Translator: Dreamscribe
“You mean the main poster to send to Cannes?”
At Kang Woojin’s low question, the old voice of Director Ahn Ga-bok came through the phone again.
“Yes, the poster for ‘Leech’ that will be handed over to Cannes. As you know, this poster is different from the usual ones. It’s closer to an introduction than a promotional tool. And it’s a poster that will introduce the film to the filmmakers from around the world who will attend Cannes.”
Posters are produced at various stages of a film’s production. For early promotion, for full-scale marketing of the movie, for word-of-mouth during screenings, etc. Of course, they are all designed with different concepts, but most of them center around promotion or marketing.
Thus, provocative elements are inevitably inserted.
However, in the case of ‘Leech’, which had Cannes as its first destination, was different from that of typical commercial films. The poster didn’t aim at attracting the general public or serving as a promotional tool. It needed to become the symbol or face of ‘Leech’. Therefore, the approach to creating the poster had to be fundamentally different.
Because the target audience wasn’t the general public.
Of course, people attending the Cannes Film Festival would watch ‘Leech’, but the real key individuals were influential filmmakers from various countries. The juries and officials of the Cannes Film Festival, prominent actors from different nations, globally renowned producers or distributors, and investors from around the world, including Hollywood.
In short, a poster for ‘Leech’ that would be seen by global filmmakers was required.
This poster would become both the face and the symbol of ‘Leech’, and if it were to win an award at Cannes, it would spread across the world.
Box office success was a concern for later.
There was no problem in producing a release poster afterward. In fact, if ‘Leech’ caused a big stir at Cannes this year, there would be no need for a separate poster. Turning Cannes upside down would itself serve as massive promotion and marketing.
Because it was the production of such an enormously important main poster.
“I’m paying a lot of attention to the editing as well as the poster. Once Woojin-gun returns from Japan, we’ll shoot according to the selected poster list, so I called to let you know to keep that in mind.”
Director Ahn Ga-bok’s voice was profoundly serious. On the other hand, while Kang Woojin’s exterior was deeply poker-faced, his inner thoughts were unconcerned.
‘Well, I just need to do what they tell me to do.’
There wasn’t anything to feel nervous about. In fact, something else was on his mind.
‘By mid-September?? The editing for ‘Leech’ is almost finished? Whoa, things are really wrapping up, and everything seems to be coming together at once.’
It felt like the works that had been holding their breath were suddenly pouring out all at once as autumn arrived. Around this time, the ponytailed Choi Sung-gun stuck close to Woojin, and Kang Woojin, slightly tensing his neck, answered Director Ahn Ga-bok on the phone.
“Yes, Director-nim. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Good. When we start on the main poster, it means there’s less than a month left until Cannes. We’ll also do some media publicity in line with the timing. You won’t have much to worry about, but I’m just letting you know.”
“I understand.”
“By the way—why are you going to Japan? Ah, is it related to that animation?”
“Something similar. There’s also the production announcement for ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’.”
“Hmm. So, that work is already having its production announcement.”
Director Ahn Ga-bok murmured after a brief pause.
“They might end up releasing around the same time.”
He wrapped up the call.
“I’ll pass the detailed schedule to CEO Choi. Take care.”
“You too, Director~nim.”
-Click.
As Kang Woojin slowly lowered his phone, Choi Sung-gun immediately asked.
“Director? Which director?”
Woojin conveyed the core of the phone conversation to the eager Choi Sung-gun who had rushed in. Soon, Choi Sung-gun’s eyes gleamed with interest as he grinned.
“Oh-ho—the main poster for Cannes, huh? It’s starting to feel real that you’re heading to Cannes. But wait, they’re wrapping up the editing for ‘Leech’ by mid-September?”
“Yes, according to Director Ahn Ga-bok.”
“Are they grinding their bones to finish it? I know they were doing rough edits even during the night shoots, but the pace is unbelievably fast.”
Kang Woojin’s team resumed their halted steps. Among them, Choi Sung-gun, who was checking his phone calendar, smiled broadly.
“There’s really only a month left before going to Cannes. Now that it’s actually happening, I’m anxious. Whew- Honestly, I thought we’d go someday, but I didn’t expect it to be this soon.”
Choi Sung-gun, mixed with tension and urgency. In contrast, Kang Woojin wasn’t feeling particularly nervous.
‘Cannes? Whatever. I’ve already ingrained French, so what problem could there be?’
It still didn’t feel real to him.
Meanwhile, in a conference room of a major film company.
An old man seated at the large U-shaped table placed his phone on the table. It was none other than Director Ahn Ga-bok, who had just been on the phone with Kang Woojin.
-Swish.
His short white hair remained the same, though he had more wrinkles now. His face was heavily marked with fatigue, but nonetheless, Director Ahn Ga-bok’s signature air of a veteran still radiated sharpness.
“……So, ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ is done too—seems I’ll need to push harder.”
Director Ahn Ga-bok muttered quietly to himself as he lifted his head. Standing in front of him were the film company’s CEO and several executives. It appeared they had been in the middle of a meeting. After relaying the conversation he had with Kang Woojin, Director Ahn Ga-bok.
-Shwoop.
