'The King's Warden' is on the brink of reaching 10 million viewers. The fact that this success was achieved amid a sluggish theater market makes this box office run even more noteworthy.
Recently, according to the integrated movie ticketing system, 'The King's Warden' surpassed 9 million viewers on its 27th day since opening and is showing the steepest box office growth among films released this year, firmly holding the No. 1 spot. For the historical drama genre, it is a faster record than 'The King and the Clown' (50 days) and 'Masquerade' (31 days), and considering the recent slow recovery in audience numbers, it is an unusual achievement.
Notably, even as it entered its fourth week since opening, its audience drawing power actually rose; on March 1 it drew 817,205 people in a single day, surpassing its previous highest daily attendance recorded during the Lunar New Year holiday, and the wave of repeat viewings and spreading word of mouth is translating into actual box office numbers. Unlike the typical decline in audience numbers in the later stage of release, it is drawing out a long-running box office curve, which theaters are receiving as an encouraging sign.
Online response is also fervent. On major platforms such as CGV and Naver, certification of multiple viewings continues alongside interest in the Danjong narrative, and visitors to Cheongnyeongpo in Yeongwol, Gangwon, the filming location of the movie, are increasing, showing that the film's aftereffects are expanding into actual tourism demand. The trend of "experiential viewing," in which viewers look up historical records or visit filming sites after watching, is a rare phenomenon in recent hits, and the content's ripple effect is producing effects beyond the numbers.
Above all, the symbolism is large because this achievement came from a theater market struggling with a shift to OTT-centered viewing environments and declining audiences. While many Korean films have had difficulty reaching breakeven this year, 'The King's Warden' continued to draw audiences in its fourth week, proving clear box office traction. The fact that this is a long-term, endurance-style run rather than a brief early surge is drawing even more attention.
At the current pace, it is possible it will surpass 10 million viewers sometime in March. Interest is also focused on whether director Jang Hang-jun will fulfill the "10 million pledge" he mentioned on the radio program "Bae Seong-jae's Ten," and attention is on whether 'The King's Warden' will remain a symbolic box office case that reverses the sluggish theater market. All eyes are on how far the 'WangSaNam' syndrome, which has surpassed 9 million viewers, will continue.<
[Photo] 'OSEN DB'
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