While highly anticipated franchises prepare to blanket screens, major homegrown films have all but disappeared
The 2025 year-end slate brings an unusual lopsidedness to Korean theaters. While a trio of highly anticipated Hollywood sequels prepares to take over, major domestic releases have fallen by the wayside — a telling snapshot of where the local film industry finds itself heading into 2026.
Leading the charge from Hollywood is James Cameron's "Avatar: Fire and Ash," the third installment in the epic franchise, hitting theaters Dec. 17. Korea gets the film ahead of the US release by two days — a move following local industry convention where major productions typically launch midweek rather than on Fridays.
The previous "Avatar" entries — 2009's original and 2022's "The Way of Water" — both crossed the 10-million-admissions mark here, the traditional benchmark for megahit status in the country. That track record sets sky-high expectations for "Fire and Ash," undoubtedly the biggest release of the year-end season and the latest chapter in the highest-grossing film franchise of all time.
"Wicked: For Good," the follow-up to last year's musical sensation, arrives Nov. 19. The original installment racked up 2.24 million admissions in Korea — respectable if unspectacular for a major Hollywood production and decidedly modest compared to its smash hit stateside, where it grossed $473 million. Whether the sequel can match or exceed those numbers remains an open question, especially with Korean viewers less steeped in "The Wizard of Oz" lore than their American counterparts.
Then there's "Zootopia 2," hitting screens Nov. 26 nine years after the original. The 2016 film was an instant global sensation, grossing over $1 billion worldwide. It was also a solid hit in Korea with over 4.6 million tickets sold. With animation ruling the roost at the local box office in recent years, the sequel could easily be one of the season's major draws.
Save for indie productions, major Korean releases have virtually disappeared from the year-end calendar — perhaps a calculated response to avoid direct competition with those Hollywood juggernauts.
"Love Barista," a Korean-Vietnamese co-production starring former "Running Man" star Lee Kwang-soo, opens Nov. 19, a month after its Vietnamese release. Directed by Kim Sung-hoon ("Confidential Assignment"), the comedy follows a Korean celebrity — basically Lee playing a version of himself — who finds himself stranded abroad.
The project represents a cross-border playbook that's becoming increasingly common among Korean productions looking beyond returns at home. Just a few months ago, the Korean-Vietnamese co-production "Leaving Mom," starring Tuan Tran and Jung Il-woo, racked up 2.2 million tickets in Vietnam during its 15-day box-office chart-topping run.
Actor-turned-director Ha Jung-woo's "The People Upstairs" arrives Dec. 3. A chamber farce adapted from Cesc Gay's 2020 film "Sentimental," "The People Upstairs" is Ha's second directorial effort and his first R-rated undertaking, following last April's comedy "Lobby" about a corporate golf outing gone south. The film, which premiered in Busan earlier this year, tracks two couples whose dinner party spirals into chaos after noise complaints bring them together.
Opening the same day is "The Informant," which positions "Squid Game" villain Heo Sung-tae in a decidedly lighter role. Here, he plays an inept cop partnering with a sly informant in a comedic twist on the detective genre. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 New York Asian Film Festival.
These releases share one thing in common: They're leaner, lighter comedies you can watch without breaking a sweat. It's a proven survival strategy in Korean cinema that has gained ground in the past few years, one seen as low-risk, high-return in an industry grappling with sagging attendance and skittish investors.
The formula appears to be paying off: Three of this year's top five Korean earners were comedies aiming for breezy, accessible fun — this year's box office champion "My Daughter is a Zombie" (5.6 million admissions) and "Boss" (2.4 million during the Chuseok holiday) being prime examples.
Several other anticipated projects that once eyed year-end releases have either pushed their dates or are still weighing their options. "Seven O'Clock Breakfast Club" featuring top-tier stars Suzy and Lee Jin-wook is now slated for early 2026, following its world premiere in the competition section at this year's Busan International Film Festival.
"Project Y," which premiered in Toronto before screening in Busan, pairs Han So-hee and Jeon Jong-seo in a crime caper reportedly eyeing a year-end release — though no official date has been set.
moonkihoon@heraldcorp.com
