Movie "Divine Orchestra" (director Kim Hyung-hyeop, distributor CJ CGV Co., Ltd., producer Studio Target Co., Ltd.) has kicked off a full-scale box office comeback, recording an overwhelming seat occupancy rate even amid a barrage of Hollywood blockbusters.
#blockbuster threat to a high-value hit
According to the integrated box office system on the 5th, "Divine Orchestra" achieved a miraculous result over the past weekend at theaters that was reminiscent of a David-and-Goliath fight.
On Saturday the 3rd, "Divine Orchestra" recorded a 31.0% seat occupancy rate, closing to within just 0.6 percentage points of the top-ranked mega blockbuster "Avatar: Fire and Reign" (31.6%). This figure left competing films "Zootopia 2" (25.4%) and "Tonight, Even If This Love Disappears From the World" (25.2%) far behind. That upward trend continued on Sunday. On the 4th (Sun) it recorded a high seat occupancy rate of 27.7%, filling theaters throughout the weekend.
What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that it came despite overwhelming disadvantages. "Divine Orchestra" has only one-tenth the number of seats of "Avatar" and one-fifth that of "Zootopia 2." Even compared with other Korean films released at the same time, it has only about 30%–40% of their seat capacity. Nevertheless, it recorded high seat occupancy rates on par with the blockbusters, sparking not just a "high-value hit" but a full-blown "box office storm."
#the power of word of mouth... a 4.8% surge in advance ticket rate signals a comeback
The explosive word of mouth from actual viewers is reflected in the numbers. Contrary to the usual trend of advance ticket rates falling after opening weekend, "Divine Orchestra" saw its real-time advance ticket rate rise by 4.8% (as of 6 a.m.) during the weekend, climbing to fourth overall and lighting a green light for a box office comeback.
Audiences have praised the film with comments such as "Please increase the number of screens," "I have to bring my parents and watch it again," and "I got chills during the final chorus," and have begun promoting it voluntarily.
#rowdy stage greetings... sold-out shows
The online excitement carried over intact to offline events. The regional stage greetings held over the past weekend (2–4) were nothing short of a frenzy.
Director Kim Hyung-hyeop, along with Park Si-Hoo, Jung Jin-woon, Tae Hang-ho, Han Jeong-wan, Go Hye-jin, Shin Han-gyeol and other leading cast members visited theaters in Daejeon, Daegu, Ulsan and Busan to meet audiences in person. Every screening that hosted a stage greeting recorded a sellout, and screams erupted each time the actors appeared, underscoring the hot popularity of "Divine Orchestra." The actors met the audience's enthusiastic cheers one by one, expressed their gratitude and provided unforgettable memories.
The film "Divine Orchestra" has begun a "miraculous comeback," overturning an absolute shortage of screens through the strength of the work and audience support. Riding word of mouth, inquiries for additional screenings, including group showings, are continuing, and attention is focused on how much stronger the box office storm will become in its second week after release.
The movie "Divine Orchestra" is now playing to acclaim at theaters nationwide.
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