Hitman 2, Black nuns hit the box office...The hitmen and black priests are on fire, too
Jan 30, 2025
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'Hitman 2' is on a box office cruise, surpassing 1 million viewers in eight days after its release. 'Black nuns' also surpassed 1 million viewers in 6 days, creating a strong box office sensation not only at home but also abroad such as Indonesia. Thanks to the popularity of the two works, previous works 'Hitman 1' and 'Black Priests' have been re-examined, and they are gaining popularity again on OTT platforms and IPTVs, respectively.
In particular, 'Hitman 1', which was released five years ago, has recently soared to No. 2 in the top 10 Korean movies on Netflix, receiving surprising responses. The film, which left a disappointment in its box office due to the COVID-19 pandemic at the time of its release, is enjoying late popularity, attracting a new fan base with the release of the sequel 'Hitman 2'. Hitman 1, which features cartoon-like directing and comic action, was a work that was divided between likes and dislikes at the time, but it is now attracting attention as a killing time film thanks to Kwon Sang-woo's slapstick action and unique setting.
'Black Priests' is also attracting attention from the audience again thanks to the popularity of 'Black Nuns'. Black Priests, which was released in 2015 and attracted 5.44 million viewers, is considered a work that pioneered the Korean occult genre in earnest. 'Black Nuns' is a spin-off work that inherits this worldview and is attracting attention as a differentiated story centered on the stories of female protagonists while maintaining a similar setting to the previous one.
In particular, in 'Black Nuns', the settings of 'Rose Cross' and '12 Shape' evil spirits that appeared in 'Black Priests' reemerged, solidifying the link between the worldview. The names of Father Kim Bum-shin and Deputy Choi Joon-ho, who were played by Kim Yoon-seok and Kang Dong-won, were also mentioned several times in the play, further raising expectations for a follow-up. At the end of the film, a scene in which Vice President Choi Joon-ho (Kang Dong-won) joins Sister Michaela (Jeon Yeo-bin) opened up the possibility of another story.
In the past, when sequels are successful, the prequels are often re-examined, but as in this case, it is rare for a work from five or nine years ago to become popular again.
The popularity of 'Black Priests' and 'Hitman1' is likely to increase as 'Hitman2' and 'Black nuns' go up in the box office. Expectations are high on whether these works will enter a new heyday.
mj.cho@sportschosun.com
