‘The King of Kings’ becomes top-grossing Korean film in US, surpasses ‘Parasite’

The poster for "The King of Kings" / Courtesy of Mofac Studio

Korean animation studio Mofac Studio's film "The King of Kings" has overtaken Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" to become the highest-grossing Korean film in the United States.

According to Mofac Studio on Monday, "The King of Kings" has earned a cumulative $54.51 million as of the previous day, surpassing "Parasite," which recorded a total of $53.84 million.

With this achievement, "The King of Kings" has now become the top-grossing Korean film released in the U.S.

It reached this milestone within just three weeks of its release, and its final earnings are expected to grow further. The film's success was likely boosted by family audiences gathering around Easter (April 20), one of the largest holidays in the United States.

Written and directed by Mofac Studio CEO Jang Seong-ho, "The King of Kings" is based on Charles Dickens's "The Life of Our Lord" and follows the life of Jesus from his birth to his resurrection.

The film features an all-star voice cast including Pierce Brosnan, Oscar Isaac, Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman and Forest Whitaker.

After its release, "The King of Kings" ranked second at the box office behind the "Minecraft Movie," starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, and has steadily drawn audiences ever since.

The film is expected to be released in Korea this summer.

"The King of Kings" is based on Charles Dickens's "The Life of Our Lord" / Courtesy of Mofac Studio

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.