The action film <The roundup>, starring Ma Dong-seok, surpassed 10 million viewers on its 22nd day of release. This milestone marks the <The roundup> series as the first in Korean cinema history to achieve three consecutive films each surpassing 10 million viewers.
According to the Korean Film Council's integrated ticketing system, <The roundup 4> exceeded 10 million cumulative viewers as of the morning of the 15th. Following <The roundup 2> (12.69 million viewers) and <The roundup 3> (10.68 million viewers), this is the third film in the series to reach the 10 million mark.
With this achievement, Ma Dong-seok has now starred in six films that have each surpassed 10 million viewers. He has played a leading role in the planning, scripting, and production of the series, which is planned to extend to eight films. , <The roundup 5>the beginning of the second phase, is slated for release in 2026.
The success of <The roundup 4> was anticipated. Even before its release, it recorded the highest advance ticket sales in Korean cinema history with 830,000 tickets sold. Within two days of its release, it had already surpassed 1 million viewers. The absence of significant competition at the box office also contributed to its success. The film's thrilling action and comedic elements attracted family audiences who had enjoyed the previous installments.
The film industry views the success of the <The roundup> series as a promising sign for Korean cinema. Amid the prolonged downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the series has demonstrated the potential for successful franchise filmmaking in Korea.
However, there are criticisms regarding the monopolization of screens. Some theaters allocated most of their showtimes to <The roundup 4>, limiting opportunities for other films. This issue was highlighted in a recent discussion at the Jeonju International Film Festival about the restoration of the Korean film ecosystem.
The future of Ma Dong-seok's <The roundup> series continues to draw significant attention. It remains to be seen how much further this series can go in achieving greater success.
