“I just hope that we can cross the break-even point,” Ma Dong Seok said after releasing The Roundup: No Way Out, the third installment of the hit crime franchise he directed, penned, and starred in.
Few people doubted that his latest flick would fail at the box office, considering its previous installment The Roundup exceeded 10 million viewers even during the pandemic. However, the situation wasn’t rosy, as no film in South Korea had broken even since October of last year.
Ma Dong Seok shouldn’t have worried too much about his movie’s success. The new movie crossed the break-even point of 1.8 million viewers within three days and has attracted 7.8 million people as of June 11th.
The film earned $59.69 million in cumulative revenue with strong pre-sales in 158 countries before its Korean release. Additionally, income from streaming services and IPTV platforms are likely to contribute to future sales.
The profitability for investors is also a significant aspect to consider. The production cost of The Roundup: No Way Out was approximately $10.47 million, and it quickly raised $775K through the K-content investment platform, Funderful, within an hour in June of the previous year.
An official from Funderful stated, “It is still challenging to determine the exact profit earned from investing in The Roundup: No Way Out, but the movie Sinkhole, which attracted 2.1 million viewers, provided investors with a return rate exceeding 14%, amounting to $155.1K.”
All eyes are on Ma Dong Seok as he leads the investment for his latest film through his production company, Big Punch Entertainment. With distribution and production company shares factored in, he is expected to earn a six-figure profit.
The money earned from theater ticket sales makes up half of the total revenue. However, the deduction includes 10% for value-added tax and 3% for the film promotion and development fund.
When the film becomes available for distribution, the distribution company earns compensation equivalent to 10% of the distribution commission. Afterward, the distribution company and the production company share the remaining sales.
The Roundup: No Way Out is distributed by ABO Entertainment and Plus M Entertainment, and it is produced by Big Punch Entertainment, Hong Film, and B.A. Entertainment.
According to an estimate from Mnet’s TMI NEWS SHOW last year, Ma Dong Seok earned approximately $9.3 million from his investment in the second installment, as well as endorsement fees. This calculation was based on ticket sales and advertisement fees. While the exact amount of his earnings may vary, it is undeniable that he has achieved a significant profit through his latest film.
>> Ma Dong Seok’s ‘The Roundup: No Way Out’ Lands 4th Place in Worldwide Box Office
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