Hitman 2 Dominates Box Office During Lunar New Year Holiday

The comedy film Hitman 2, starring Kwon Sang-woo, has made a remarkable debut by becoming the first film of the year to attract over 1 million viewers, securing the top spot at the box office during the Lunar New Year holiday. In contrast, the highly anticipated occult film The Black Nun, featuring Song Hye-kyo, fell short of expectations and landed in second place after its release.

According to the Korean Film Council's integrated computer network, Hitman 2 saw a significant increase in audience numbers, with 272,100 viewers on January 29, the day of the Lunar New Year, marking a 36% rise from the previous day. Meanwhile, The Black Nun attracted only 143,000 viewers on the same day, about half of Hitman 2's audience.

Before the holiday, The Black Nun was expected to be the frontrunner, buoyed by Song Hye-kyo's star power and the rising popularity of the occult genre following the success of the film The Burial. This anticipation was reflected in its screen share, which was 24% on its opening day (January 24), significantly higher than Hitman 2's 16%. However, after its release, The Black Nun experienced a steady decline in daily viewers, leading to a reduction in its screen share. As of January 29, the screen share for The Black Nun and Hitman 2 had flipped to 16% and 20%, respectively.

Critics have pointed out that The Black Nun's underperformance may be attributed to its failure to effectively utilize the characteristics of the occult genre, as well as the production company's excessive response to an internet censorship controversy. The production company, Film Company Jip, requested the deletion of information from the online encyclopedia Namu Wiki, claiming that spoilers were infringing on their rights. This led to the removal of the film's entry, a rare occurrence for a film that had already been released.

This action sparked negative reactions in various online communities, with comments questioning the artistic integrity of the film company and expressing disbelief at the need for censorship. In response, Film Company Jip clarified that their intention was not to suppress audience reviews but to address the excessive malicious commentary that had emerged prior to the film's release. They stated that their request was made before the film's debut, but the implementation was delayed. The entry for The Black Nun was reopened early on January 29, albeit with several critical comments removed.

In quieter news, the films Substance and Love Letter emerged as unexpected winners during the holiday season. Substance, starring Demi Moore and now in its eighth week of release, benefited from her Golden Globe win, surpassing 330,000 viewers and ranking fifth overall. Love Letter, which has been re-released for the ninth time, continues to draw audiences, surpassing 99,000 viewers, and is expected to cross the 100,000 mark by January 31. This milestone is particularly notable as it took the award-winning film Anatomy of a Fall, which premiered last year, two months to reach the same audience size.