With film nearing 10 million tickets sold, coffee truck event set for March 12 in downtown Seoul in place of joking pledges that ranged from plastic surgery to yacht party
With "The King's Warden" on the verge of surpassing 10 million tickets sold, social media is abuzz with the bizarre pledges its director, Jang Hang-jun, made before the film's release, apparently not expecting such a major hit.
When Jang appeared on the "Bae Sung-jae's Ten" radio program on SBS Power FM on Feb. 1, shortly before the the film opened in theaters, he said he would "undergo plastic surgery, change his name and host a yacht party" if it crossed 10 million viewers.
As of Thursday, the film that released on Feb. 4 stood at about 9,597,000 viewers. It is expected to surpass the 10 million mark within days.
As viewers revisit the director's pledges, the film's distributor, Showbox, said it will instead host a coffee truck event at noon on March 12 at Seoul Shinmun Square in Jung-gu, Seoul, to thank the audience for their support.
Jang is expected to attend the event, greet participants and take questions about the film.
"How can anyone keep every word they say? I never imagined the film would reach 10 million viewers, so it was meant as a joke," he said Wednesday during another appearance on "Bae Sung-jae's Ten."
"Instead, I will host a coffee truck event in the city for the people."
Jang added that Park Chan-wook, the director known for "Oldboy" (2003) and last year's "No Other Choice," had reached out to congratulate him on the film's success.
"He sent me a text saying, 'Congratulations. You've accomplished something remarkable.' I told him I never imagined I would receive praise from him. I felt really proud to be complimented by such a renowned director," he said.
Jang, known both for his wit and being the husband of the country's top-paid TV drama writer Kim Eun-hee, previously directed films including 2002 action-comedy "Break Out" and sports drama "Rebound," released in 2023.
"The King's Warden" reimagines historical events through a fictional lens, following the unlikely friendship between village chief Eom Heung-do, played by Yoo Hai-jin, and the young, deposed King Danjong, portrayed by Park Ji-hoon, during the latter's exile in the village.
cjh@heraldcorp.com
