The Man Living with the King Celebrates First 10 Million Admissions of the Year... Theaters Achieve Milestone After Two Years (Comprehensive)

The Fourth Historical Drama to Surpass 10 Million Viewers
Yoo Haejin Achieves Fifth Milestone, Park Jihoon Sets Debut Record

Still cut from the movie The Man Living with the King

The film The Man Living with the King, which sheds light on the poignant final days of Danjong, has joined the ranks of films that have attracted over 10 million moviegoers.

Distributor Showbox announced that as of 6:30 p.m. on the 31st day since release, March 6, the cumulative audience count had surpassed 10 million. This marks the 34th time in history and is the first domestic release to do so in two years, following "Exhuma" and "The Roundup: Punishment" in 2024. The film has significantly outperformed last year's box office leader, the animation "Zootopia 2" (7.7 million viewers), injecting new vitality into the theater industry, which had been experiencing a slump.

The film drew audiences at an astonishing rate during the Lunar New Year and March 1st holidays. On the 14th day of its release, which was Lunar New Year's Day (February 17), it surpassed the 3 million mark, and on March 1st alone, it attracted more than 810,000 viewers in a single day.

As a historical drama, The Man Living with the King is the fourth film in the genre to reach the 10 million milestone, following "The King and the Clown," "Masquerade," and "The Admiral: Roaring Currents." In terms of speed, it is the second fastest to achieve this, after "The Admiral: Roaring Currents," which reached 10 million in just 12 days.

Still cut from the movie 'The King and the Man Who Lives'

At the heart of its box office success lies a compelling narrative that resonates across generations. The story focuses on the deposed King Danjong, Lee Hongwi (portrayed by Park Jihoon), depicting his final days spent interacting with villagers in Gwangcheongol, Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, where he was exiled. The film offers a detailed portrayal of the village chief, Eom Heungdo (played by Yoo Haejin), who is tasked with both monitoring and protecting Danjong, as he forms a deep connection with the young, former king—transcending social status and age.

With this box office milestone, Yoo Haejin has now starred in five films that have each surpassed 10 million viewers. For Park Jihoon, this marks his debut in a commercial film and earns him the distinction of being a "10 million actor." Yoo Jitae, who played Han Myeonghoe, also achieved the milestone of starring in a 10 million-viewer film for the first time in his acting career.

Director Jang Hangjun expressed his gratitude for the film's unexpected success. Through Showbox, he commented, "This is a situation I never even imagined, and both my family and I are delighted yet humbled. I would like to thank everyone who has congratulated us."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.