Film

Transposing Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper to 17th-century Korea, this massive box-office hit imagines what might have transpired during a legendary 15-day gap in the Joseon Dynasty historical records. When the tyrannical King Gwanghae begins to suspect that someone in the royal court is trying to poison him, he enlists a peasant jester as a lookalike to take his seat on the throne while he slips away to lay low with his mistress. Juggling the two lead roles with his usual charisma but also new depth and versatility, Lee gives the performance of his career in this extravagant portrait of palace intrigue.