Translator: Dreamscribe
Kang Woojin's response to the hundred or so foreign reporters gathered at a famous luxury brand event.
“It’s because we’re aiming for this year’s 'Academy Awards'.”
It was a very low and calm reply, but most of the foreign reporters, who had been frantically pressing their shutters at Woojin, turned dumbfounded.
“Hm?”
“Huh?”
“Huh? What did he just say?”
The barrage of flashes, which had been exploding like crazy, paused for a moment. ‘Academy Awards’? Did he just say ‘Academy Awards’? The unexpected response left the reporters flustered, and the male reporter who had questioned Kang Woojin barely regained his composure.
“......Did you just say ‘Academy Awards’?”
Meeting the reporter’s eyes, Woojin casually nodded.
“Yes, that’s what I said.”
Though his face remained stiff on the outside, Kang Woojin was actually quite enjoying himself internally.
‘How is it? Surprised? You’re surprised, right? Your expressions are priceless.’
Unaware of this, the murmuring among the foreign reporters began to escalate. The question the reporter had posed to Woojin was simple. “The teaser and various clips for ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ have been released, so why isn’t there any information about the release being announced?” But Kang Woojin suddenly brought up the ‘Academy Awards’ as the reason.
What on earth was going on?
“A-Academy Awards? What’s he talking about all of a sudden?”
“Exactly...... didn't ‘Pierrot’ go into editing around September? Why bring up the ‘Academy Awards’ out of nowhere-”
“He must be joking.”
“But his face doesn’t look like he’s joking at all?”
“Then what? He’s really saying he’s going to challenge the ‘Academy Awards’ with ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’?”
“That’s pretty much impossible. How can a movie that went into editing in September be submitted for the Academy Awards in April?"
While continuing to photograph Kang Woojin, the foreign reporters began voicing their individual thoughts. Most of them, however, were skeptical. It wasn’t exactly an unusual reaction. With ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ having finished its crank-up and editing in September, submitting it to the ‘Academy Awards’ would indeed be a stretch.
“If we go by Kang Woojin’s words, then ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ would have to finish editing by January and be officially nominated for the ‘Academy Awards’ by March or April. What about the Academy’s requirements??”
Several reporters, trying to verify, rushed to question Kang Woojin again.
“Mr. Kang Woojin, is it true you’re aiming for the ‘Academy Awards’ with ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’?”
“Yes, it’s true.”
“H-How is that even possible?”
The reporters frowned, looking as if Woojin was speaking utter nonsense. Of course, Kang Woojin wasn’t just recklessly running wild in full-blown “My Way” mode. Talks had already taken place with ‘Columbia Studios’, and the answer he just gave had been coordinated with them as the best possible timing.
‘Whether it’s possible or not, we’ll find out soon enough, just get the gist and throw out some bold articles.’
Today was December 5, and Director Ahn Ga-bok and his team had promised to finish editing by January of next year. That’s only a month away. But there was no need for Kang Woojin to reveal everything. His role was only this much. To drop a massive bait in a public setting.
“‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ is aiming for this year’s ‘Academy Awards’, and further details will be announced by ‘Columbia Studios’.”
In an instant, over a hundred reporters began hurling follow-up questions, but Woojin, keeping his poker face, turned away without hesitation and left the scene. The reporters who were still clicking their shutters at his back, almost in unison, pulled out their phones.
“If-if this is real! Scoop! This is a scoop!”
The reporters started making calls somewhere. And watching all this unfold, the various Hollywood actors who had attended the fashion event were also busy whispering among themselves.
“Did you hear? That ‘Pierrot’ thing is going for the ‘Academy Awards’.”
“Yeah, Kang Woojin just said that, right? Is it real?”
“Kang Woojin said it so directly, he wouldn’t joke like that unless he was insane, right?”
“......What’s going on? Isn’t ‘Pierrot’ supposed to be released worldwide? What on earth are they planning?”
This atmosphere was something Kang Woojin, who was walking toward the event hall, was fully aware of, as most of the people were busy sneaking glances at him. On the other hand, having finished what he needed to do, Kang Woojin felt quite refreshed.
'Well, at this rate, articles will start popping off in a few minutes.’
Meanwhile, at ‘A8 Media’.
CEO Jennifer Thurman, who had just been holding her phone to her ear, slowly lowered it. The call had ended after a few minutes. For some reason, the employees of ‘A8 Media’ had gathered around her.
