The Korean film industry has turned to the proven savior of Japanese animation since the start of the year to offset the prolonged slump of domestic productions. The box office in 2025 remained largely stagnant. Among domestic movies, the webtoon-based film “My Daughter Is a Zombie” managed to surpass the 5-million-viewer mark, and only three Korean titles managed to squeeze into the top 10 annual box office rankings. To combat declining ticket sales and a lack of blockbuster movies, movie distributors have launched aggressive re-release strategies. By bringing back beloved Japanese classics and modern hits that have strong fandoms, movie theaters aim to ensure a steady influx of niche but loyal audiences. “Recently, the theater-going experience has shifted toward fandom consumption,” an official in the film marketing industry here said on condition of anonymity. "With animated features like ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Movie: The Infinity Castle’ and ‘Zootopia 2’ dominating the box office in 2025, theatres are prioritizing content that can guarantee physical a