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The Odyssey is a massive hit in South Korea, with scalper ticket prices soaring tenfold
Báo Tuổi Trẻ
22/08/2026
20:25
The Odyssey continues to lead the South Korean box office in its fourth week of release. High demand for IMAX screenings has led to resale tickets appearing at prices several times higher than the original cost.
Tốc độ đạt 6 triệu khán giả của The Odyssey cũng tương đương Interstellar, phim có thành tích cao nhất của Christopher Nolan tại thị trường Hàn Quốc - Ảnh: Universal
Director Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is creating a ticket frenzy in South Korea, with audience numbers surpassing 6 million after 17 days of release. Premiering in South Korea on August 5, The Odyssey attracted over 6 million viewers as of August 21, maintaining its position as the number one box office hit of the day.
According to Hankook Ilbo, the appeal of The Odyssey has led to ticket scalping in South Korea, particularly at the Yongsan IMAX theater. The Odyssey was filmed entirely with IMAX cameras, including IMAX 70mm film. In South Korea, the Yongsan IMAX theater is known as the only venue capable of screening the film in the full 1.43:1 aspect ratio.
Giá vé chợ đen của The Odyssey tại Hàn Quốc bị đẩy cao gấp nhiều lần giá gốc - Ảnh: Universal
CGV opened ticket sales for the fourth week on August 20, with the screening schedule at Yongsan extending until August 30. Tickets were quickly sold out. Universal Pictures, the film's distributor in South Korea, stated that at one point, over 40,000 people were waiting to access the system, with an estimated wait time of about one hour.
Ticket scarcity has also occurred for very early screenings. Weekday screenings, including those after midnight or around 6:00 AM, are almost completely sold out, except for seats reserved for people with disabilities.
While official tickets are priced at approximately 20,000 won, many are being resold on secondary market platforms and social media for prices ranging from 100,000 won to 200,000 won.
At the height of the frenzy, some offered prices exceeding 300,000 won. Despite having to pay "black market" prices several times higher than the original cost, many audience members still claim the experience is well worth the money.
This is not the first time IMAX tickets for The Odyssey have appeared on the black market. In New York, a pair of tickets with a face value of $33 was once listed for resale at up to $999. There are currently about 25 IMAX theaters in the U.S. using 70mm projection systems.
Hội đồng Điện ảnh Hàn Quốc đang tiến hành khảo sát thực trạng vụ việc The Odyssey và xem xét các biện pháp ứng phó - Ảnh: Universal
In response to this situation, the Korean Film Council has begun receiving reports of suspected ticket scalping, including the use of macro software to bulk-purchase tickets for resale at inflated prices. CGV also prohibits the use of macro programs to purchase tickets and the resale of tickets under its terms of service. Previously, this theater chain restricted or terminated accounts caught reselling tickets during the release of Avengers: Endgame.
According to the Korea Times, addressing film ticket scalping remains legally challenging. South Korea's new anti-scalping law, effective August 28, prohibits fraudulent ticket purchases for resale and selling tickets above face value in the performing arts and sports sectors. However, this regulation does not apply to movie tickets.
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