Showbox momentum continues into first half

Mar 10, 2026, 09:04 am

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A scene from the upcoming zombie film “Colony,” starring Jun Ji-hyun and directed by Yeon Sang-ho, scheduled for release in May. /Showbox

The South Korean film distributor Showbox has drawn industry attention as its recent box office successes raise expectations that the company’s momentum could continue through the first half of the year.

Following the surprise success of the romantic film If We early this year and the blockbuster performance of King and the Man Who Lives, which surpassed 10 million viewers, Showbox appears to have shaken off the slump it experienced last year.

The company plans to release two follow-up films, the horror movie Salmokji on April 8 and the zombie thriller Colony in May.

Among them, Colony has generated particularly strong anticipation. The film is directed by Yeon Sang-ho, whose zombie blockbuster Train to Busan attracted more than 11.5 million viewers. The new movie tells the story of survivors trapped inside a sealed building during an unknown infection outbreak as they struggle against infected individuals who evolve in unpredictable ways.

Because the film marks Yeon’s return to the zombie genre he is best known for, movie fans are watching closely to see whether it can recreate the box office success of Train to Busan.

The film has also drawn attention for its star-studded cast, including Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-been, Kim Shin-rok and Ko Soo.

Among them, Jun Ji-hyun is receiving the most attention. She returns to the big screen for the first time in 11 years since the 2015 blockbuster Assassination, which drew about 12.7 million viewers.

In Colony, she plays Kwon Se-jung, a biotechnology scientist who leads efforts to escape danger and solve the crisis. The role features survival action scenes that highlight her signature mix of intensity and emotional depth.

Showbox’s rebound began earlier this year with If We, a romance starring Koo Kyo-hwan and Moon Ga-young. Released on Dec. 31 last year, the film attracted about 2.6 million viewers, performing beyond expectations.

The turnaround is notable because none of Showbox’s investment or distribution projects ranked in the top 10 Korean box office hits last year.

Interestingly, the company has experienced a similar cycle before. Struggling with reduced film production and the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Showbox even considered withdrawing from the film business in late 2023.

However, it staged a dramatic recovery in early 2024 when the supernatural thriller Exhuma became a major hit, surpassing 10 million viewers.

Regarding the company’s alternating cycle of successes and disappointments, a Showbox official said the outcome ultimately depends on audience choices.

“All results depend on the audience, so any analysis can only be made after the fact,” the official said. “Last year our lineup was relatively weak, but this year many of the films already released or scheduled for release were projects we strongly believed in from the planning stage and invested in aggressively.”

According to the Korean Film Council’s box office tracking system on March 9, King and the Man Who Lives attracted 1,725,770 viewers over the three days from March 6 to 8, bringing its total audience to 11,503,748 since its Feb. 4 release.

#Showbox #Korean film industry #King and the Man Who Lives #Jun Ji-hyun #Yeon Sang-ho