Korean cinema found success with international films like K-Pop Demon Hunters and Parasite, but it seemed that the industry failed to keep up with the hype for some time. Luckily, in the first quarter of 2026, the Korean film industry showed a trend of recovery, with both sales and audience growth of more than 100% as of now.
With box office hits like the award-winning film The King’s Warden and now the popularity of Colony, movies are slowly regaining their impact. However, this recovery does not correlate to the physical strength of the entire market, particularly movie theaters.
Compared to 2019, demand for theaters is rather low, and there are still gaps in production and supply of medium-sized commercial films. Remakes and re-releases of films also find little retention, and licensing limitations on international films also affect the market. In addition, the first quarter’s performance was not evenly spread across the entire market, but rather focused on specific box office hits and some investment distributors.
Now, movie insiders believe the key to the second half of the year’s success highly depends on how major investment distributors such as CJ ENM, Lotte Entertainment, Showbox and NEW promote and schedule these upcoming films. Get an inside look at which films are set to release in the second half of this year with ZAPZEE.
Ode to My Father 2 (CJ ENM)
Ode to My Father 2 is the sequel to its previous film of the same name, which attracted 14 million viewers in 2014 upon release. The second film will be directed by Yoon Je Kyun again, and is being produced in the background of modern and contemporary Korean history from the 1970s to the early 2000s alongside CJ ENM. Stars Lee Sung Min, Kang Ha Neul and Moon Sori will lead the story, and the release is set for winter, with no dates confirmed as of yet.
Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub (CJ ENM)
Acting as the fourth installment in the series, CJ ENM will be managing the Tazza IP for the first time in 20 years. The release of Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub is set for the Chuseok holiday, hoping the vacation period will bring in more moviegoers, but it is still being decided. The cast features Byun Yo Han, Noh Jae Won, and Miyoshi Ayaka, leading viewers to anticipate the chemistry of these talented performers.
Paradise Lost (CJ ENM)
CJ ENM plans to manage another unique hit alongside Director Yeon Sang Ho’s Paradise Lost (literal translation), a low-budget mystery film worth 500 million won ($325,000). The experimental project that applies a performance-based profit distribution structure and reduced production costs will star the talented Kim Hyun Joo and Bae Hyun Sung. In an attempt to change the way films are monetized, CJ ENM is implementing a notable strategy for the second half of the year that combines market driving through box office IP and experimenting with new production and profit models through this method.
REAWAKEN MAN (Lotte Entertainment)
The webtoon transformed for the big screen is garnering lots of attention during the craze of web series being remade for film. REAWAKEN MAN is an action fantasy-based webtoon starring Koo Dong Hwan, Shin Seung Ho, Kang Ki Young, Kim Si Ah, and Kim Sung Ryeong. It tells the story of a man who comes back to life 72 hours after death and is suddenly being chased by unidentified forces. Director Baek Jong Yeol, who directed Beauty Inside and Believer 2, completed filming alongside Lotte Entertainment in 2023.
The Journey to Gyeongju (Lotte Entertainment)
The Journey to Gyeongju is a new film directed by Kim Mi Jo and also produced by Lotte Entertainment. The dark thriller revolves around a family revenge plot that is expected to be a must-see drama for the second half of 2026. Alongside the killer story, the production features Lee Jung Eun, Gong Hyo Jin, Park So Dam and Lee Yeon. It is designed to combine Korean sentiment with an ensemble centered on female actors.
Cattle Run (Lotte Entertainment)
Lotte Entertainment continues to dig its hands deep in various productions with a plethora of storylines. Cattle Run is a family drama starring Ryu Seung Ryong, Park Hae Joon, and Ong Seong Wu. It was directed by new MBC PD-turned-director Kim Ji Hyun and has been coordinating the release time since filming initiated in 2021. Overall, Lotte Entertainment’s strategy for the second half of the year is more of a way to reintroduce its completed long-term IP into the market.
White Blast (Showbox)
The only showcase of Showbox in the second half of the year, which successfully succeeded with the releases of The King’s Warden, Salmokji: Whispering Waters and Colony, is its next anticipated hit White Blast. The film stars Kim Yoon Seok, Koo Kyo Hwan, and Noh Yoon Seo. The film is a mystery thriller co-directed by new director Park Sun Woo and the experienced director Hong Eui Jung. The story highlights a prisoner who escaped against the backdrop of a deserted rural station and a stationmaster who takes his last shift. Eyes are on Showbox’s performance results which can lead to a lineup of other investment distributors for future content.
