Despite the controversies that arose during the production and marketing phase leading up to this film’s debut, Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy is still taking home one singular win, and it might be the only thing that counts to land them that second movie. Back when it was a webnovel, Realies Pictures offered the series an adaptation for five live-action films.

Originally written as a light novel before being adapted into a manhwa, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint remains a very popular series among fans and webtoon lovers today. And while readers have been eagerly awaiting new content, concerns began to boil over when it was revealed that changes were being made to the source material that didn’t make much sense.

Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy is Dominating Other Films at the Box Office

Everyone Wants to See How the Live-Action Adaptation Turned Out With Their Own Eyes

According to AnimeNewsNetwork and ScreenDaily, Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy has earned approximately $4.5 million since opening day on July 23rd, with admissions ranging around 627,885 on debut and teetering off to 427,357 during the July 25-27 weekend. This places it at the top of the box office, surpᴀssing The Fantastic Four: First Steps and King of Kings.

Currently, it is touted as the number one film in South Korea, fueled by fans of the original novel and webcomic, as well as general audiences interested in the A-list casting. Although projections are doing the film some favors, production has shown prior concerns regarding the film’s reception in light of the changes made to Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’s story.

Despite the Live-Action Adaptations’ Amazing Box Office Achievement, Reception is Mixed

Failing to Hit Among Original Fans and General Audiences Alike

According to Won Dongyeon, one of the producers from Realies Pictures, Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy was altered in a few key areas to create a story that could resonate with a larger audience beyond the web series’ fans. In doing so, rifts within the fanbase sowed distrust with the production’s adaptation as it drifted away from the source material.

Audience reception towards the movie has caused its ratings to land it at around a 1.2 on Google Reviews, and a 4.0 on IMDb. Although tickets are being sold, no one is particularly excited about what is happening on the big screen.

Fans are upset with all of the major changes that have thrown off the story and key characters, both present and yet to come. While general audiences are mostly confused and remain unswayed by the mᴀssive budget allocated for the film’s CGI and setting. Some viewers are confessing to being entirely lost on the schematics of this apocalyptic world.

So while tickets are most definitely being sold and placing Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy at the very top in Korean box offices, the backlash the movie is receiving is rearing its head in the ratings. While the attention may be enough to get production that second film, audiences now rest in the camp of whether they actually want a continuation.