Historical drama movie "The King's Warden" is off to a blazing start, clearing 140,000 advance tickets on opening day.
According to the Korean Film Council on the 4th, the film commanded a 30.4% share of advance sales with 148,000 tickets, topping both metrics. It’s held the No. 1 spot since a week before release and continued to climb right up to opening day―setting the tone for a strong run.
Set in 1457 at Cheongnyeongpo―an exile site―"The King's Warden" follows village head Eom Heung-do (Yoo Hae-jin), who volunteers himself into banishment to revive his struggling community, and the deposed young former king Lee Hong-wi (Park Ji-hoon). A fictional take on King Danjong’s final days, the film blends humor and heart, stoking box office buzz even before release.
The momentum has many betting this could become director Jang Hang-jun’s first bona fide box office hit. Since debuting with "Break Out" (2002), Jang has released four features, but commercial success has largely eluded him.
His top performer to date is "Forgotten" (2017), which drew 1.38 million admissions nationwide. Despite strong reviews, "Rebound" (2023) topped out at 700,000 admissions, leaving fans wanting more.
With charismatic turns from Yoo Hae-jin and Park Ji-hoon and sturdy crowd-pleasing appeal, "The King's Warden" could finally hand Jang Hang-jun that long-awaited “hitmaker” label.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)