Christopher Nolan’s mythological epic “The Odyssey” has held onto the number one spot at the South Korean box office for the second weekend in a row. The film continued to outperform “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” pulling in significantly more viewers during the Liberation Day holiday weekend.
According to data from the Korean Film Council, “The Odyssey” drew 1,691,746 moviegoers from August 14 to 16. This brings its total audience count in South Korea to 4,542,482 since its release on August 5. The film’s performance over the three-day holiday weekend was about 2.2 times higher than the second-place film.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” took the second position with 767,839 admissions during the same period. The superhero movie’s cumulative total now stands at 7,279,373 viewers. While the Spider-Man film still leads in overall attendance since it opened earlier on July 29, “The Odyssey” is gaining ground quickly.
Strong Holiday Weekend Performance
The Liberation Day holiday, which fell on August 15, gave a big boost to theater attendance across the country. Both Hollywood blockbusters benefited from the long weekend, but “The Odyssey” showed much stronger momentum.
On August 16 alone, “The Odyssey” surpassed 4 million admissions by 6:46 a.m. local time, reaching this milestone on its 12th day of release. This pace is faster than other major 2026 releases in Korea, including “The King’s Warden,” “Hope,” and “Gunche”.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” crossed 7 million admissions on the same day, its 19th day in theaters. This set a new record for the fastest film to reach 7 million viewers in Korea this year, beating the previous record held by “The King’s Warden” by five days.
Seat Occupancy and Ticket Sales Tell the Story
Beyond just audience numbers, “The Odyssey” showed remarkable strength in seat occupancy rates. On August 16, the film filled 720,615 out of 940,056 available seats, giving it a 76.7% occupancy rate. This was much higher than “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which had a 59% occupancy rate.
What makes this more impressive is that “The Odyssey” had a larger number of screenings. Usually, when a film gets more screens, the occupancy rate drops. But “The Odyssey” kept filling more than three out of every four seats. This shows that real audience demand, not just screen count, is driving its success.
Advance ticket sales also point to continued strong performance. As of the morning of August 17, “The Odyssey” had 747,215 advance ticket sales, about 4.5 times more than “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” at 165,797. Real-time pre-sale rates on August 17 showed “The Odyssey” at 69.8%, keeping it firmly in first place.
The IMAX Factor and Nolan’s Brand Power
A major reason for “The Odyssey’s” strong box office run is the demand for premium format screenings. The movie was the first in history to be filmed entirely with IMAX film cameras, using about 640 kilometers of film. This has created a “must-see in theaters” feeling among audiences.
IMAX theaters in Korea have been selling out quickly across all time slots. Some viewers have even turned to ticket scalpers to get seats for premium screenings. This special-format appeal has given “The Odyssey” an edge over “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which does not have the same IMAX-exclusive draw.
Director Christopher Nolan’s reputation also plays a big role. Korean audiences have shown strong loyalty to Nolan’s films over the years. His previous works like “Oppenheimer” and “Tenet” performed well in the market, and “The Odyssey” is continuing that trend.
Star-Studded Cast Draws Audiences
“The Odyssey” features a cast of well-known Hollywood actors. Matt Damon plays Odysseus, the Greek king trying to return home after the Trojan War. Anne Hathaway plays Penelope, his wife. Tom Holland appears as Telemachus, their son. The film also includes Zendaya, Charlize Theron, and Elliot Page in key roles.
The film is based on Homer’s ancient Greek poem and uses minimal computer-generated imagery. Nolan chose to recreate mythical settings and characters using practical effects and real locations.
Spider-Man Still Strong Despite Second Place
Even though “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” lost the top spot for the second weekend, its performance remains impressive. The film is the second most-watched movie in Korea this year, behind only “The King’s Warden”. It has already surpassed the final attendance numbers of previous Spider-Man films like “Homecoming” (7.25 million) and is approaching “No Way Home” (7.55 million).
The movie stars Tom Holland as Peter Parker and Zendaya as MJ. It is the first Spider-Man film in five years since “No Way Home”. The story follows Peter Parker after everyone has forgotten his identity, and he must face new threats while dealing with失控 powers.
Related:
Other Films in the Top Five
The rest of the Korean box office top five for the weekend of August 14-16 included:
- “Heartsping: The Legend of the Whale Jewel” in third place with 133,928 admissions
- “OK! MADAM: Bon Voyage” in fourth with 120,982 admissions
- “Detective Conan: The Fallen Angel of the Highway” in fifth with 116,521 admissions
These films lagged far behind the top two Hollywood releases, showing the dominance of “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” during the holiday period.
What the Numbers Mean
The gap between the two films over the three-day holiday reached approximately 920,000 viewers. While “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” still holds a lead in total admissions, “The Odyssey” is attracting new viewers at a faster rate. The difference in momentum suggests that “The Odyssey” could continue to close the gap in the coming weeks.
Both films are currently showing in theaters across South Korea. “The Odyssey” has been in release for 12 days, while “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has been out for 19 days.
Also Read: Sicily’s Favignana Gets Ready for Tourists After Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’
For more updates on box office performances and the latest in Hollywood entertainment, keep following VvipTimes for reliable news and coverage.
Leave a Reply