[E-Daily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] Director Christopher Nolan’s “The Martian” has surpassed 11 million viewers. With the number of viewers continuing to rise even after breaking the 10-million mark, all eyes are now on whether the film will enter the “Top 5 All-Time Foreign Films at the Box Office.” It is also unusual for this long-running hit, now in its seventh week of release, to still hold the top spot in advance ticket sales.

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network on the 18th, “The Odyssey” recorded a cumulative audience of 11,000,003 as of 11:41 a.m. that day. After surpassing 10 million viewers in just 33 days since its release, it added another 1 million viewers in about two weeks.
It is now highly likely that the film will climb one more spot in the all-time box office rankings. Currently, “Avengers: Infinity War” holds the fifth spot on the list of all-time highest-grossing foreign films, with a final audience count of approximately 11.23 million. The gap between it and “The Martian” stands at about 230,000 viewers. If this trend continues, a spot in the top five all-time foreign films is well within reach.
What stands out even more than its “speed” is its “stamina.” Although “The Odyssey” ceded the top spot on the daily box office to “The Intern,” which opened on the 16th, it continues to hold the top spot in advance ticket sales. From the 3rd of last month through today, it has maintained the No. 1 spot in overall advance ticket sales for 47 consecutive days. This means it remains the strongest choice among audiences even as a flood of new releases hits theaters.
This long-term box office success is attributed to a combination of Korean audiences’ high trust in director Nolan, a viewing culture centered on special-format theaters, and demand for repeat viewings. In particular, “The Odyssey” saw strong demand for special-format screenings, such as IMAX, from the very beginning of its run, and despite a higher average ticket price than typical blockbusters, repeat viewings have continued, creating the momentum for its long-term success.
The significance of these box office records is also growing. “The Odyssey” has already surpassed “Interstellar” to become Director Nolan’s highest-grossing film in Korea. If it goes on to surpass “Avengers: Infinity War,” it will not only break Nolan’s personal record but also enter the ranks of the top-grossing foreign films of all time. It is also noteworthy that a film—driven not by a franchise but by the director’s brand, the original narrative, and the special theater experience—has attracted more than 11 million viewers.
However, the next hurdle for its long-term box office run is the Chuseok holiday. With new Korean films—including *The Intern*—targeting the holiday in earnest to attract audiences, competition for screen time and showings is expected to intensify. Nevertheless, given that it has maintained the No. 1 spot in advance ticket sales for 47 consecutive days, *The Martian* still has plenty of staying power.