Director Jang Hang-jun, who joined the elite “10-million director” club with the film Wang-gwa Saneun Namja, shocked fans by revealing that despite the movie’s record-breaking success, the deal structure made it hard for him to cash in as much as people expected.
Appearing recently on the VIVO TV YouTube web variety Yeongiui Seong, Jang openly discussed the film’s performance and profit structure while chatting with actors Kim Eui-sung and Im Hyung-jun. Wang-gwa Saneun Namja drew 14.8 million moviegoers in just about 40 days, climbing into the upper ranks of the all-time box office.
Typically, once a film passes its break-even point, directors earn additional income through a running guarantee (backend) on top of their base directing fee. Industry insiders even speculated that, in this case, the payout could have reached the tens of billions of won range.
However, Jang said, “Many people think I received a running guarantee, but it actually wasn’t part of my contract.” He added, “At the time, I chose to take a slightly higher directing fee instead of a running guarantee,” and laughed, “In the end, that turned out to be a regrettable choice.”
Because of that decision, his additional earnings remained limited despite the blockbuster success. Still, the production company is reportedly reviewing internal options for performance-based bonuses.
Jang stressed that he won’t lose his grounding after the hit. “If anything, I think now is the more important moment,” he said, revealing that his next step is to personally produce and direct a low-budget independent film built on a meticulous script. He concluded, “Separate from commercial success, I want to go back to basics,” underscoring his resolve as a creator.