretations inspired by the film.

"The film blends sci-fi imagination, pulse-pounding action, taut tension and unexpected humor to deliver a genre experience unlike anything audiences have seen before," the distributor said.

"Hope" was the only Korean film to compete in the main competition at this year's Cannes Film Festival. The sci-fi action thriller follows a village thrown into chaos after a tiger is spotted in the demilitarized zone, setting off a chain of events that defy belief. The film stars Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Taylor Russell.


balme@heraldcorp.com