‘So Ji-sub‘s pick’ works again... ‘Substance’ The miracle of a paid art film

‘Substance’, starring Hollywood actress Demi Moore, is overcoming the ‘barrier’ of being a youth-restricted (R-rated) art film and creating a long-term box office sensation that will remain in the art film box office for a long time. According to the Integrated Computer Network for Movie Tickets on the 11th, ‘Substance’, which was released on December 11th of last year, has maintained the top spot in the independent and art film box office for three months. With only 70,000 seats, which is only 4.1% of the total seats (as of the 10th), it is demonstrating its power to be in the top 5 of the overall box office including commercial films, beating out ‘IU Concert: The Winning’, ‘Harbin’. ‘Substance’

A new hero team to replace the ‘Avengers’… ‘Thunderbolts*’ is coming

Marvel Studios‘ new movie ‘Thunderbolts*, which is confirmed to be released in April 2025, has released a Super Bowl trailer that heralds a unique team-up different from existing Marvel works, drawing attention. The video that was released together captures attention with the line, “The Avengers are not coming”, from CIA Director Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and the appearance of a mysterious figure who turns the city dark and even destroys people with black powder. In a serious crisis that threatens the entire world, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) joins Yelena (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), and John Walker (Wyatt Russell).

Disney‘s live-action film ’Snow White‘ to be released in March... Will it make up for the failure of ’The Little Mermaid‘?

Will Disney be able to recover from the painful box office failure of its live-action Disney film, The Little Mermaid, with ‘Snow White’? Disney announced the release of ‘Snow White’, its first fantasy musical film of 2025 and a live-action adaptation of the 1937 animated film ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’, in March, and released the main poster and special trailer. The film depicts the magical story of Disney‘s first princess, Snow White, as she fights with good heart and courage to reclaim her kingdom that was taken away by the evil queen. The released special trailer shows Snow White (Rachel Ziegler), who was born on a winter night during a blizzard,

‘Black Nuns’ Surpasses 1 Million in Indonesia, Ranks 1st in Philippines for 2 Consecutive Weeks… Global Power

The movie ‘The Nuns’, starring Song Hye-kyo and Jeon Yeo-bin, is continuing its global long-term box office craze in Indonesia, the Philippines, and other countries. ‘The Nuns’, which tells the story of people who perform a forbidden ritual to save a boy possessed by a powerful evil spirit, surpassed 1 million cumulative viewers in Indonesia and ranked first in the Philippines for two consecutive weeks since its release. It is also attracting attention as it is receiving enthusiastic praise from overseas media and audiences. The Indonesian media said, “It presents a new direction for the occult genre through a differentiated setting, and through this, presents a powerful story. In particular, Song Hye-kyo

Ha Jung-woo‘s ‘Broken’, box office success and response ‘Broken’

Actor Ha Jung-woo has once again suffered a blow to his pride. The movie ‘Broken’ in which he starred has been met with unprecedented harsh reviews and a box office failure. It seems that his title of ‘box actor’ has been damaged by the recent series of poor box office performances of his leading roles. ‘Broken’, which tells the story of a man who investigates the truth behind his younger brother‘s death, opened on the 5th with high expectations due to the meeting between Ha Jung-woo and Kim Nam-gil, but has been struggling without making a proper splash. It started off at number one on the first day, but was immediately overtaken in the rankings by ‘Hitman 2’ and ‘Secret That Cannot Be Told’, which were released 1-2 weeks earlier. It barely managed to maintain 3rd place.

‘Black Nuns’ Breaks Even Point... Cumulative Viewers 1.6 Million [DA:Box]

‘The Nuns’ Breaks Even Point… Cumulative Viewers 1.6 Million [DA:Chart] The movie ‘The Nuns’ has surpassed the break-even point with a cumulative audience of 1.6 million. ‘The Nuns’ is a work that depicts the story of people who undertake a forbidden ritual to save a boy possessed by a powerful evil spirit. Since its release on the 24th of last month, it surpassed the break-even point with a cumulative audience of 1.6 million on the 9th. The movie production team released a photo to express their gratitude to the audience. The main characters in the photo made a heart with their hands and affectionately greeted the audience. ‘The Nuns’, which has met audiences around the world with the great feat of pre-sales in 160 countries, is continuing its global success overseas as well. In Indonesia, it not only recorded the highest opening performance among Korean films released locally, but also recorded the second highest cumulative audience number among Korean films released in Indonesia to

