The film 'The King of Kings' (Director: Jang Sung-ho), which set a record for the highest box office earnings of all time for a Korean film with a CinemaScore of A+, a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 98%, and revenue of $60 million in North America, reveals the Top 3 reasons it captured North American audiences ahead of its domestic release in July.

#1. "I felt a great responsibility to participate" - Oscar Isaac

The global box office hit K-animation 'The King of Kings,' which depicts a journey into the greatest story 2,000 years ago taken by the outstanding British author Charles Dickens and his youngest son Walter, garnered attention simply by having many star actors representing Hollywood involved. First, Kenneth Branagh, known for 'Oppenheimer' and 'Murder on the Orient Express,' plays 'Charles Dickens.' He said, "It's a great honor to add my voice to a work that has conveyed values of humanity and family through its story." Oscar Isaac, who plays 'Jesus,' noted, "The messages of forgiveness, love, and sacrifice in the film transcend time and culture. I felt a great responsibility to participate." Uma Thurman, who portrays 'Catherine Dickens' and 'Maria,' expressed, "Dickens' warmth and love for family permeate this work. I wanted to be a part of conveying that spirit to children and families." Pierce Brosnan, who plays 'Pontius Pilate' and is known for the '007' series, stated, "It was meaningful to convey a story that spans generations in a new way." Additionally, Forest Whitaker from 'Black Panther' plays 'Peter,' Mark Hamill from the 'Star Wars' series plays 'King Herod,' Ben Kingsley from 'Iron Man 3' plays 'The High Priest,' and Roman Griffin Davis from 'Jojo Rabbit' plays 'Walter Dickens,' generating buzz.

#2. "I wanted to show that the message from 2,000 years ago is still alive today" - Director Jang Sung-ho

The script for 'The King of Kings' was inspired by the short story 'The Life of Our Lord,' which author Charles Dickens wrote to tell his family every Christmas, well-known for 'Oliver Twist' and 'A Christmas Carol.' Director Jang Sung-ho, who wrote the script and directed the film, imagined the scene of 'Charles Dickens' telling the story to his son 'Walter,' creating a unique setting where they seem to time travel into the life of 'Jesus' 2,000 years ago. The depiction of the Dickens father and son present during every significant event in 'Jesus's' life elicits empathy from the audience and provides an opportunity to immerse themselves deeper into the story. Director Jang noted, "I wanted to show that the message from 2,000 years ago is vividly alive today through the perspectives of 'Charles Dickens' and his son 'Walter,' aiming to provide an opportunity to look at a familiar story in a new way through their eyes."

#3. “A work completed with an original expressive style” – Epoch Times

'The King of Kings' is an original animation that reinterprets the universal story of 'the life of Jesus' with Korean sensibility and style. The production team focused on creating a distinctly Korean production design, moving away from Hollywood or Japanese animation styles. The current-day characters of Charles Dickens' family were designed in a Korean cartoon style, while figures from biblical times were expressed in a refined style resembling wooden dolls, inspired by Jesus's occupation as a carpenter. In contrast, characters like King Herod and the High Priest were crafted in a cartoon style to provide visual contrast. The production method is also innovative. By integrating live-action filming techniques into animation, the team developed a virtual camera and production platform in-house. As a result, they achieved precise positioning and natural movement, as well as flexible cut compositions, much like a live-action director. All work was conducted digitally, enhancing the quality through five rounds of reshoots, editing, and reviews. Regarding the completed 'The King of Kings,' Epoch Times praised it as "a work completed with an original expressive style. Unique, special, and utterly captivating."

'The King of Kings,' which recreated the powerful and universal story of 'the life of Jesus' through the performances of Hollywood star actors and adopted a localization strategy, recorded the highest box office score among domestically produced films in North America. It will be available in theaters nationwide in July with dubbed versions featuring prominent Korean actors such as Lee Byung-hun, Jin Sun-kyu, and Lee Ha-nui.

[Photo] Movie still

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