Concerns over the new coronavirus are spreading, giving a huge blow in movie industry.
Beasts Clawing At Straws, a new movie scheduled to be released on Feb. 12, has temporarily postponed its release. The official statement was released by the film distributor, Megabox Plus M, emphasizing the delay is to prevent any damage caused by new coronavirus. The distributor added that they hope things will improve, without giving an actual date for release.
Also, Les Miserable: Musical Concert, which was set to run on Thursday postponed the opening day to March 27 and animation The Princess: The Stolen Princess, for children have decided to temporarily postpone as well. An Honest Candidate, which had the same release date as Beasts Clawing At Straws is also discussing a new opening day. Time To Hunt �originally announced its release in February, but decided to postpone, watching the situation.
Since the spread of new coronavirus last month, the number of visitors to theater have dropped significantly. According to computer network system of Korean Film Council, the number of audience in January 2020 stood at 16.84 million, which is 1.28 million less than January last year, when the number was about 18.12 million. This is the lowest record since 2012.
The blow to the movie industry is not shown in theaters but also in previews, promotional events and award ceremonies. One of the most anticipated movie in 2020, Time To Hunt �canceled a showcase scheduled to take place on July 5. The upcoming 56th Grand Bell Awards also delayed the ceremony. This is to prevent any unwelcomed situations from happening.
All of these delays in new February films are bound to affect next month. If these films postpone their release to March, already existing March releases will have lots to consider. As of now, Call, Intruder, and Innocent �have already confirmed their release in March, but opened a possibility of delay.
