How ‘The King and the Man’ is Reviving the Asian Box Office: A Look at Its Record-Breaking Success

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[Herald Muse=Image Reporter] The box-office surge around “The Man Who Lives with the King” is doing more than making the film a hit — it’s sparking a healthy cycle across the exhibition landscape.

The film crossed 15 million cumulative admissions on the morning of March 25, its 50th day in release, and is now eyeing 16 million.

It has moved into third place on the all-time domestic box office chart, behind Myeongryang (17.61 million) and Extreme Job (16.26 million), and currently leads in all-time box office revenue.

Riding that momentum, director Jang Hang-jun’s previous film Rebound is set for a re-release, while CGV has launched a value-oriented snack promotion tied to “The Man Who Lives with the King” to draw in audiences.

A ShoBox spokesperson told Herald Muse, “What matters most is that theaters, which went through a difficult stretch last year, are finally showing signs of life.”

The spokesperson added, “This success has had a positive ripple effect in local communities, and as the momentum spreads to other films it appears to be creating new energy across the industry.”

Jang Hang-jun’s Rebound will be re-released to mark its third anniversary. Interest in the director’s earlier work has surged now that he has joined the ranks of filmmakers with a 10-million-ticket hit.

Rebound tells the true, moving story of an underdog high school basketball team: an overlooked squad and their new coach who, over eight relentless days at the 2012 national high school tournament, chase what feels like a miracle.

When it first opened, audiences embraced it — CGV’s Golden Egg score reached 98%, Lotte Cinema rated it 9.5, and MegaBox gave it a 9 — and it sparked a wave of repeat viewings. Still, it only drew about 700,000 admissions.

Now that “The Man Who Lives with the King” has become a phenomenon, industry watchers are watching to see whether Rebound can find a fresh reassessment through its re-release.

Director Jang Hang-jun and the film’s principal cast — Ahn Jae-hong, Lee Shin-young, Jung Jin-woon, Kim Taek, Jung Geon-ju, Kim Min and Ahn Ji-ho — will hold stage greetings to mark the re-release.

The title Rebound literally refers to catching a ball that bounces off the goal after a missed shot. This re-release is more than a simple rerun: it’s the director proving the film’s message — don’t give up; fight for another chance — in action.

A Rebound representative said, “Interest in Jang Hang-jun’s earlier work has naturally increased because of ‘The Man Who Lives with the King.’ Both films reflect his signature warm humanism.”

The representative added, “Like the line in the film — ‘If you give up, it’s a conceded point; if you catch it again, it’s a rebound’ — we hope Rebound picks up the heat from ‘The Man Who Lives with the King’ and earns a strong second chance at the box office.”

After “The Man Who Lives with the King” joined the 10-million club, CGV introduced a promotion: for an extra 1,000 KRW (approximately 0.75 USD) with a popcorn purchase, customers can add snacks such as squid, hot dogs, nachos or tteokbokki.

The offer appears aimed at celebrating — and capitalizing on — the renewed flow of moviegoers.

A CGV spokesperson said, “We launched this to celebrate the film’s 10-million milestone and to thank audiences for their support. Promotions centered on hit films are effective at attracting customer interest and enriching the theater experience. Those positive experiences often lead to repeat or additional visits, helping form a healthy cycle.”

The box-office buzz has even spilled into publishing. The screenplay book topped Yes24’s overall bestseller list just three days after pre-orders opened, as of March 25. It also reached No. 2 on the overall bestseller charts at Aladin and Kyobo, and has already entered a fourth printing.

The screenplay, co-authored by writer Hwang Seong-gu and director Jang Hang-jun, contains the full script. It preserves lines and scenes that differ slightly from the finished film and captures character expressions and psychological details that flitted across the screen.

The unexpected re-release of Rebound — buoyed by the fandom around “The Man Who Lives with the King” — along with bold snack promotions from multiplexes, is helping revive the pleasure of going to the movies.

The success centered on “The Man Who Lives with the King” points to a broader, positive cycle across theaters. The shift from filmgoing to concession spending and secondary content is expanding audience experiences — and bringing people back to cinemas.