“Director Jang Hang-jun said this: ‘Let’s prove that when good people make something with good intentions, it turns out well.’ I’m proud that those words seem to have become prophetic.”

Im Eun-jung (40), CEO of ‘Onda Works,’ the production company behind <The Man Who Lives With the King>, which became the 34th film in history to surpass 10 million admissions, met reporters on the 11th at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. She said, “Thanks to the positive energy of the people we met during production, we created a virtuous cycle that made the work better.”

<The Man Who Lives With the King> depicts the final period of the deposed former king Danjong, Lee Hong-wi (Park Ji-hoon), who spends his exile in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, among villagers including the village head, Uhm Heung-do (Yoo Hae-jin). With a narrative focused on human connection between characters, it drew audiences of all ages. Im said, “It also adds a story about the younger generation whom adults failed to protect, and about values we should hold in everyday life,” adding, “As a producer, I judged that this story was meaningful, fresh as a period piece, and worth making.”

The film surpassed 10 million admissions on the 9th, 31 days after release, and as of the 11th has a cumulative 11.88 million viewers. Some even project it could top 14 million. Regarding the box-office heat, Im said, “I feel nothing but gratitude. We did have a hoped-for audience number, but I didn’t expect it to be this successful,” adding, “At a time when the industry was wondering whether a 10-million film could happen again, it seems to have become everyone’s hope, and I’m proud of that.”

Im worked from 2011 to 2023 as a producer on the investment team and the planning/production team in the film division at CJ ENM. Right after leaving in April 2023, she founded the production company ‘Onda Works,’ and <The Man Who Lives With the King> is the company’s first title. “In 2019 I suggested to writer Hwang Sung-gu that we write a story about Uhm Heung-do, and the first draft came out in 2020. But at the time, the company decided to halt development. After I started my own company, we brought back the first draft the writer had kept and went to work again.” In that she revived a project that nearly stopped at the script stage, she can be called an unsung driving force behind the success of <The Man Who Lives With the King>.

Im said she had marked Jang Hang-jun for the director’s chair from the earliest stages. “When I worked on the investment team, I had many chances to read Director Jang’s scripts,” she said. “Even then, I thought he was a director who made solid works, with an uncommon mind and approach to dealing with real people.”

It was also her idea to first propose casting actor Park Ji-hoon as Danjong. “As a fan of audition programs, I had been following all the kids who debuted, and after hearing the praise coming from the set of the drama <Weak Hero>, I recommended Park Ji-hoon,” she said, adding, “Thanks to senior Yoo Hae-jin agreeing to be cast, we were able to bring in a new actor as well, and I’m truly grateful to Yoo Hae-jin for that.”

There has been some criticism that <The Man Who Lives With the King> falls short in craftsmanship. In particular, regarding the view that the tiger CG in the film is disappointing, she said, “We asked whether the production designer or costume team could add more, but given the circumstances it was hard to reflect that,” adding, “We aligned on aiming for maximum effect at minimum cost, but there’s the regret of ‘If we’d known it would hit ten million, we would have spent a bit more.’” The production company also stated it would rework the tiger CG.

Allegations have also been raised that the film is similar to, and plagiarizes, the script of the recent drama <Uhm Heung-do>. Im said, “We did not reference any prior work at all,” adding, “Since the contracts and meeting minutes are all documented, you’ll understand if you look at that process.”

Even as <The Man Who Lives With the King> heats up theaters, with the industry slump reducing the number of releases, some say, “There’s nothing else to watch.” What does Im see in the future of Korean cinema? “I think <The Man Who Lives With the King> is a story about kindness and about the future generation. Likewise, I think Korean cinema must be an industry where the next generation can emerge. I hope our film can help give opportunities to talented creators.”