‘Mickey 17’ Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Mark Ruffalo Visit Korea [Entertainment News HOT]

Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, and Mark Ruffalo, who star in director Bong Joon-ho‘s Hollywood production ‘Mickey 17’, are visiting Korea ahead of its release. According to Warner Bros. Korea on the 10th, they will attend a press conference with director Bong Joon-ho at Megabox COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 20th. Previously, another lead actor, Robert Pattinson, visited Korea first to meet with reporters and fans. ‘Mickey 17’, which will be released on the 28th, is a sci-fi masterpiece that depicts an unpredictable story that unfolds as Mickey, an expendable human clone (Expendable) who is put into a dangerous job where his life is at stake, experiences his 17th near-death crisis.

Han So-hee and Jeon Jong-seo‘s ‘Project Y’ to be released this year... Plus M lineup announced

Han So-hee and Jeon Jong-seo‘s ‘Project Y’ to be released this year... Plus M lineup announced Plus M Entertainment has revealed its lineup of new films to be released in 2025. The new lineup from Plus M Entertainment revealed this time consists of a total of six films: ‘Baeksoo’s Apartment’, ‘Opposition Party’, ‘Face’, ‘Tropical Nights’, ‘Pavane’, ‘Project Y’. From new works from production companies with a history of box office hits to uniquely planned projects by directors with ten million views, these are solid works that will invigorate the Korean film industry and provide new entertainment to audiences. The first work to be released is ‘Baeksoo‘s Apartment’, the first realistic and relatable film of 2025. It deals with the issue of noise between floors, set in an apartment, an everyday space. A mystery comedy chase drama depicting the story of a freeloader, ‘Mirror’, who seeks justice by stirring up the neighborhood, investigating his neighbors to find out the cause of the noise

Yoo Seung-ho and Kim Dong-wook met in the short film ‘3 Days’… Opening exclusively at CGV in March

Yoo Seung-ho and Kim Dong-wook met in the short film ‘3 Days’… Still cuts from the script reading for the short film ‘3 Days’, which will be released exclusively at CGV in March, have been revealed. ‘3 Days’ is a touching family film that depicts a son spending time with his deceased mother on the third day of her funeral, as if it were the last gift she left him, and moving forward with hope through this. Yoo Seung-ho, Kim Dong-wook, and Seo Jung-yeon star in the film. Director Kim Soon-soo, PD Jang Chan-yang, and lead actors Yoo Seung-ho, Kim Dong-wook, and Seo Jung-yeon attended the script reading held in Sangam-dong, Seoul last November. The three actors gave passionate acting that was reminiscent of an actual filming set. Despite it being their first time acting together, they showed perfect chemistry, drawing applause from the on-site staff. First, Yoo Seung-ho perfectly transformed into the role of ‘Tae-ha’, the son who matures while seeing his mother off on her final journey. H

‘Dungfly’ Yang Ik-Joon, Sued for Assault… Scheduled to be Sent to Prosecutors

It has been revealed that film director and actor Yang Ik-june has been sued for assault. According to the Seongbuk Police Station in Seoul on the 10th, Yang Ik-june is accused of hitting a junior, Mr. A, on the head with a wad of paper and verbally abusing him at a bar he runs in Seongbuk-gu on December 13th of last year. The complaint was received on December 30th of last year, and it has been reported that the investigation is in the final stages and will be sent to the prosecution. Meanwhile, Yang Ik-june debuted in the 2009 film ‘Ddongpari’. At the time, he garnered attention for his roles as director, screenwriter, and lead actor. Since then, he has appeared in various works such as ‘It‘s Okay, That’s Love’ and Netflix‘s ‘Hell’.

