Premium viewing formats, including IMAX screens, are required by law to dedicate a set portion of their annual operating days to domestic Korean films, threatening to cut short the blockbuster’s run in specialized auditoriums within two months.
Box Office Milestone and Unprecedented IMAX Demand
According to data released on August 23, 2026, Odyssey cleared the 7-million-viewer threshold just two days after crossing 6 million on August 21. Audience demand for premium formats has driven a massive wave of ticket sales, with 671,000 people—roughly 10.2% of the film’s total audience—having watched it in IMAX auditoriums as of August 22, 2026. The film marks the first time a motion picture has been shot entirely on IMAX film cameras. Particular strain has hit the CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall IMAX theater, known colloquially as “Yong-A-Mac,” which stands as the country’s sole screen capable of displaying the native 1.43:1 aspect ratio without cropping. When advance ticket sales opened for the fourth week, a massive queue of users flooded the CGV mobile app, causing widespread access delays. Secondary ticketing platforms subsequently saw scalpers listing standard 20,000-won tickets for inflated prices, alongside demands of hundreds of thousands of won for premium seats. The Korean Film Council reported that it is actively receiving tips regarding inflated ticket resales and abnormal bulk reservations.
Screen Quota Restrictions Threaten Specialized Screens
Despite heavy consumer demand, the enforcement of South Korea’s screen quota rules makes sustained screenings in premium halls difficult. Under the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Motion Pictures and Video Products, theaters must screen domestic films for at least one-fifth of their total annual operating days. For a venue operating 365 days a year, this mandate translates to a minimum of 73 days, applying equally to specialized formats like IMAX and 4DX. To satisfy the requirement, a specific screen must devote its entire daily schedule to Korean films. Data shows that the Yong-A-Mac screen had logged 35 days of Korean film screenings for the year as of August 22, leaving 38 mandatory days still to fulfill. With upcoming Hollywood titles such as Dune: Part 3 and Avengers: Doomsday scheduled for release later in the year, industry projections estimate that Odyssey can retain its slot in the flagship IMAX house for no more than two months.
Industry Debate Over Quota Calculation Methods
The collision between specialized box-office hits and mandatory quotas is a recurring issue for theater operators. In past instances, cinemas have slotted Korean films that lacked IMAX or 4DX formats into specialty auditoriums solely to clear their statutory minimums. A notable precedent occurred in 2021, when the 2D digital Korean romantic comedy 연애 빠진 로맨스 occupied the Yong-A-Mac screen instead of Denis Villeneuve’s high-demand Dune. This friction has prompted calls within the film industry to reform the screen quota system from an individual screen basis to an entire theater-unit calculation. Proponents argue that averaging Korean film screening days across all screens within a multiplex would allow operators to run specialty formats more flexibly according to consumer demand. Conversely, critics express concern that altering the framework could diminish opportunities for Korean films in premium formats, particularly as foreign blockbusters dominate IMAX schedules alongside domestic titles like 호프, 군체, and 휴민트.
