Hyun Bin’s highly anticipated film Harbin is struggling to keep its momentum as audience numbers continue to decline, raising concerns about its ability to break even.
On January 16, the Korean Film Council reported that Harbin attracted only 31,915 viewers the day before, bringing its total admissions to 4,282,201. While the movie has held onto the No. 1 spot at the box office for an impressive 23 days, its initial strong performance has slowed dramatically.
In its first nine days, Harbin consistently drew over 100,000 viewers daily. However, mixed reviews from audiences caused a noticeable decline, with daily admissions dropping to 56,648 by January 6. Now, weekday numbers are struggling to even hit 50,000.
The film’s break-even point is estimated to be 6.8 million viewers, leaving it with a daunting gap of 2.52 million admissions to achieve profitability. Even with the Lunar New Year holiday approaching, the current trend suggests the goal might be out of reach.
Adding to the pressure, Harbin is facing tough competition from highly anticipated new releases like Dark Nuns starring Song Hye Kyo and Secret: Untold Melody featuring EXO’s D.O. These films are expected to grab audience attention, making it even harder for Harbin to sustain its box office run.
Harbin, directed by Woo Min Ho, tells the story of An Jung Geun’s assassination of Ito Hirobumi in Harbin, focusing on the intense journey of those involved and those trying to stop them. The film stars Hyun Bin alongside Park Jung Min and Jo Woo Jin.
Despite its strong start, Harbin now faces an uphill battle to regain momentum and draw more viewers. Fans are wondering if the star-studded cast and historical plot will be enough to save the film from its financial struggles.
Source: [1]