‘Hitman 2’ is heading for 3 million... Breaking the first break-even point in 2025

‘Hitman 2’, which broke the break-even point at the fastest pace in 2025, is leading the February theaters by taking the top spot at the box office in its third weekend since its release. ‘Hitman 2’ maintained the top spot at the overall movie box office in its third weekend since its release, and took the top spot at the weekend box office for two consecutive weeks in its third week since its release, surpassing 2.31 million cumulative viewers. ‘Hitman 2’, which has firmly maintained its position as the first box office hit of 2025 amidst strong competition, is expected to take the top spot at the box office in its fourth week since its release. The support of the audience was a big factor in the long-term box office success of ‘Hitman 2’, which is now in its fourth week of release. To repay this, ‘Team Hitman’, which held its 3rd week stage greeting last weekend, ran to the audience and once again showed the best fan service ever, expressing its gratitude to the audience. Starting fr

CGV, Lotte Cinema, etc. Screening of the final nominees for the ‘American Academy Awards’ [Entertainment News HOT]

With the global film festival, the American Academy Awards (Oscars), just over a month away, CGV, Lotte Cinema, and others are presenting the ‘Academy Special Exhibition’. Lotte Cinema will screen the ‘2025 Academy Special Exhibition’, which includes a total of seven films that are finalists for the 97th Academy Awards, including ‘Emilia Perez’, ‘Complete Unknown’, ‘Conclave’, ‘Flow’, ‘The Brutalist’, ‘Substance’, ‘Anora’, from the 8th to March 4th. CGV will screen a total of 15 films, including already-released films such as ‘Inside Out 2’, ‘Wild Robots’. The awards ceremony will be held at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, LA, USA on March 2nd (local time).

‘Hitman’ Breaks Even Point… Becomes a Box Office Hit with Over 2.3 Million Viewers

‘Hitman’ breaks even... becomes a box office hit with over 2.3 million admissions‘Hitman 2’ has broken even. As of 4:45 PM on Sunday, February 9th, according to the Integrated Computer Network for Movie Tickets, ‘Hitman 2’ has broken even with over 2.3 million cumulative admissions. In addition, it has broken even for the first time this year by surpassing 2 million admissions. If this trend continues, the movie ‘Hitman 2’ is expected to be the first movie to break 3 million admissions among the new year‘s releases. ‘Hitman 2’ is a comic action movie about ‘Jun’, who went from a blockbuster writer to a ‘brain-killing writer’ in an instant, when a terrorist attack imitating his ambitious new webtoon occurs, and he is suddenly framed as the culprit. The movie ‘Hitman 2’, which is continuing its overwhelming box office success by recording the longest run among new year releases, is currently showing in theaters nationwide. Reporter Jeong Hee-yeon, Donga.com shine2562@donga.com

‘Squid Game 2’, US Critics‘ Choice Award for Best Foreign Language Series… A feat of winning for two seasons in a row

Netflix original series ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 won the Best Foreign Language Series award at the Critics‘ Choice Awards, one of the representative American film and TV awards ceremonies. As it has won the trophy for two consecutive seasons following Season 1 in 2022, global expectations for Season 3, which will be released in June, are rising even higher. ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 was selected as the winner of the Best Foreign Language Series award at the 30th Critics’ Choice Awards (CCA) held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, USA on the 8th (Korean time). Apple TV, which was also nominated that day,

Yang Hyun-min, Shin Min-a♥Kim Woo-bin and the others… Exclusive contract with AM Entertainment [Official]

Actor Yang Hyun-min is joining AM Entertainment. AM Entertainment said on the 7th, “We are happy to be working with actor Yang Hyun-min, who exudes a strong presence in each piece with his unique character digestion ability. We will do our best to support him so that he can be more diverse and active in the future. We ask for your interest and support.” Yang Hyun-min debuted in the 2005 play ‘Miracle’, and has appeared in various works such as ‘Friends’, ‘I Miss You’, ‘This is Family’, and ‘All the Faces of Eggs’, and has generously demonstrated his wide range of abilities on stage. Since then, Yang Hyun-min has expanded his field of activity from the home theater to the big screen, and has shown diverse acting skills regardless of genre and role in dramas such as ‘Mrs. Cop’, ‘Six Flying Dragons’, ‘Dr. Romantic’, ‘The King: Eternal Monarch’, ‘Model Detective’, ‘Hong Chun-gi’, ‘Lovers’, and movies such as ‘Cheer Up, Mr. Byung-heon’, ‘Extreme Job’, ‘Remember’, ‘Dream’, ‘Revolver’. Yang H

