[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] Director Christopher Nolan’s “The Martian” continues its box office success into its third week of release. Attracting over 200,000 viewers per day even on weekdays—and with the 5.6 million viewer mark now within reach—real-time ticket reservations have once again approached 700,000. While ticket sales typically peak early in a film’s run and then decline, they have instead remained at a high level, signaling strong momentum for a long-term box office run.

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network on the 20th, “The Odyssey” drew 207,855 viewers the previous day, maintaining its No. 1 position at the box office for the 15th consecutive day. The cumulative audience count stands at 5,599,543, putting it on the verge of surpassing 6 million.
What stands out is the unwavering enthusiasm for advance ticket sales even in its third week of release. As of 9:40 a.m. that day, the number of advance ticket sales for *The Odyssey* reached 689,466. Considering that advance ticket sales stood at 443,563 on the 4th—one day before the film’s release—this means more than 200,000 additional tickets have been sold in advance compared to the pre-release period. Advance ticket sales on the day of release also reached approximately 560,000.
This trend differs from that of typical blockbusters, where demand for advance tickets peaks just before the release and then gradually declines. In fact, “The Odyssey” showed an unusual trend, with advance ticket sales increasing in its second week compared to the pre-release period. As of the 16th, the seat occupancy rate also reached 76.7%.
Its box office success has also been rapid. “The Odyssey,” which opened on the 5th, drew 291,008 viewers on its first day and debuted at No. 1 at the box office. On the 18th—just 13 days after its release—it surpassed 5 million viewers. This is faster than this year’s hit films *The Man Who Lives with the King*, which reached the 5 million mark in 18 days, and *The Army*, which did so in 24 days.
In particular, it even surpassed the momentum of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which had previously swept the box office. “Spider-Man: A Brand New Day” added 66,386 viewers the previous day, bringing its cumulative total to 7,685,605. Although the film had recorded one of the best openings of the year by drawing 689,076 viewers on its opening day, the 29th of last month, it slipped to second place following the release of “The Odyssey.”
The long-term box office success of “The Odyssey” is believed to be driven by word of mouth and the perception that it is “a movie that must be seen in theaters.” In addition to high audience ratings—including a 98% CGV Egg Index, a 9.6 out of 10 at Lotte Cinema, and a 9.4 out of 10 at Megabox—demand for special screenings, including IMAX, remains steady.
In particular, since Director Nolan shot “The Odyssey” on full IMAX 70mm film, the viewing format itself has become a driving force behind its success. At the IMAX theater in Yongsan I’Park Mall, for example, competition to secure “Yong-IMAX” tickets has intensified, with existing reservations selling out and demand surging for additional screenings.
What’s particularly interesting is that *The Martian* is performing well despite its long runtime of nearly three hours. A long runtime typically reduces the number of daily screenings at a theater, which is generally a disadvantage for box office performance. Nevertheless, high seat occupancy rates and demand for special-format screens are offsetting this effect.
Attention is now turning to the final box office tally. With “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” having surpassed 7.68 million viewers, the gap with “The Odyssey” stands at approximately 2.09 million. While there is still a difference in cumulative attendance, given the current daily audience figures and advance ticket sales approaching 700,000, there is ample potential for “The Odyssey” to close the gap.