SEOUL, April 18 (Korea Bizwire) — In an unprecedented triumph for South Korea’s animation industry, the faith-based animated film King of Kings, co-produced and directed by VFX studio Mofac’s CEO Jang Sung-ho, has taken Hollywood by storm.
Defying expectations for a market long considered barren for homegrown animation, the film debuted in North America on April 11 and quickly climbed to second place at the box office, trailing only the star-studded Minecraft Movie.
Within a week of its release, King of Kings grossed 23 million USD (approximately 33.7 billion KRW), nearly matching its 36 billion KRW ($26 million) production budget. Backed by glowing audience reception, including a rare A+ rating from CinemaScore — awarded to only 128 films to date — the movie is expanding into 50 international markets this weekend.
A scene from the animated film King of Kings (Image provided by Mofac Studio)
The project, ten years in the making, is inspired by Charles Dickens’ The Life of Our Lord and chronicles the life of Jesus from birth to resurrection. Jang, who began writing the script in 2015, emphasized that his vision was to craft a non-preachy, universally accessible narrative.
Jang Sung-ho, director and producer of the animated film King of Kings and CEO of Mofac Studio (Image provided by Mofac Studio)
“The idea was never to evangelize, but to tell a story of extraordinary influence in a way that even non-Christians — even those opposed to religion — could watch comfortably,” he said in an interview.
Despite initial skepticism in Korea about the viability of a religious animated feature, Jang insisted on domestic financing to maintain full creative control. “Hollywood studios were eager, but I wasn’t willing to surrender intellectual property rights or the creative vision,” he said.
That decision ultimately paid off. Jang secured Korean investment and assembled an elite international voice cast — including Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Ben Kingsley, Pierce Brosnan, and Forest Whitaker. Notably, Branagh reportedly told Jang, “Even if I had written this, I couldn’t have done it this well.”
A scene from the animated film King of Kings (Image provided by Mofac Studio)
Key to the film’s high-caliber casting was Jamie Thomason, a former Disney casting director and devout Christian, who promised to “use all her cards” to support the project.
Jang now hopes the film’s success will open doors for Korean animators long overshadowed by the country’s dominant live-action and drama exports. “Korea has world-class creatives and storytellers,” he said. “Our animation industry doesn’t lack talent — it’s just lacked the space to shine. If King of Kings helps create that space, I’ll be grateful.”
The film is set to premiere in South Korea this July, with a Korean-language dubbed version featuring what Jang hints will be another impressive lineup of voice talent.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
