Film ‘The Man Who Lives with the King’. Courtesy of Showbox

Led by Park Ji-hoon and Yoo Hae-jin, ‘The Man Who Lives with the King’ took the No. 1 spot at the box office upon release, emerging as a frontrunner at theaters.

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network on Thursday the 5th, ‘The Man Who Lives with the King’ drew 117,792 moviegoers on its opening day, bringing its cumulative admissions to 147,547 and placing No. 1 at the overall box office.

‘The Man Who Lives with the King’ not only firmly held the top rank in advance ticketing before release, but also debuted at No. 1 at the box office, signaling a strong run.

Set in Cheongnyeongpo in 1457, the film tells the story of a village head who volunteers for exile to revive his village and a young former king who is deposed and banished. With the stirring, long-hidden tale of Danjong and Eom Heung-do, it has been singled out by audiences as their top pick among period films, continuing a wave of praise, including posting a 99% Egg Index immediately after release.

Moviegoers have said, “From Yoo Hae-jin’s singular, class-defining performance to the cast’s airtight acting” (X, EEJ****), “The birth of a new Danjong; a laugh-out-loud movie that also moves you to tears” (Instagram, eun****), “A film with many scenes I want to rewatch after finishing it” (anonymous Theqoo user), “It felt so warm to laugh at the funny parts together and to sniffle together at the sad parts” (anonymous Theqoo user), praising the actors’ sincere performances and the laughter and tears that filled theaters.

Having topped the box office on its opening day and kicked off its run, ‘The Man Who Lives with the King’ is now playing in theaters.