Surpassing 17 million viewers and setting a new box office record, director Jang Hang-jun's film The King's Warden has at least temporarily eased legal troubles over plagiarism allegations. With the court dismissing the bereaved family's request for an injunction to ban screenings, overseas sales and OTT releases are expected to proceed as planned.
On the 23rd, according to legal sources, the court dismissed the bereaved family of the drama "Eom Heung-do"'s screenwriter's request for an injunction to ban screenings against the film The King's Warden's production companies Onda Works and B.A. Entertainment, and distributor SHOWBOX.
The court said that although both works share the commonality of being historical dramas based on real people, there are essential differences in core themes, narrative structure and character settings.
In particular, the court noted that the bereaved family's screenplay unfolds around Confucian loyalty, while the film focuses on the process in which Danjong, Eom Heung-do and the villagers interact and grow together with a focus on their mutual change and growth.
The court also found that no materials were submitted that would support that director Jang Hang-jun had seen the bereaved family's screenplay or produced the film based on it.
Earlier, the bereaved family claimed the film plagiarized the unpublished drama screenplay "Eom Heung-do" by writer A, who died in 2019. The bereaved family said several elements were similar, including a scene in which Danjong initially refuses food and then opens his heart to eat, a scene in which Danjong attempts an extreme act and Eom Heung-do prevents it, the court lady "Maehwa" character setting, and Eom Heung-do's family composition, and after sending a certified letter to the production company they filed for an injunction to ban screenings.
The production company Onda Works has fully denied the allegations, saying the film is a purely creative work based on historical facts and that the entire creative process was documented and there is no fact of plagiarizing other works.
With this court decision, The King's Warden will be able to proceed with subsequent businesses as planned, including screenings on aircraft and ships, OTT service releases, DVD releases and overseas sales.
Meanwhile, The King's Warden, directed by Jang Hang-jun, is a historical film that tells the story of the deposed young king Danjong spending his final days in exile in Yeongwol, meeting Eom Heung-do and the villagers and changing one another. Recently it surpassed 17 million viewers and set a box office record by becoming the second-highest grossing Korean film of all time.
[Photo] SHOWBOX provided
[OSEN]