The movie 'The Divine Fury' has shown persistent strength amidst the onslaught of major films, reaching the milestone of 1 million viewers. This achievement, accomplished in just 37 days since its release, is a true victory of 'reverse run' created by audience word of mouth.
According to the production company Studio Target, 'The Divine Fury' surpassed a cumulative audience of 1 million as of the morning of the 5th. After recording 994,490 viewers by the previous day and entering the countdown, this film finally achieved the symbolic number of 1 million viewers. This marks it as the second Korean film to surpass 1 million viewers this year, following 'If We'.
This box office success is a typical case of a 'The Ant and the Grasshopper' style reverse run. It started off nervously in 5th place at the box office on its opening day, overshadowed by Hollywood blockbusters like 'Avatar: The Way of Water' and 'Zootopia 2', but thanks to positive reviews from actual viewers, its ranking surged. Ultimately, on the 31st of last month, it reclaimed the top spot at the box office for the first time since its release.
Starring Park Si-hoo and Jung Jin-woon, 'The Divine Fury' has garnered attention for its unique premise where the North Korean Security Department organizes a fake praise group. Director Kim Hyung-hyup's delicate direction and the actors' passionate performances have been praised for captivating the audience.
However, the solo run is facing new challenges. This week, 'The King’s Affection' starring Yoo Hae-jin has been released, and next week, major new films such as 'Humanit' starring Jo In-sung and Park Jung-min, and 'Number One' starring Choi Woo-shik are lined up. It remains to be seen whether the miracle of 'The Divine Fury' can continue its box office momentum amidst the onslaught of new releases.
