While Hollywood executives fret over underperforming franchises, an unassuming animated film from Korea has quietly stormed the American box office. "The King of Kings," written and directed by Jang Seong-ho, pulled in $19 million in its first week after its April 11 release, claiming second place only behind "A Minecraft Movie" and outpacing several major studio releases.

The biblical tale maintained an impressive box office footing heading into Easter weekend, dropping only 9 percent in revenue during its second week — remarkably less than declines of nearly half seen with many films. This level of resilience places the film alongside box office phenomena like "Avatar" (2009) and "The Greatest Showman" (2017).

"The numbers have blown past what we imagined possible," Jang told The Korea Herald in a phone interview Thursday. "Seeing how viewers have embraced it — that's everything to me."

Jang's name hardly registers in mainstream cinema. Yet within the realm of visual effects, he's built a respectable reputation across three decades. His portfolio spans Korean blockbusters like "Haeundae" (2009) and "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" (2014) alongside international productions including Starz's "Spartacus." After years of enhancing others' visions, by 2015 he set out to build something distinctly his own.

The film's premise — an animated portrayal of the life of Jesus Christ — sprung from both the director's personal conviction as a Christian and market savvy. "Jesus Christ is quite literally the superstar," Jang says. "Even people with zero religious background know who he is. His story cuts across cultures in a way few others can."

The film frames this familiar narrative through Charles Dickens (voiced by Kenneth Branagh) sharing Christ's story with his son. This storytelling approach draws from Dickens' actual work, "The Life of Our Lord," which remained unpublished until long after his death.

"Looking at the US market, I couldn't believe how this story had barely been touched in animation," Jang explains. "Here's a country where faith runs deep, where presidents put their hand on Bibles to take office, yet this cornerstone story hadn't really been explored in this medium. That seemed like a massive opening."

The project pulled together a constellation of voice talent: Oscar Isaac as Jesus, Pierce Brosnan as Pontius Pilate, Forest Whitaker as Peter and Uma Thurman as Catherine Dickens. This A-list roster came through Disney veteran casting director Jamie Thomason, whom Jang befriended through previous Hollywood projects.

"Jamie went all in for this project," says Jang. "Once Branagh got on board, others jumped at the chance to work with him."

Despite his Hollywood ambitions, Jang made the fateful decision to secure funding entirely within Korea — a choice that turned the production into a 10-year odyssey. The $25.4 million budget, though modest by Hollywood standards, represented a substantial gamble for a Korean animation.

"Everyone kept asking who would possibly watch an animated religious film," Jang laughed. "Without a proven track record as a director, I faced endless doubts."

That decision to turn down US investment, Jang explained, was driven by his determination to maintain creative autonomy. "I could've gotten US money easily, but I would've lost control over the vision and ownership of the work. That was a dealbreaker for me."

The journey turned out to be grueling. Investors backed out, partners ghosted him and one foreign contractor took payment and vanished without delivering the work. "We hit rock bottom more than once," Jang said. "We had to redo entire sections from scratch, which burned through cash we didn't have."

Another challenge was the language barrier. Though comfortable in English from years working in Hollywood, Jang wrote the initial script in Korean, then spent two intense weeks with Disney screenwriter Rob Edwards translating and refining every line.

"We basically locked ourselves in a room from dawn till midnight, living off pizza delivery," Jang recalled. "I'd break down what each line needed to convey, and Rob would reshape it into something that clicked with American ears."

With "The King of Kings" now expanding to 50 countries for Easter weekend and slated for approximately 120 countries by year's end, Jang's calendar is packed with worldwide promotional campaigns. The film is expected to reach Korean theaters in late July.

The director hopes the film will resonate beyond the traditional faith-based audience. "Korea has this unique situation with strong Christian communities right alongside pretty vocal antireligious sentiment. I wanted to craft something even nonbelievers could enjoy without feeling lectured at.

"I sometimes joke that if I make it to heaven, and God asks what I did with my life, my answer's pretty simple: 'Made one good movie.'"