Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, fantasy action movie based on a web novel creates a box office storm from the first day of release
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, a movie based on a popular web novel of the same name. According to the Korea Box Office Information System on the 24th, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint attracted 122,491 viewers on its opening day, July 23, and ranked first at the box office. It dethroned F1: The Movie starring Brad Pitt, which had maintained the No. 1 position recently.
In particular, it drew attention by setting the highest opening record among Korean films released this year. It far exceeded the previous record held by Opposition Party, which had 104,548 viewers on its opening day in 2025.
Directed by Kim Byung-woo, this fantasy action film is an adaptation of a web novel with 200 million cumulative views. Realize Pictures, which produced the Along with the Gods series, participated in the production, and Lotte Entertainment was in charge of distribution. The story deals with incidents that occur when the world in the novel materializes in reality as the decade-long novel comes to an end.
In the movie, Ahn Hyo-seop plays Kim Dokja, the only reader of the novel, and Lee Min-ho plays Yoo Joonghyuk, the protagonist of the novel. The two embark on a survival adventure in a world facing destruction.
The cast also became a hot topic. In addition to Lee Min-ho and Ahn Hyo-seop, Chae Soo-bin, Nana, Shin Seung-ho, BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, Park Ho-san, and others were cast. This star-studded lineup, bringing together stars from dramas, K-pop, and the film industry, drew great attention.
Even before its release, the movie showed a hot response, topping the reservation rate for six consecutive days. However, among fans of the original, there were concerns about changes to the settings. Upon release, the CGV Egg Index was 84%, and Naver Movie’s real-time viewer rating was 7.7 points.
k-Viewers left comments such as:
- “Maybe because I haven’t read the original, I found it more enjoyable than expected. I feel like original fans might be disappointed…”
- “Two hours flew by! How do I wait for the sequel!”
- “The settings were fun and the action was awesome!! I’m so curious about the next part”
- “A refreshing fantasy action to beat the heat”
- “If you haven’t read the original, the visuals are good and it’s fun!”
There were also many opinions emphasizing the need to watch it in cinema, such as:
- “Refreshing action and the actors’ chemistry are highlights”
- “It’s a new type of fantasy movie not seen in Korea. It was fresh and enjoyable”
- “Crazy immersion. You must watch this on the big screen!”
According to YouTube and Lotte Entertainment, following Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint in the box office was F1: The Movie, which attracted 40,788 viewers to take second place. 3rd place went to Detective Conan: The Scarlet Remains (26,844 viewers), fourth to King of Kings (22,318 viewers), and fifth to Noise (16,916 viewers).
