The film The King's Warden has surpassed 12 million admissions, drawing attention to its revenue. With only about 10 billion won in net production cost invested and cumulative sales currently about 116.1 billion won, a simple calculation shows it has earned roughly 11.6 times its cost.
According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) integrated computer network for movie theater tickets on the 12th, The King's Warden drew 170,000 viewers the previous day and recorded sales of 1,589,264,240 won. Cumulative sales to date amount to 116,154,810,070 won.
The King's Warden's net production cost is around 10 billion won, and its break-even point is known to be about 2.6 million cumulative admissions. With roughly 500 million won also spent on publicity and marketing, it has already achieved revenue more than 10 times its production cost. In particular, with more than four times the break-even audience, revenue is expected to be substantial even after excluding marketing expense and other costs.
Judging by sales alone, some expect it to soon climb to No. 1 all time. The all-time No. 1 in sales is Extreme Job (final admissions 16.26 million, sales 139.6 billion won). Roaring Currents (final admissions 17.61 million, sales 135.7 billion won) and Avatar: The Way of Water (final admissions 10.82 million, sales 137.9 billion won) follow.
In the industry, it is believed that director Jang Hang-jun and lead actors Yoo Hai Jin and Park Jihoon will receive running guarantees (box-office bonuses). A running guarantee is an incentive paid additionally based on the number of viewers exceeding the break-even point. It is typically set at 300–500 won per viewer. By simple calculation, the running guarantee is estimated at 2.8 billion–4.7 billion won.
The production company is reportedly deliberating over the size of the running guarantees. Lim Eun-jeong, CEO of Onda Works, the producer of The King's Warden, said in a roundtable interview held the previous day, "The King's Warden is not a structure where I take it all, but one where it is shared," adding, "We are considering compensation for the people who worked together. We are discussing it with the co-producer as well."
She added, "Although it is still at an abstract stage, whatever it may be, I want to do it in a way that helps Korean cinema," and "We will provide incentives in some form."