'Omniscient Reader' set to shake up summer box office with star-studded cast

The poster for the upcoming film “Omniscient Reader” / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

The highly anticipated fantasy action film "Omniscient Reader," starring Lee Min-ho, Ahn Hyo-seop, Chae Soo-bin, Nana, Jisoo and Shin Seung-ho, is emerging as a dark horse at the summer box office.

Distributor Lotte Entertainment confirmed Sunday that the film will hit theaters on July 23.

Adapted from a massively popular web novel and webtoon, the movie imagines a world where fiction turns into reality. On the day a decade-long web novel ends, its storyline suddenly becomes real.

Only Kim Dok-ja (Ahn Hyo-seop), the sole reader who finished the story, knows what happens next. Teaming up with the novel’s protagonist Yoo Jung-hyuk (Lee Min-ho) and a band of survivors, he fights to navigate a destroyed world.

The original web novel amassed over 200 million views, while the webtoon version has surpassed 2 billion views worldwide — making the film adaptation a hot topic from the moment it was announced.

The newly released main poster features Kim Dok-ja and Yoo Jung-hyuk staring intensely ahead, hinting at the surreal journey to come.

The tagline, “The novel only I know has become reality,” highlights the tension as Dok-ja, armed with insider knowledge, attempts to rewrite the story’s grim ending, not just for himself but for everyone.

A promotional image for the upcoming film "Omniscient Reader," set to hit theaters next month. Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

The trailer opens with Dok-ja’s voiceover: “The story that meant everything to me has become real.” The scene quickly descends into chaos — subways screech to a halt, supernatural beings emerge, and a mysterious being assigns “scenarios” for survival.

Visually rich with a sweeping world and high-octane action, the preview showcases dynamic character-driven combat involving magical threads, shields and blades.

A standout moment comes as Dok-ja makes clear he’s no longer playing by the novel’s rules, his mission now is to rewrite the ending so that everyone lives.

With its bold concept, compelling visuals and emotionally charged performances, “Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy” is poised to capture audiences across generations.

A production briefing is scheduled for June 17, where more details about the film will be revealed.

A scene from the upcoming film "Omniscient Reader" / Captured from trailer

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.