'The Roundup: Punishment' smashes 2M moviegoer milestone, fastest in 2024
The Roundup: Punishment, the latest installment in the popular Korean crime action series, has set a new record as 2024's fastest film to attract over 2M viewers, reportedly. Released on Wednesday (April 24), it took less than four days for it to reach this milestone, according to distributor ABO Entertainment. This achievement makes it the quickest movie of the year to hit such a mark at the South Korean box office.
'Punishment' is the latest chapter in the series
For those unaware, TheRoundup: Punishment is the latest chapter in protagonist Ma Dong-seok's successful The Outlaws series. The film continues the exciting story of renowned detective Ma Seok Do (portrayed by Ma), who collaborates with the Cyber Investigation Team to defeat an illegal online gambling ring. The series began with The Outlaws in 2017, followed by The Roundup in 2022 and The Roundup: No Way Our in 2023.
Film broke domestic presale records with over 834K tickets sold
On its debut day, Punishment broke domestic presale records with over 834K tickets sold by Wednesday morning local time. This figure represents a staggering 95.5% of all sales, according to local sources. The film surpassed the franchise's previous presale record of 640K tickets set by The Roundup: No Way Out and also exceeded the presales record by another Ma film, Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days, which had secured 646K in presales.
'Punishment' earned $341K on just 17 screens on its opening
Moreover, Punishment also outdid opening day presales of Hollywood films released in Korea this year, including Kung Fu Panda 4. The film earned $341K on just 17 screens on its opening day, as reported by Kobiz. Directed by Heo Myeong-haeng, Punishment premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and centers around Detective Ma's pursuit of a dangerous kingpin and a cryptocurrency entrepreneur using online casinos to launder his virtually worthless fortune.
