Opening D-1 'Sin City 3', No. 1 with irregular release?

Did the movie 'Crime City 3' (director Lee Sang-yong) benefit from the irregular release? Irregular release refers to showing movies that are expected to be box office hits before the release date through paid previews or abruptly advancing the release date.

Avio Entertainment and Plus M Entertainment, the distributors of 'Criminal City 3', confirmed the release on May 31 on the 26th of last month. It is about 2 weeks apart from the opening date of 'Crime City 2', which was released last year and mobilized 12.69 million people.

Prior to the release, 'Sin City 3' had a premiere preview from May 27 to 29. Accordingly, the cumulative number of viewers for 'Crime City 3' not only recorded 481,174, but also ranked first at the box office. Some pointed out that 'Sin City 3' had an irregular opening in the name of a pre-premier preview.

According to multiplex CJ CGV and Lotte Cinema officials, the premiere premiere of 'Criminal City 3' was held twice a day. An official from CJ CGV told Ten Asia, "Rather than calling 'Criminal City 3' an irregular release, various Korean films have held premiere previews. There has never been a case where the premiere premiered and ranked first in the box office."

An official from Lotte Cinema also said, "Like other films, 'Sin City 3' premiered under the same conditions. It was assigned twice a day, and it was not a special benefit. Last year, 'Sin City 2' also held a premiere preview before its release However, it ranked second at the box office, not first. At the time, the top spot at the box office was taken by the Marvel movie 'Doctor Strange: The Multiverse of Chaos'."

'Crime City 3' said, "At the request of the theater, we held a premiere screening twice a day. We did not know that it would receive this much attention. Following the movie 'Train to Busan' released in 2016, it recorded a high seat sales rate." thank you," he said.

Reporter Kang Min-kyung, Ten Asia kkk39@tenasia.co.kr