Three buzzed-about films move from theaters to IPTV and VOD this week

Three films that drew audiences in theaters are moving to home viewing this week via IPTV and VOD services. They range from the 16.63 million-ticket hit “The Man Who Lives With the King” to Yoon Ga-eun’s festival favorite “Master of the World,” and “We Still Have Tomorrow,” which built word-of-mouth for its lingering ending.

“The Man Who Lives With the King,” set in 1457 at Cheongnyeongpo, follows a village chief who volunteers to live at an exile site to revive his town and a young deposed king sent into exile. Blending humor and emotion, the film’s tragic storyline around King Danjong and the cast’s performances helped propel it to No. 2 on the all-time box office list, drawing 16.63 million moviegoers.

The film will be released starting the 29th on major platforms including IPTV, cable TV VOD and OTT services. For the home version, some VFX from the theatrical cut have been enhanced, and the end credits add the OST song “Friend,” sung by Jeon Mi-do, who was praised for her role as Maehwa. The track and its music video, released earlier to mark the film passing 16 million admissions, drew strong reactions.

Yoon’s “Master of the World” begins day-and-date IPTV and VOD service starting today. The film centers on Ju-in, an 18-year-old high school student whose motives are hard to read, as she alone refuses a schoolwide signature campaign and then begins receiving mysterious notes. It is Yoon’s third feature, following “The World of Us” and “House of Us,” and was screened as a world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival ahead of its release.

The film went on to win major honors, including the grand prize at the 47th Nantes Three Continents Festival; the jury prize for the Roberto Rossellini Award and the audience award at the 9th Pingyao International Film Festival; and the International Federation of Film Critics prize at the 41st Warsaw International Film Festival. In South Korea, it won best picture and a new actor award at ceremonies including the Producers Guild Awards and the Chunsa International Film Festival. It is also nominated in six major categories at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards in May, including best picture, best director and best screenplay. After opening, it was the only Korean independent live-action art film released in 2025 to draw 200,000 admissions, earning praise for pairing artistry with commercial appeal.

Audience support remained steady, with endorsements from filmmakers Hirokazu Kore-eda, Jia Zhangke, Bong Joon Ho and Yeon Sang-ho, and actor Park Jeong-min. A “relay support screening” started voluntarily by Kim Hye-soo, Song Eun-i, Kim Tae-ri, Kim Eui-sung and Lee Jun-hyuk also drew attention. The film’s long theatrical run of more than six months was fueled by that word-of-mouth. Starting today, it is available on platforms including IPTV, Studio Choice, Skylife, Wavve, Apple TV and Coupang Play.

“We Still Have Tomorrow” is also shifting to home viewing. The film follows Delia’s secret plan as she dreams of an ending more beautiful than a fairy tale, set against the historic moment in 1946 Italy when women were able to vote for the first time.

The film swept audience awards at global ceremonies, including the 69th David di Donatello Awards, and drew praise such as “the most powerful ending in film history” and “a perfect twist — smart and moving.” It reached $50 million in global revenue, including in Italy as well as France, Germany, Spain and Poland. In South Korea, after opening March 4, it posted high audience ratings, and social media users shared accounts of spontaneous applause breaking out immediately after the end credits. The film is now available on IPTV and VOD platforms.

With all three titles now leaving the big screen for living rooms, attention is on whether their box-office momentum, festival recognition and word-of-mouth will carry over to home audiences.