The reason was simple.
During the call, Jennifer Thurman had mentioned the name Miley Cara several times. On top of that, her expression after the call was far from ordinary. How to put it, a dazed expression? As Jennifer stared blankly into space for a moment, a male employee anxiously asked. He was the freckled employee.
“C-CEO. Miley Cara? Why was her name mentioned?”
“......”
But Jennifer, standing there blankly, did not answer right away. Perhaps out of frustration, other employees asked the same question. Yet Jennifer's lips remained sealed, and the freckled male employee grabbed and shook her shoulders. Only then did Jennifer Thurman snap out of it.
“Ah- huh?”
“CEO! Miley Cara!”
“......Well, apparently, Miley Cara is interested in our ‘Guest’ and has requested a meeting?”
The moment they heard the answer, the gathered employees opened their mouths slightly.
“Eh??”
They blinked their eyes in disbelief. It was an unbelievable response.
“M-Miley Cara? ‘Guest’?”
“Yeah.”
“Miley Cara... is it really that Miley Cara we all know?”
“Is there another Miley Cara in Hollywood?”
“No, there isn’t. But seriously??!”
“For real.”
Soon, the employees let out cheers. Regardless of the context, the fact that Miley Cara, one of the top-tier Hollywood actresses, was interested in the struggling ‘Guest’ had them ecstatic. On the other hand, even amid the employees' excitement, Jennifer’s soul had not yet fully returned.
Then suddenly, she recalled a line from Choi Sung-gun, who had recently appeared as the main investor.
‘Let’s delay casting actors as much as possible.’
Choi Sung-gun had postponed actor recruitment without a clear explanation. Then came the contact from Miley Cara. Was there a connection?
‘Could it be, Kang Woojin??’
Come to think of it, Choi Sung-gun had appeared as the main investor based on Kang Woojin’s recommendation. And Miley Cara was currently filming ‘Beast and the Beauty’ with Woojin. Moreover, the relationship between Cara and Kang Woojin ran deep. Jennifer sensed there was a link. However, she didn’t have the luxury of time to think it through in depth.
“For now! Let’s schedule a meeting with Miley Cara’s side as soon as possible!”
“Yes, CEO!”
“Oh my God! Miley Cara!”
“Is she really going to appear in our ‘Guest’?”
“No! It’s just a meeting for now!”
Whatever the case, the ‘A8 Media’ team quickly checked the schedule and rushed to arrange a meeting with Miley Cara. Honestly, there was no need to nitpick or debate. If Cara wanted, they could clear the entire day to meet her immediately. However, Miley Cara wanted a date a few days later, and Jennifer Thurman agreed.
About an hour passed like a storm, and during that time, Miley Cara rose to the top of the list for the female lead in Guest.
Feeling as if she were in a dream, Jennifer collapsed into her seat and swept back her brown bobbed hair.
“Phew- I can’t pull myself together.”
It was the first time things had exploded like bombs going off. She tried to calm down, but it didn’t work. She could feel her heart pounding intensely. At that moment, Jennifer, who had seasoned experience in Hollywood, recalled Kang Woojin’s face.
“......Somehow, it feels like things have been falling into place smoothly ever since Kang Woojin checked our ‘Guest’.”
He was like a savior. Just a few months ago, ‘Guest’ had been clearly on the path to failure, but now it had wings.
At that moment.
-♬♪
Jennifer Thurman’s phone rang again. Snapping back to her senses, she quickly checked the caller. Just in case, she thought it might be Miley Cara again. But it wasn’t. An unknown number. Jennifer instinctively furrowed her brow and brought the phone to her ear with a slightly trembling hand.
“Yes, yes. This is Jennifer Thurman from ‘A8 Media’.”
Jennifer's eyes widened again during the brief call, as if they were about to pop out.
“......Chris Hartnett? Did you just say Chris Hartnett?”
This time, it wasn’t Miley Cara. It was Chris Hartnett.
A few days later, at ‘SPT Studio’.
It was quite early in the morning, but the over 50,000-pyeong set complex of ‘SPT Studio’ was bustling. Hundreds of foreigners were moving in perfect coordination. They were preparing to shoot ‘Beast and the Beauty’. The location was the grand banquet hall among the various sets, the same place where the audition for ‘Beast and the Beauty’ had taken place.
The banquet hall set had become even more elaborate than during the audition.