‘The Witch’ drawn by director Kim Tae-gyun of ‘The Murderer’… “Convinced by Kang-pul‘s worldview”

‘The Witch’ Director Kim Tae-kyun expressed his desire, “I want to tell the story of someone‘s sincerity that was not ignored when everyone was labeling them. Channel A’s new Sat-Sun drama ‘The Witch’ (directed by Kim Tae-kyun, written by Jo Yoo-jin, planned by Channel A, produced by Showbox, Mr. Romance, overseas distribution A&E Korea) is a mystery romance between ‘Dong-jin’ (Park Jin-young), a man who tries to break the laws of bad luck surrounding women called witches, and ‘Mi-jeong’ (Noh Jeong-eui), a woman who became the seed of tragedy and cut herself off from the world, and who end up saving each other after a journey that they do not give up on. The dramatization of the popular webtoon ‘The Witch’ by Kang Full, the author of ‘Moving’, ‘The Lighting Store’, and ‘The Fool’, is garnering much anticipation. Director Kim Tae-gyun, who especially showed off his high-density directing skills through the movie ‘Dark Figure of Crime’, added his own sensuous interpretation and announced

‘Black Nuns’ Kang Dong-won, ‘Hitman 2’ Choi Ji-woo, the power of ‘special special appearance’

The movies ‘The Nuns in Black’ and ‘Hitman 2’, which were released during the Lunar New Year holidays and are still cruising, are also drawing attention with the ‘special special appearances’ of top actors Kang Dong-won and Choi Ji-woo, respectively. These special appearances are considered the ‘bitty fun points’ of the movies and are adding even more strength to word of mouth. Through his special appearance, Kang Dong-won properly supported ‘The Nuns’, which was a spin-off of the 2015 film ‘The Priests’, which he starred in and captivated 5.44 million viewers, starring Song Hye-kyo and Jeon Yeo-bin. He plays Choi Jun-ho, who performs an exorcism along with Father Peter Kim Beom-shin, played by Kim Yun-seok, in ‘The Priests’.

Webtoon original ‘Good Competition’ Fighting!

Actors Youngjae, Kang Hye-won, Jung Soo-bin, director Kim Tae-hee, Oh Woo-ri, Lee Hye-ri, and Kim Tae-hoon pose at the press conference for ‘Fair Competition’ held at CGV Yongsan I-Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 6th. Reporter Joo Hyun-hee teth1147@donga.com

‘The Fall’ Re-released after 16 years, the ‘Amazing Rebellion’ of the movie

The art film ‘The Fall’, which was re-released after 6 years, is quietly creating a sensation with its unexpected box office success. Even in a time of theater recession when even large-scale commercial blockbusters starring top actors are suffering, the film is recording an unusual box office success, and director Tarsem Singh, who directed the film, visited Korea to express his gratitude to the audience. The film, which was re-released on December 25th of last year under the title ‘The Fall: Director‘s Cut’, with some scenes added and 4K remastered from ‘The Fall: A Tale of Two Eyes’, which was released in theaters in 2008, has attracted a cumulative audience of 102,403 as of the 5th of this month. Independent art film

MONSTA X Shownu-Joohyun Attend VIP Premiere of ‘The Exorcist’ “Overflowing with Excitement”

MONSTA X‘s Shownu and Joohyun attend the VIP premiere of ‘The Exorcist’s Record’ “Overflowing with excitement” The movie ‘The Exorcist‘s Record’ has successfully concluded its press/distribution preview and VIP preview amidst a hot response. ‘The Exorcist’s Record’ is an occult blockbuster that contains the beginning of a grand epic in which exorcists with special abilities fight against absolute evil. Ahead of its release on February 21, the film successfully held its press/distribution preview and VIP preview on the 4th. Following the press/distribution preview held at CGV Yongsan I‘Park Mall that day, the VIP preview was held at Lotte Cinema World Tower the same evening. The event featured a photo wall event with the original author Director Lee Woo-hyuk, Director Kim Dong-chul who made his feature-length film debut with this work, voice actors who were perfectly transformed into exorcists, Monsta X Jooheon and Shownu who participated in the ending song, and celebrities who support