Heavy resonance and lingering emotions delivered by the actors' passionate performances have earned praise calling it a powerful historical drama, and the film 'The Man Who Lives with the King' (director Jang Hang-jun, distributed by SHOWBOX, produced by Onda Works·BA Entertainment) has drawn 3 million viewers, surpassing its break-even point.
In 1457 at Cheongnyeongpo, the film The Man Who Lives with the King, which tells the story of a village head who volunteered for exile to revive the village and a young former king who was ousted from the throne and exiled, surpassed 3 million cumulative viewers on Feb. 17, the day of Lunar New Year, achieving its break-even point and establishing itself as the dominant hit of the Lunar New Year holiday at the box office. Furthermore, on Feb. 16, it drew 537,190 viewers, marking the highest single-day attendance for the Lunar New Year holiday since the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, and rose to No. 1 in the overall 2026 box office. The Man Who Lives with the King, which captures the previously untold story of Danjong for the first time in Korean cinema with its cheerful humor and moving warmth, has captivated audiences of all ages and continues its explosive box office momentum.
Also, "A movie I really want to see again after a long time! The aftertaste is so deep that I think about Danjong until dawn" (Naver, imch****), "It was an even better time because I watched it with my parents and i-dle! I plan to visit Yeongwol during the remaining holiday" (Naver, asy6****), "The film's imagination brings back the short life of Danjong. A perfect film to watch with family" (CGV, 에****), "Watching Yoo Hai Jin's gemlike acting made me feel human abilities that AI cannot replace" (CGV, 아름다운****), "I thought it would be a light movie to watch during Lunar New Year, but I ended up using a lot of tissues" (Megabox, ye****), "I enjoyed it with an audience packed in the theater. It was nonstop laughter and a bittersweet, moving film" (Megabox, Md****), "You can't help but feel sympathy for our king" (Lotte Cinema, 이****), "They interestingly unfolded an unknown historical story and the pacing is excellent! The acting speaks for itself haha" (Lotte Cinema, 마****), and other viewers who watched The Man Who Lives with the King during the Lunar New Year holiday expressed high satisfaction, saying it moved the hearts of people of all ages with intense emotion and deep aftertaste. Added to this are the actors' flawless performances that maximize immersion and a variety of pleasures as joy, anger, sorrow and delight intersect, which is expected to further fuel the word-of-mouth craze propelling The Man Who Lives with the King to even greater box office success.
The Man Who Lives with the King, which has surpassed 3 million viewers and risen to No. 1 in the overall 2026 box office while heating up the Lunar New Year holiday, is now showing to great acclaim in theaters.<
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