A South Korean historical film depicting a 16th-century naval hero who foiled a Japanese invasion has become the country’s most profitable film one month after its box-office debut, data showed Saturday.

“Roaring Currents,” which portrays Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s dramatic victory over Japanese naval forces during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), has reaped 128.48 billion won ($126.71 million) in domestic sales as of Aug. 29, according to the Korean Film Council.

The previous record was 128.47 billion won set by Hollywood science fiction “Avatar” in 2010.

“Roaring Currents” has already set new records in local box-office history. The epic movie has drawn more than 16 million viewers as of Friday in a nation with a total population of 50 million.

CJ Entertainment, the film’s distributor, said it hopes to rake in more profit from overseas releases.

The film, which was released in the United States under the tile “The Admiral: Roaring Currents,” logged sales totaling $1.18 million within seven days of its release on Aug. 15, the company said, adding that it will be released in other countries. (Yonhap)