Lotte Entertainment

Overview

Lotte Entertainment is a Seoul-based South Korean film production, distribution, and investment company founded in September 2003. It operates as the entertainment division of Lotte Cultureworks, which was spun off from Lotte Shopping in 2018 under the Lotte Corporation conglomerate. The company is headquartered in Songpa District, Seoul, and is part of Korea's "Big 4" major film distributors alongside CJ ENM, Showbox, and NEW. Lotte Entertainment has 370+ titles in its filmography spanning theatrical distribution, production, and international sales.

The company's competitive advantage is vertical integration through Lotte Cinema, South Korea's second-largest multiplex chain. This gives Lotte Entertainment guaranteed screen access for its own releases, a structural advantage that pure distributors without owned exhibition cannot match. In 2015, Lotte signed a theatrical distribution deal with Paramount Pictures to handle all Paramount releases in South Korea, after Paramount ended its previous arrangement with CJ Entertainment.

2024 to 2025 Box Office Performance

Lotte Entertainment had a strong 2024 at the Korean box office. Pilot, released July 31, 2024, grossed $28.6 million with 4.71 million admissions, ranking 4th among all Korean films that year. Picnic, released February 7, 2024, grossed $2.1 million with 363,932 admissions.

In 2025, Lotte Entertainment released Holy Night: Demon Hunters, which grossed $35.9 million with 5.63 million admissions, making it one of the year's top Korean theatrical releases. The company also distributed Wild Sing (2026, $8.6 million worldwide to date) and handled Korean theatrical distribution for Aikatsu! x Pripara the Movie: Miraculous Meeting! (2025, $2.3 million).

Lotte Entertainment also operates as an international sales agent, representing Korean films at major markets including the European Film Market (EFM), Marche du Film, and the American Film Market (AFM). The company is a member of the Globalgate consortium led by Lionsgate, representing the Korean and Vietnamese film markets.

Production and Distribution Model

Lotte Entertainment operates as both producer and distributor. The company finances and produces Korean commercial films including action, thriller, historical epic, and romantic comedy genres, and distributes them through its theatrical network. It also acquires international films through output deals (Paramount Pictures since 2015) and festival acquisitions.

The company's production slate includes both theatrical features and television series. TV productions include The 8 Show (2024, Netflix), Thirty Nine (2022, JTBC), and Joseon Exorcist (2021, SBS). On the feature side, Lotte has produced the Along with the Gods franchise, which ranks among the most successful Korean film series of all time. Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017) still ranks as the third most-watched Korean film ever, and Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days (2018) was also a major commercial hit.

Other significant releases include #Alive (2020), which became the first Korean film to rank number 1 on Netflix in the US and Europe, reaching number 1 in 35 countries. Escape from Mogadishu (2021) was the highest-grossing Korean film of that year and was submitted for the Academy Awards.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Lotte Entertainment is not a realistic acquisition target for international arthouse or independent filmmakers. The company's commercial focus and Korean blockbuster orientation position it firmly in the mainstream theatrical market. International filmmakers with commercially positioned productions seeking South Korean distribution may find Lotte Entertainment interested in acquiring Korean rights for crossover titles with broad audience appeal, particularly action, thriller, or genre films with proven box office track records in other territories.

For Korean filmmakers, Lotte Entertainment is one of the primary production and distribution partners alongside CJ ENM and Showbox. The company finances both in-house productions and co-productions, and its Lotte Cinema exhibition chain provides guaranteed screen access that independent distributors cannot match. Films with Lotte Entertainment distribution typically open on 800 to 1,900 screens nationwide depending on commercial profile.

Lotte Entertainment does not accept open submissions. Projects reach the company through established production companies, talent agencies, or pitch meetings at the Busan International Film Festival's Asian Project Market. International sales are handled through the company's sales division at major film markets.

Notable Releases

Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017), Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days (2018), #Alive (2020), Escape from Mogadishu (2021), Pilot (2024, $28.6 million), Holy Night: Demon Hunters (2025, $35.9 million), Picnic (2024). The company has also distributed Paramount Pictures titles in South Korea since 2015, including the Transformers, Mission: Impossible, and Top Gun franchises.

See Also

For Korean arthouse and specialty distribution, see Klockworx in this directory for the Japanese import perspective, or research Korean specialty distributors such as Challan Films and Little Big Pictures directly. For the Busan International Film Festival's role in Korean cinema, see the Film Festivals Directory. To model Korean theatrical revenue as part of an international distribution strategy, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For how major distributor output deals affect international filmmakers, see Distribution Deals Explained.