Created by Korea’s Mofac Studio and featuring voice performances by Hollywood stars, this animated epic draws family audiences to theaters ahead of Easter weekend.

Korean-made animated feature The King of Kings—known in Korea as The Life of Jesus—has taken the North American box office by storm, opening at No. 2 in its debut weekend.

According to Box Office Mojo on April 12 (local time), the film grossed over $7.01 million USD (approximately 10 billion KRW) on its first day, opening in 3,200 theaters across North America.

Hollywood media outlet Variety reported that the film is projected to gross around $18 million USD (approx. 25.7 billion KRW) in its opening week. The top spot went to Minecraft: The Movie, based on the globally popular video game.

Variety called it a surprise hit, noting that a Korean-produced animation beat out major Hollywood studio releases like Amateur and Drop to claim second place in the weekend box office race.

With Easter approaching on April 20, the publication also speculated that the film’s momentum may continue to grow with strong interest from family audiences.

 <Still from animated film The King of Kings. Provided by Angel Studios.>

The King of Kings is a full-length 3D animated film produced by Korea’s Mofac Studio. Directed, written, and produced by Mofac CEO Jang Sung-ho, the film was co-produced with cinematographer Kim Woo-hyung.

The story is based on The Life of Our Lord, a retelling of the life of Jesus Christ originally written by British author Charles Dickens for his children, offering a narrative familiar and appealing to Western audiences.

The voice cast boasts an impressive lineup of Hollywood stars, including Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, and Mark Hamill.

Hollywood media have also spotlighted Angel Studios, the independent distributor behind the film's North American release. The Utah-based studio previously scored a massive success in 2023 with the low-budget thriller Sound of Freedom, which earned over $184 million USD in North America alone.

Industry watchers are now predicting that The King of Kings may break Angel Studios' own box office record.

To bolster its appeal to family audiences, Angel Studios has launched an aggressive marketing campaign, including the “Kids Go Free” promotion—offering one free child admission per adult ticket purchased.

The film has also received an enthusiastic response from audiences, earning an A+ grade from CinemaScore, the highest possible rating based on exit polls.

Jang Sung-ho, the visionary behind The King of Kings, is a renowned pioneer in Korea’s computer graphics (CG) and visual effects (VFX) industry. Mofac Studio has worked on a wide range of acclaimed Korean and international projects, including the films Haeundae and The Admiral: Roaring Currents, TV dramas like The Legend and My Love from the Star, as well as the U.S. series Spartacus.

 <Director Jang Sung-ho. Provided by Angel Studios.>

By Mina Lim