If you’re tired of American Hollywood films, you might want to check out The King’s Warden in theaters, a 2026 Korean historical drama that’s taking the Korean film world by storm right now.
The King’s Warden first hit theaters on February 4, 2026, and in just a little over a month’s time, the movie has been seen by over 9 million viewers, according to a report from The Korea Times. If momentum—thanks largely to a word-of-mouth campaign—continues at this pace, it’s likely to break records in the Korean box office.
Helmed by director Jang Hang-jun, The King’s Warden is based on the true story of King Danjong (played in the movie by Park Ji-hoon), a teenage king who was overthrown and exiled in 1457. The film explores the exiled king’s quiet life and isolation following his exile. The ensemble cast includes Yoo Hae-jin, Park Ji-hoon, Yoo Ji-tae, and Jeon Mi-do.
The King’s Warden has a lot of buzz in South Korea, but American audiences can watch the film too, because The King’s Warden is currently playing in some select U.S. theaters. But if you can’t find a screening near you, or would rather watch the film at home, read on to find out what we know about where and when you might be able to watch The King’s Warden on streaming.
For now, The King’s Warden is available to watch in a movie theater, where it is playing in select movie theaters in the U.S. You can find a showing near you via Fandango. The King’s Warden is not yet available to watch online or on streaming.
The King’s Warden is not streaming on Netflix or Prime Video right now. While it’s possible The King’s Warden may stream on Netflix someday, it won’t be until after the theatrical run and digital release of the movie. The King’s Warden is a Korean movie being distributed by the South Korean film distribution and production company, Showbox. While the movie is being shown in a few U.S. theaters right now, we don’t know much about The King’s Warden digital release in the U.S.
You might be able to purchase The King’s Warden on Prime Video eventually, when the movie becomes available to buy and rent on digital in the U.S, but you will not be able to stream Shelter on Prime Video free with a Prime subscription any time soon, because it is not a Prime original movie.
We don’t know much about The King’s Warden digital release in the U.S.
The King’s Warden is a Korean movie being distributed by the South Korean film distribution and production company, Showbox. Another Korean film released by Showbox, Once We Were Us, is now available to rent in the U.S. on Rakuten Viki, which is a streaming service that specializes in Asian TV and movies. You don’t need a subscription to sign up.
Once We Were Us become available on Viki a little over two months after the movie opened in theaters, so it’s possible The King’s Warden might follow a similar pattern and be released on Viki to rent around April 2026, about two months after the movie opened in theaters.
This is all speculation. If you want to see The King’s Warden right away, you can catch the movie in a movie theater.
