Movie "The God's Orchestra" (director: Kim Hyung-hyeop | grants: Park Si-Hoo, Jung Jin-woon, Tae Hang-ho, Jang Ji-geon, Han Jeong-wan, Go Hye-jin, Moon Kyung-min, Choi Sun-ja, Nam Tae-hoon, Shin Han-gyeol, Seo Dong-won, Kang Seung-wan | distributor: CJ CGV㈜ | production: Studio Target㈜ | release: Dec. 31) reached the top of the box office in its fifth week of release, completing an unprecedented "comeback legend" in Korean cinema.
According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) integrated box office system, "The God's Orchestra" achieved the feat of surpassing 1 million cumulative viewers on the 4th.
This is a valuable victory achieved amid fierce competition with Hollywood blockbusters that command global fandoms such as Avatar: Fire and Ash and Zootopia 2, and it is expected to be recorded as the biggest upset that overturned the theater landscape in 2026. "The God's Orchestra," which started with a relatively small number of screens in its early release, wrote a dramatic narrative of climbing from No. 5 at the box office to No. 1 solely on the strength of enthusiastic audience support.
The greatest driving force behind surpassing 1 million was undoubtedly the "power of the work." "The God's Orchestra" continued the reputation of a "film with no empty seats," setting the astonishing record of ranking No. 1 in weekend seat occupancy rate for four consecutive weeks after release.
Despite the adverse condition of an absolute disadvantage in the number of screens, high satisfaction among actual viewers led to voluntary word-of-mouth, creating a virtuous cycle of expanded screenings and reversed reservation rates. It was the "direct approach" that moved audiences with a sincere story and rough but warm humanism, without relying on flashy mass publicity or star marketing.
The ingenious premise of a North Korean security officer creating a fake praise troupe and the stirring music drove a wave of repeat viewings. In particular, the "singer-along screenings," where audience sing-alongs erupted in many places, became a cultural phenomenon beyond simple moviegoing and played a key role as a catalyst for surpassing 1 million viewers.
After staging the major upset of 2026 and stealing the hearts of 1 million moviegoers, the film's box office run is expected to continue for the time being.<
[Photo] Poster, provided by "The God's Orchestra"
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