[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] Director Christopher Nolan’s new film, *The Odyssey*, continues its box office run, holding the top spot for five consecutive days since its release. The excitement is particularly intense, with surging demand for IMAX screenings leading to the emergence of scalpers charging premium prices.

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network on the 10th, “The Martian” surpassed 2 million cumulative viewers that day. This milestone was reached just six days after its release—six days faster than this year’s top-grossing film, *The Man Who Lives with the King*, which drew 16.91 million viewers. As of 4:00 p.m. that day, advance ticket sales had exceeded 610,000, more than triple the figure for the second-place film, *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* (190,000).
The box office fervor is even more pronounced in IMAX theaters. To date, approximately 190,000 people—about 10% of the total audience—have watched “The Odyssey” in IMAX theaters.
IMAX is a camera and film format developed by IMAX Corporation of Canada that utilizes large-format film and screens to deliver high-resolution, immersive imagery. “The Odyssey” is the world’s first feature-length film shot entirely with IMAX film cameras, resulting in particularly high demand among audiences visiting IMAX theaters.
A prime example is the CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall IMAX theater, commonly known as “Yong-a-Mac.” Currently, there are 27 CGV locations in South Korea equipped with IMAX screens, including Yongsan I’Park Mall. Among these, “Yong-a-Mac” is the only theater in the country capable of displaying *Odyssey*’s 1.43:1 aspect ratio. Since it offers a screen that extends further vertically than standard theaters, it is attracting a concentrated demand from audiences eager to fully experience the visual beauty intended by Director Nolan. As of the 10th, all standard seats for screenings through the 25th—for which tickets are currently available—are sold out, with only accessible seats remaining for some showtimes.

As more viewers place importance on which theater and seat they choose—even when watching the same movie—attending a screening at Yongamec has become a special experience in itself. This enthusiasm has gone beyond the fierce competition for tickets and has even led to scalping.
On secondhand trading platforms, listings for IMAX tickets—which normally cost around 20,000 won—are appearing with markups. Asking prices, which once soared to 110,000 won around the time of the film’s release, have dropped through 80,000 won and 50,000 won to the 30,000-won range recently.
However, it is difficult to interpret the drop in scalper prices as a sign of waning popularity. While highly sought-after center seats sell out quickly as soon as reservations open, the resale market also features a significant number of relatively less desirable seats, such as those on the left and right sides. Additionally, unlike one-time performances or sports events, movies are screened repeatedly, allowing viewers to wait for tickets for future showings or canceled tickets—a factor cited as helping to prevent excessive spikes in scalper prices.
CGV is monitoring cases of habitual ticket resale and fraudulent transactions. If a user is confirmed to be a reseller, CGV takes measures such as restricting their account, forcing them to withdraw from the service, and canceling their reservations.