Sparkling chandeliers, lit candles mounted all over the walls, and floors and pillars adorned with extravagant patterns, and so on. In that banquet hall, over a hundred staff and numerous filming equipment filled the space.
Soon.
-Swish.
Women in white feathered dresses began to appear in the spacious banquet hall. Their makeup was unique. Their faces were pale white, and their eyebrows were excessively thick. The wigs on their heads were voluminous white permed hair. There were at least over fifty such women.
They were all extras, but they were also professional dancers.
“Okay- let's start the rehearsal!!"
At the shout of one staff member, the extra dancers in white dresses gathered in the center of the banquet hall. Various types of cameras captured them, and the chandeliers on the ceiling and candles on the walls lit up.
Then, from the monitor area, Director Bill Rotner shouted.
“Action!”
At once, strong classical music filled the entire banquet hall.
-♬♪
The female dancers began to dance. The precision of their synchronized hand and foot movements was astonishing. At that moment, one of the cameras filmed the side of the banquet hall. From there, a man dressed in a banquet suit of mixed blue and white appeared.
It was Kang Woojin in the form of the ‘Prince’, not the ‘Beast’.
Having already immersed his entire body in the emotions of the ‘Prince’.
“......”
He silently looked around the banquet hall and smiled. It was a satisfied smile. He was pleased with how the banquet hall of his castle had turned out. After exchanging brief greetings with the men in black banquet suits nearby, Woojin walked past the dancing female dancers and sat in front of a golden piano. Two cameras were filming him from front and back.
Then.
-♬♪
Kang Woojin began a dazzling piano performance. The background music lowered in volume accordingly. The ‘Prince’ wore a pleasant smile on his face. Watching this through the monitor, Director Bill Rotner was overwhelmed with excitement.
“Watching him play the piano is always moving.”
Although most of Kang Woojin’s scenes had been in a skin-tight suit, today he was a pianist captivating the hundreds of foreigners gathered on the set. And this scene was also to become the main OST scene for ‘Beast and the Beauty’.
At that moment.
-Bang! Kugoogagagang!!
Suddenly, a thunderous sound erupted in the banquet hall filled with soft piano music. The dozens of dancers in white dresses stumbled back in confusion, and the cameras filming them also shook as if startled. It was part of the direction. A musical expression of the transformation from ‘Prince’ to ‘Beast’.
As dozens of dancers looked around with frightened expressions.
-Swish.
Kang Woojin stopped playing the piano, stood up from the golden piano, and moved to the center of the banquet hall where the dancers had stepped back and made space.
And then.
-♬♪
Kang Woojin’s heartfelt vocals filled the banquet hall.
A few hours later.
“Cut! OK.”
As soon as Director Bill Rotner gave the signal, the female dancers in white dresses who had filled the set banquet hall withdrew. Their roles were not over. They had to prepare for the next scene immediately. Up to now, they had danced softly to the Prince’s performance, and from this point onward, they were scheduled to perform a slightly more intense dance to the Beast’s performance.
Accordingly, Kang Woojin’s makeup would also intensify. Sёarᴄh the NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Having exited the set banquet hall, Kang Woojin could be found among the makeup team. As Woojin, who was busily having his makeup fixed, sat there, someone approached him. It was Director Bill Rotner, holding a shooting continuity script in one hand.
“Woojin.”
At the call, Kang Woojin opened his slightly closed eyes and turned his gaze. Director Bill Rotner was smirking.
"You're entering the Academy Awards with Pierrot?"
Just then, the makeup adjustments seemed to have ended, and the staff stepped back. Kang Woojin, whose makeup had intensifed, responded in a low voice.
“Yes, Director.”
“The media is in an uproar about that right now.”
“Yes. I’ve seen it too.”
“Haha, but is it really possible?”
“Who knows.”
To Woojin’s brief reply, Director Bill Rotner showed the shooting continuity in his hand.
“It might be hard this time, but let’s try going for the next ‘Academy Awards’ with our ‘Beast and the Beauty’.”
He stated it definitively.
“At this rate, we’ll crank up by early next month.”
Meaning the filming of ‘Beast and the Beauty’ would end in January.
And at the same time, in Hollywood.
『LA TIME / At an event, Kang Woojin says “Pierrot is aiming for the Academy Awards” – Is it true that ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ is aiming for the Academy Awards?』
Controversy around ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ was rapidly intensifying.
**
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