‘The Odyssey’ surpasses 9 million viewers and sets South Korean IMAX attendance record

“The Odyssey” has crossed 9 million viewers in South Korea, while its IMAX screenings set a separate national attendance record.

The film recorded 9.01 million cumulative viewers on Aug. 31, its 27th day in theaters, according to the Korean Film Council’s integrated ticketing network. It reached the milestone at the same pace as “The Man Who Lives with the King,” which drew 16 million viewers after its release in February.

“The Odyssey” is the 13th feature directed by Christopher Nolan. Its advance-booking rate rose during the second week, helping the film build momentum later in its run. The article said it was expected to approach 10 million viewers over the weekend. If it reaches that figure, it will become the year’s second 10-million-viewer film after “The Man Who Lives with the King.” Nolan would also join the small group of directors with two South Korean films above that mark, following “Interstellar.”

The film has also created intense competition for tickets at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall’s IMAX auditorium, widely known as “Yong-A-MAX.” By Aug. 31, about 999,000 people had watched “The Odyssey” in IMAX theaters, exceeding the roughly 929,000 who saw “Avatar: The Way of Water.” IMAX viewers accounted for 10.8% of the film’s total South Korean audience.

The Yongsan auditorium screens the film on one of the country’s largest screens, preserving the aspect ratio of the film photography. Tickets remained sold out for every scheduled screening date.