Cho Jung-seok Does It Again: From 'Exit' to 'Pilot' to 'My Daughter Is a Zombie'; Summer Box Office Hat Trick

By  Kim Ji-hye  | Jul 31, 2025

Cho Jung-seok Does It Again: From 'Exit' to 'Pilot' to 'My Daughter Is a Zombie'; Summer Box Office Hat Trick
Zombie
Actor Cho Jung-seok has once again demonstrated his summer box office dominance with 'My Daughter Is a Zombie'.

Starring Cho Jung-seok, 'My Daughter Is a Zombie' is a comedic drama about a doting father who goes into top-secret training to protect his daughter, the last remaining zombie on Earth.

Released on the 30th, 'My Daughter Is a Zombie' attracted 430,000 viewers on its opening day, marking the highest opening score among this year's releases. Furthermore, with a 36.5% reservation rate and 190,000 tickets pre-sold for its second day, the movie has already set the stage for a blockbuster weekend.

With a production budget of 11 billion won, 'My Daughter Is a Zombie' needs to attract 2.2 million viewers to break even. Given the current trend, surpassing 1 million viewers this weekend seems certain, and reaching 2 million by next week is well within reach. Zombie DaughterWith its competitor 'Omniscient Reader' experiencing a sharp decline in viewership just a week after its release, 'My Daughter Is a Zombie' only needs to hold its ground against 'Pretty Crazy', releasing on August 6, to easily surpass 3 million viewers.

The driving force behind 'My Daughter Is a Zombie's success is undoubtedly Cho Jung-seok. In the film, he plays the father, Jeong-hwan, who embarks on a secret mission to protect his daughter Su-ah (played by Choi Yu-ri), the last zombie on Earth. His unique blend of humor and the tender portrayal of a father’s love for his zombified daughter have resonated deeply with audiences.

With this, Cho Jung-seok has solidified his status as the 'Summer Box Office King', following the success of 'Exit' (2019) with 9.42 million viewers, 'Pilot' (2024) with 4.71 million, and now 'My Daughter Is a Zombie'.

(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)