Nolan's 'The Odyssey' Becomes Korea's Biggest International Film Ever

Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" has earned KRW139.2 billion ($101.5 million) in Korea as of Oct. 11, overtaking "Avatar: The Way of Water" in local-currency terms to become the highest-grossing international release in Korean box office history.

The Universal release now ranks as the top Hollywood title ever in the territory. Only two Korean films have earned more: Jang Hang-jun's "The King's Warden," which took the all-time record this year with KRW153.2 billion ($111.7 million), and Lee Byeong-heon's 2019 comedy "Extreme Job," which sits just ahead of "The Odyssey" on KRW139.6 billion ($101.8 million).

How big is the audience?

Admissions for "The Odyssey" stand at 12 million — about 24% of South Korea's population. No other international film has passed 10 million admissions this year. The film held the No. 1 spot for seven straight weekends, the longest such streak for an international title in Korea.

The film crossed 10 million admissions in 33 days, faster than any non-franchise international title. It was the first international film carrying a 15+ rating to reach that level, and the first August release of any kind to do so.

The result makes Nolan the first director with two non-franchise international films above 10 million admissions in Korea. "The Odyssey" is now his biggest film in the market, as well as Universal's biggest title there.

What records did it set on premium screens?

The film holds the Imax record in Korea, a total that continues to grow as it plays into its 10th week on the format's screens. No film released in Korea has drawn more admissions on Imax and Dolby Cinema screens. Imax shows sold out continuously through the fifth week of release — the longest run of sellouts on record. Each new batch of Imax tickets brought congestion on CGV's servers, followed by fresh sellouts.

Did demand build before release?

Yes, and by record margins. "The Odyssey" posted the year's highest advance ticket sales and led Korean presales for 43 consecutive days through Sept. 14, the longest such run this year. As of Sept. 13, it had been the top international film at the box office for 40 days in a row — also a record.

The Korean promotional tour set several post-pandemic marks:

• A Seoul press conference drew 209 members of the media, the biggest turnout for such a tour since the pandemic.
• A premiere event hosted by CGV attracted 32,411 applications, a 463-to-1 ratio and the highest participation the exhibitor has recorded for a Korea premiere.
• The visiting delegation made 11 appearances across Korean TV programs and online content.
• The tour's Cine21 Master Talk passed 1 million views, the most in the series' history.

Jungkook of BTS, TXT's Soobin and members of Riize were among the Korean stars who recommended the film of their own accord, fueling conversation on social media. Content created voluntarily by influencers and YouTubers generated an estimated KRW1.27 billion (about $1 million) in earned media value. Sales of books linked to "The Odyssey" rose 30-fold after release.

Nolan also became the first international film director to appear on Korea's non-drama buzzworthiness chart, a ranking usually filled by local television personalities and entertainers.

With "Extreme Job" ahead by only KRW400 million, "The Odyssey" needs a modest push to become the second-highest-grossing film of any kind in Korean history — and its Imax run, now in its 10th week, is still selling.