Ahn Hyo-seop and Lee Min-ho's 'Omniscient Reader' Surpasses 1 Million.. Stage Greetings Continue in 3rd Week of Release

[Financial News]  The movie 'Omniscient Reader' has surpassed 1 million viewers. According to Lotte Entertainment on the 6th, the movie surpassed 1 million viewers as of 7:26 PM on the 5th.  
'Omniscient Reader' is a fantasy action film where the world inside a novel becomes reality on the day the novel, serialized for over 10 years, is completed. The sole reader, 'Kim Dok-ja', struggles to survive in the ruined world with the novel's protagonist 'Yoo Joong-hyuk' and his companions.
The main actors Ahn Hyo-seop, Lee Min-ho, Chae Soo-bin, Shin Seung-ho, and Nana shared a photo celebrating the milestone of 1 million viewers on the evening of the 5th. They plan to continue stage greetings during the third weekend of release to express their gratitude directly to the audience.
'Omniscient Reader' shows a significant difference between the ratings from netizens and actual viewers on portal sites. Due to the vastness of the original novel, significant adaptations were made, which led to backlash from original fans. However, as curiosity about the movie grew, the ratings from actual viewers increased, and despite the slow pace, it surpassed 1 million viewers. 
After its release, general viewers without prior knowledge of the original work commented that it was "fun and fresh." Looking at the actual viewing reviews on the CGV website, reactions included "I didn't know there was an original work and just watched it; it's either all or nothing... I found it fresh rather than fun," "It was more fun than I thought, and I didn't realize the time passing. Looking forward to the next part," and "I didn't know the original at all, but it was visually appealing and fun to watch."
Additionally, "There are many stories, but it ended too quickly, which is a bit disappointing, but I hope the second part comes out soon to continue the story," "I didn't read the original, but I didn't find it bad. My husband, who enjoyed the original, found it a bit disappointing," showing mixed reactions between loyal fans of the original and general viewers.
Especially, this movie set a new record on its opening day in Taiwan. It surpassed the previous highest opening day revenue of 'The Divine Move' in Taiwan, achieving the highest opening day revenue for a Korean film released in Taiwan since 2021.


The original author, Sing Shong, said, "The messages of the original and the movie differ in their trajectories," comparing them by saying, "To put it simply, the original is about 'story' or 'reading' itself, actively utilizing points that can only be realized through text, which presents challenges when adapted into a movie." "I think they considered this during production. Therefore, the movie seems to focus on delivering a message that can be conveyed within two hours instead of the themes covered in the web novel. As the adaptation is a reinterpretation of the original, it was a meaningful attempt," he evaluated.
He added, "Just as Kim Dok-ja supports Yoo Joong-hyuk of 'Destruction Law', I am supporting this movie with a similar mindset," and "For readers who have read the original in advance, it will be an experience of reading 'Omniscient Reader' again from a different perspective, and for those encountering this universe for the first time, it will be remembered as a unique and new cinematic experience. I ask for a lot of support," he said.
 
jashin@fnnews.com Reporter Shin Jin-ah