Park Ji-hoon Syndrome, Casting Change Questions

The film 'The King and the Man' has surpassed 10 million viewers in 31 days, marking it as a 10-million-viewer film of 2024. Actor Park Ji-hoon's portrayal of King Danjong is being analyzed as a key factor in its box office success.

Park Ji-hoon delicately expressed the young king's loneliness, fear, and human aspects, drawing audience empathy. His performance, which made the historical figure of Danjong relatable as a human being rather than a distant entity, drove the film's success.

In the early stages of production, established actors with proven box office appeal were considered for the role of Danjong. However, Park Ji-hoon was ultimately chosen based on the judgment that an 'youthful face' was needed to match the image of Danjong in history. This was a challenge to the conventional casting approach in commercial filmmaking, which prioritizes investment stability.

Since his appearance on 'Produce 101 Season 2' in 2017, Park Ji-hoon has consistently gained popularity through his activities with Wanna One, his solo music career, and the OTT series 'Weak Hero Class 1'. However, there is still a tendency in the film industry to perceive idols or actors successful in dramas and OTT platforms as 'unproven cards' in the theatrical film market.

In recent years, with declining cinema attendance and a shrinking investment environment, production companies have increasingly tended to cast established stars to reduce risk. This has reduced opportunities for new faces to appear on the big screen.