The movie "The Outlaws 4" surpassed 10 million viewers once again on the morning of the 15th following the series "The Outlaws 2" and "The Outlaws 3." This is the first time in the history of Korean movies that a series movie has achieved "Triple 10 million."
According to the KOBIS on the 15th, the cumulative number of viewers exceeded 10 million at 7:30 a.m. on the 22nd day since its release on the 24th of last month. It is the 33rd movie released in Korea to reach 10 million viewers. It is the 24th Korean movie ever. "Criminal City 4" is a film about a crime-wiping operation against a large online illegal gambling organization. Like its predecessors, it attracted the audience with a delightful and exhilarating action scene. The cumulative number of viewers for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th "The Outlaws" totaled 40.26 million, surpassing 40 million for the first time in a Korean movie.
Actor Ma Dong-seok, the lead and producer of the "The Outlaws" series, said in a video of appreciation for exceeding 10 million viewers released through production company ABIO Entertainment on the same day, "It's all the result of the audience's power. I am truly grateful," he said. Actors and producers who appeared in "The Outlaws 4" also expressed their gratitude. Actor Kim Moo-yeol (played by Baek Chang-ki), a former musical actor who was selected as the main character, first became a "10 million actor" with "The Outlaws 4."
However, some criticized that the "The Outlaws" series monopolized theaters by promoting excessively for box office records, sparking controversy. According to KOBIS, "Criminal City 4" actually had an average seat share of 73.1% (the percentage of all seats allocated) for about 20 days from the release date to the 14th. On the other hand, the average seat sales rate (the percentage of seats sold among allotted seats) during the same period was only 24.1%. If a movie monopolizes the theater like this, the audience's choice will inevitably be limited. An official from the film industry said, "There are several movies that have delayed their release because of 'The Outlaws 4'."
The movie 'The Outlaws' series was first released in 2017. The movie "Criminal City 1," which depicts the story of detectives wiping out Korean-Chinese criminal organizations against the backdrop of Chinatown in Garibong-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul, received favorable reviews, exceeding 6.88 million viewers. "The Outlaws 2" (2022), which deals with the crime of kidnapping and killing in Southeast Asia, reversed the atmosphere of the film industry, which had been stagnant for the first 10 million movies since the pandemic.
On top of that, Ma Dong-seok became the only Korean actor to appear in six 10 million movies, as "The Outlaws 3" (2023) and "The Outlaws 4," which dealt with large-scale drug cases, surpassed 10 million viewers one after another. They are "Train to Busan", "With God - Sin and Punishment", "With God - People and Kites", and "Criminal City". It widened the gap with actors Song Kang-ho and Ryu Seung-ryong, who appeared in four 10 million movies.
Meanwhile, "The Outlaws" is also reportedly discussing producing a Hollywood version of the United States. Ma Dong-seok said, "I am working hard to change my soul to make a cool and exhilarating movie that relieves my frustration. We will do our best for a more fun and evolved series," he said. However, he did not comment on the controversy over the monopoly of theaters.
