Seoul: "The King's Warden" has become the second most-watched film in Korean cinema history, its distributor said Saturday. The film has attracted a cumulative audience of 16.28 million as of Saturday morning, outperforming the 16.26 million recorded by the 2019 comedy action "Extreme Job," the previous second-place holder.
According to Yonhap News Agency, "The King's Warden" is now only behind the 2014 war epic "The Admiral: Roaring Currents," which holds the all-time record with 17.6 million admissions. In box office revenue, however, it has already become the biggest earner, grossing 156.9 billion won (US$10.56 million), well above the 135.7 billion won earned by "The Admiral: Roaring Currents."
Whether it can close the admission gap with "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" remains uncertain. On Friday, "The King's Warden" ranked third in the local box office, with 38,000 tickets sold, behind the mystery horror "Salmokji" with 111,000 and "Project Hail Mary" with 56,000.
Directed by Jang Hang-jun, "The King's Warden" reimagines historical events through a fictional lens, following the unlikely friendship between village chief Eom Heung-do (Yoo Hai-jin) and the deposed King Danjong (Park Ji-hoon) of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) during the latter's exile in the village. The film has drawn praise for its ensemble performance, allowing viewers to connect with the young king's suffering and the villagers who rally to his side, as well as its depiction of the real-life exile location.