Hope (Plus M Entertainment)
NEW invested and distributed Project Y in the first half of 2026, and now we can see them teaming up with Plus M Entertainment in Na Hong Jin’s tentpole film Hope. Hope is a work starring Hwang Jung Min, Jo In Sung and Jung Ho Yeon, depicting an event that occurs when an unidentified person appears in an isolated port town near the Demilitarized Zone. It is a large project with a production cost of about 50 billion won (roughly $32 million dollars) and is preparing to be released this summer. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Youngjin Committee are planning to distribute additional discount coupons in July, which is expected to affect the peak season market.
Plus M Entertainment has other highly anticipated projects on the way such as Three of a Kind, Canvas of Blood, Night Fever and Pig Village. Three of a Kind is directed by Han Dong Wook and stars Yum Jung Ah, Cha Joo Young and Kim Hye Yoon. The story entices with a crime entertainment film centered on female characters. Canvas of Blood is directed by Jang Hoon, and features Kim Nam Gil, Park Bo Gum and Lee Hyun Wook. Among the varying previously announced releases, this one is a historical drama based on the history of the Joseon Dynasty. Night Fever, directed by Kim Pan Soo, has a stellar cast consisting of Woo Do Hwan, Jang Dong Keon and Lee Hye Ri. It is an action film set in Bangkok, Thailand and is bound to wow viewers with its visuals from abroad. Lastly, Pig Village was directed by Lee Sang Yong and is another overseas-oriented production starring actor Ma Dong Seok. The expansive cast and productions proves the reach Plus M entertainment has in the film industry.
Tristes Tropiques (MINDMARK Inc)
Park Hoon Jung’s is betting success on Tristes Tropiques as an investment distribution in the second half of the year. The film produced by Mindmark is a revenge play surrounding a killer organization, starring Lee Shin Young, Park Yoo Rim, and Kim Myung Min. The story won the Silver Raven Award at the 44th Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival and is attracting Korean audiences for its painful story surrounding the children of the tropics’ need for revenge.
Assassins (Hive Media Corp)
Hive Media Corp will release Hur Jin Ho‘s Assassins as its first investment distribution in the latter half of 2026. The movie is based on a true story starring Yoo Hae Jin, Park Hae Il and Lee Min Ho. Based on the August 15th shooting and attempted assassination of Park Chung Hee in 1974, and influenced by major political pieces like The Man Standing Next and 12.12: the Day, the film’s real-life dark history makes it a must-see political thriller. Despite Lee Min Ho’s flops over the years, this film is anticipated to be his big return as well, and the film is expected to be released in time for the Korean Thanksgiving holiday. Competition is expected to form with its release aligned with the timing of the Tazza series.
OK! MADAM 2 (CJ CGV)
CJ CGV will introduce OK! MADAM 2, directed by Lee Cheol Ha, this summer! The insanely talented lineup includes stars like Uhm Jung Hwa, Park Sung Woong, Lee Sang Yoon, Bae Jeong Nam, and Ryeoun. The family action film is set on a luxury cruise, with the backdrop already released on Lee Cheol Ha’s Instagram, making it the perfect summer comedy. It aims to meet the movie demands during the peak summer season, aiming to earn the title of best family film of the year.
NEW achieved one of the top box-office performances of the first quarter of 2026 as the investor and distributor of HUMINT. However, its major investment film lineup for the second half of the year has yet to be finalized. The company is currently focusing more on distribution than new productions.
Several films backed by NEW are awaiting release, including Vampir from Exhuma director Jang Jae Hyun; If I’m With You (literal translation) from Sunny director Kang Hyoung Chul; High School Detective starring Yoon Kyung Ho and Kim Hye Yoon; and Six Liars (working title) starring Cho Yi Hyun, Kim Jae Won, Shin Seung Ho, Kang You Seok, Kwak Dong Yeon and Bae Gang Hee.
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What do you think of the major project set to grace your screen later this year? Is there any film or star your looking forward to seeing the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below and don’t forget to watch more of your favorite K-Dramas for FREE on Amasian TV.
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