The blockbuster historical film The King’s Warden, which recently surpassed 10 million moviegoers, is facing questions after a family claimed the story resembles an earlier script written by a late writer.
According to MBN, the family of a theater actor surnamed Eom, who died in 2019, recently sent a formal notice to the film’s production company asking for clarification about the screenplay’s origins.
They say a drama script titled Eom Heung Do, written by the late actor around 2000, shares similarities with the movie’s plot and character setups.
The King’s Warden follows the exiled young King Danjong, who after being dethroned at 16 spends his final years in Yeongwol forming a quiet bond with village chief Eom Heung Do. The film has been widely praised and quickly became the year’s biggest box office hit.
The family points to several similar moments, including a scene where Eom Heung Do offers the exiled king food. In the film, Danjong enjoys a bowl of freshwater snail soup; in the earlier script, he eats buckwheat jelly and comments that it reminds him of food from the palace. In both stories, Eom Heung Do later shares the king’s reaction with villagers.
Other parallels cited include Eom Heung Do rescuing Danjong from a cliff and a storyline involving his son being taken away by officials. The production company denied the claim, saying the film has a clearly identified original creator and that the team did not reference other works during development.
The late writer, believed to be a 31st-generation descendant of Eom Heung Do, had submitted the script to broadcasters in the early 2000s, though it was never produced.
Director Jang Hang Jun, who helped write the screenplay, previously said he revised the original draft multiple times.
The family says they do not plan to pursue legal action but hopes the late writer’s name can be acknowledged if his work influenced the story.
>> ‘The King’s Warden’ Hits 11 Million Viewers as Historic Box Office Run Continues
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