The Man Who Lives with the King heads to Udine main competition

Feb 20, 2026, 06:11 pm

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The hit film The Man Who Lives with the King has been invited to the main competition section of the 28th Udine Far East Film Festival. / Courtesy of Showbox

The box-office hit The Man Who Lives with the King has been invited to the main competition section of the 28th Udine Far East Film Festival, where it will meet European audiences.

According to distributor Showbox on Thursday, the film was selected for the festival’s main competition lineup. The event will be held from April 24 to May 2 in Udine, northern Italy.

The Udine Far East Film Festival is known for introducing high-quality Asian films to European viewers. Previous Korean entries such as The Night Owl, Deliver Us from Evil and The Man Standing Next have been screened at the festival. Director Jang Hang-jun previously won the Audience Award at the 25th edition in 2023 with Rebound.

Festival president Sabrina Baracetti praised the film, saying, “Director Jang and his outstanding cast have created a work that achieves fantastic harmony and synergy, delivering both deep resonance and entertainment value. Based on real events, it maintains a balanced tone that allows audiences around the world to comfortably empathize with and enjoy the story.”

The film tells the story of the friendship between the deposed King Danjong (played by Park Ji-hoon) and village head Eom Heung-do (Yoo Hae-jin) during the king’s exile.

Released on Feb. 4 during the Lunar New Year holiday season, the film has drawn approximately 4.41 million moviegoers as of Feb. 19, continuing its strong run at the local box office.

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