Is it a small spark lit by “Night Fishing,” starring Son Seok-goo, which created a “1,000-won movie” frenzy? The theaters are scrambling to screen ultra-short films for less than 5,000 won. Analysts suggest that this caters to the tastes of young audiences familiar with short-form content and represents the theaters’ struggle to cope with economic downturns.
Starting from the 25th, CGV will screen an 8-minute short animation titled “No Home – The Beginning of Bad Luck” for just 1,000 won. Based on the popular Naver webtoon “No Home” by writer Wan An, the story revolves around the first meeting between the characters Go Hae-jun, who leaves home to attend a high school with dorms, and Baek Eun-young, a troublemaker living in a tent due to lack of a home.
Although the series comprises eight episodes, only the first episode will be shown in theaters. It will be available across 46 theaters nationwide, including CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall, for two weeks from the 25th. CGV’s bold move to screen short animations is attributed to the success of the ultra-short film “Night Fishing.”
“Night Fishing,” starring and co-produced by Son Seok-goo, drew attention for its 1,000-won ticket price and attracted 46,000 viewers. CGV estimates that 19% of the audience for “Night Fishing” also watched other movies. A CGV official stated, “We confirmed the demand for new content through the short film ‘Night Fishing'” and pledged to continue diversifying content to attract more audiences to theaters.
Set to exclusively release on November 1 at Lotte Cinema, the movie “4 Minutes 44 Seconds” (directed by Park Jong-kyun) has a runtime of 44 minutes and charges a ticket price of 4,000 won. It is a horror movie set in a fictional Bukchon apartment, where residents mysteriously disappear for unknown reasons. The film stars actors Jang Young-nam, Shinee’s Onew (Lee Jin-ki), and Lovelyz’s Yoo Ji-ae.
The movie is steeped in the unlucky number “4.” It’s composed of eight episodes, each lasting 4 minutes and 44 seconds, with a total runtime of 44 minutes including the ending credits. A Lotte representative described it as “a short-form content with brief yet intense enjoyment.”