Korean Movie Outsells Robert Pattinson’s Mickey 17 Before Release—Already No. 3 at the Box Office

Even before its official release, Korean film Lobby is heating up the box office. The movie, directed by and starring Ha Jung-woo, has already climbed to No. 3 in Korea’s real-time ticket reservation rankings, outpacing buzzed-about international titles like Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17.

As of March 25 at 3:30 p.m. KST, Lobby recorded a 12.5% ticket reservation rate, trailing only The Match (26.2%) and Attack on Titan: The Final Chapter – The Last Attack (13.4%), and comfortably beating Mickey 17 (4.8%).

The hype is fueled by a combination of a witty script, a star-packed ensemble, and Ha Jung-woo’s signature directing style—all evident in the film’s trailer, which surpassed 880,000 views within weeks of its release.

Premiered at a press screening on March 25, Lobby tells the story of Chang-wook (played by Ha Jung-woo), a startup CEO who has devoted his life to research but finds himself navigating the world of high-stakes political lobbying—through golf, of all things—in a bid to secure a massive government project.

It’s Ha Jung-woo’s second directorial feature after Fasten Your Seatbelt (2013), and this time, he leans deeper into character-driven storytelling and sharp, witty dialogue.

3 Reasons Everyone’s Talking About Lobby

1. An All-Star Cast with Electric Chemistry

From Kim Eui-sung, Park Byung-eun, Lee Dong-hwi, Park Hae-soo, Choi Si-won, to rising stars like Kang Mal-geum, Kwak Sun-young, and Cha Joo-young, the ensemble cast has impressed critics with dynamic, fast-paced performances.

“It’s a character-driven film with 10 actors clicking together like gears,” said director Ha.

Co-star Kwak Sun-young added, “The dialogue feels so real—it’s like watching spontaneous banter unfold on screen.”

2. Ha Jung-woo’s Signature Dialogue

A writer-director-actor triple threat, Ha penned all the dialogue himself. Known for crafting sharp, often darkly funny lines, he reportedly led 10x the usual number of table reads to refine the delivery.

3. A Sharpened Directorial Style

Building on lessons from his debut film, Ha says Lobby focuses less on visual flair and more on emotional resonance.

“Life is all coincidence,” he shared. “That’s where the cinematic fun lives.”

Actor Lee Dong-hwi described the film as “a spiritual sequel to Fasten Your Seatbelt—but more polished.”

Public Response and What’s Next

Audiences have responded enthusiastically, leaving comments like:

“This cast is insane. Instant watch.”

“Ha Jung-woo + Park Hae-soo? I’m in.”

“Feels like it could be part of the Narco-Saints cinematic universe.”

“Can’t wait to see Choi Si-won in this role.”

“Please be as fun as it looks!”

Lobby is set to officially hit theaters on April 2, and a full slate of stage greetings is planned for the first two weeks—featuring Ha Jung-woo, Kim Eui-sung, Kwak Sun-young, Choi Si-won, Lee Dong-hwi, Park Byung-eun, and more. Cities include Seoul, Mokdong, Yeouido, Yongsan, and beyond, with a special live broadcast event also in the works.

The Match (26.2%)

Attack on Titan: The Final Chapter – The Last Attack (13.4%)

Lobby (12.5%)

Mickey 17 (4.8%)

Flow (3.3%)

Heretic (2.5%)

Streaming (2.4%)

Conclave (2.2%)

The Last Mile (2.1%)

Solitary Gourmet: The Movie (2.0%)

With a clever concept, massive cast, and momentum ahead of release, Lobby is shaping up to be one of Korea’s early box office hits of 2025.