Lowered his gaze once again. Right in front of him were three sheets of paper, each the size of a typical movie poster, attached to a clear plastic panel. These three sheets contained illustrations and a shared title.
-‘Leech’
That’s right. These were the candidate posters for ‘Leech’, which was set to go to Cannes. Director Ahn Ga-bok studied the poster candidates intently. The film company’s CEO and the others standing around didn’t say a word.
“……”
“……”
They were simply waiting for the legendary Ahn Ga-bok to make his choice. However, his decision wasn’t quick. Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes. Director Ahn Ga-bok, arms crossed, scrutinized the poster candidates for over 15 minutes. It was understandable. The poster chosen here would be sent to Cannes. In fact, even creating these three candidates had taken about two weeks.
Finally.
“Hm.”
Director Ahn Ga-bok let out a deep sigh and raised his index finger. Then, he pointed to two of the three poster candidates in succession.
“Let’s produce both of these. I need to see the final versions myself.”
“Is that what you want? Understood.”
The illustrations on the two selected poster candidates depicted different characters and scenes from ‘Leech’, but there was one distinct similarity that stood out.
Both prominently featured ‘Park Ha-seong’, or Kang Woojin, as the main focus.
In other words.
“Share these two poster drafts with Woojin-gun right away.”
It meant that Kang Woojin’s face was set to be plastered all over Cannes in a large format.
A few hours later, in Japan.
Kang Woojin arrived in Japan to carry out his short, three-day schedule. He had departed from Gimpo Airport and arrived at Haneda Airport in Japan by late morning. As Woojin entered the arrival hall, he turned up his usual cynicism by several notches.
‘Wo, there sure are a lot of reporters.’
The reason was simple.
-Pababababak!
-Pabababababab!
Hundreds of people, including Japanese reporters, fans, and onlookers, had gathered to catch a glimpse of Kang Woojin as he emerged from the airport. It was the largest crowd that had ever come to see him during his visits to Japan.
Screams and shrieks loud enough to shake the airport.
“Kyaaahhh!!”
“Kang Woojin! Kang Woojin!!”
“Eeeek!!!”
And the desperate shouts of reporters buried under the noise.
“Kang Woojin!!*%&%#)%#%!”
“(#)%(*@$@*‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’#)*(#%”
“Woojin!!#%()%*#)(%‘Male Friend: Remake’@#@”
Although a few recognizable words were mixed in, overall, it was impossible to make sense of what they were saying. Regardless, Kang Woojin calmly waved at the reporters and fans as he made his way out of the airport.
Meanwhile, back in Korea.
『[Star Talk] Kang Woojin departs for Japan for ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ production announcement/ Photo』
The Japanese media, as expected, were simultaneously reporting on Kang Woojin’s activities. Recently, Japan, where several major issues had arisen, was particularly intense in covering him. However, Woojin paid it no mind. He boarded the van provided by the Kashiwa Group—specifically, arranged by Chairman Hideki—and headed to his designated accommodation, the Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel.
Kang Woojin’s first schedule in Japan was related to the ‘Male Friend: Remake’, consisting of interviews with two well-known Japanese magazines.
At that moment.
“Oh!!”
“Whoa! Oppa, oppa! Look over there! On top of the building!”
“Unbelievable!!”
The stylists riding in the van with him were in a frenzy. Thanks to them, Woojin, who usually had a nonchalant expression, turned his gaze toward where they were pointing. Kang Woojin gasped inwardly, of course.
‘What the hell?? That’s me, isn’t it??!’
On the billboard hanging on top of a large building, an ad for the anime ‘Male Friend: Remake’ was playing. Of course, it was an advertisement, and in the middle, Kang Woojin’s face appeared in a huge close-up. As the lead voice actor of the smash-hit anime, it was only natural that his face would take center stage. It was no longer strange to see Woojin’s face plastered all over Tokyo’s cityscape.
‘This is embarrassing-’
And that wasn’t all.
“Oh! It’s on the side of the bus too!”
“Ah! It really is! Oppa! Woojin oppa! Your face is on the bus too!”
“Huh? The life-size cutout in front of that store also looks like Woojin oppa!”
Kang Woojin was everywhere in Tokyo.
Later.
Kang Woojin, hiding his embarrassment as best he could, smoothly completed his first-day schedule in Japan. At every magazine interview, they took a ridiculous number of photos, making it feel more like a photo shoot.
In the late afternoon, Kang Woojin met with Director Kyotaro for a meal.
“Haha, Woojin. It’s only been a few months, but it feels like it’s been a long time. Your face looks even better than before.”
“Hello, Director~nim.”
“Please, have a seat.”
Director Kyotaro, who had come straight from working on the final edits for ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, immediately began discussing the progress.
“At this pace, the editing should be completed by the end of September without any issues.”
“Yes, I’ve been informed.”
Even as he responded, Woojin thought to himself.
‘Sigh—end of September. That’s cutting it close. It might overlap with my trip to Cannes for ‘Leech’.’
And it was true. The Cannes Film Festival for ‘Leech’ was set to open on September 30, and Kang Woojin needed to be on a plane before then. That meant it might be difficult for him to attend the final test screening of the completed version of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’. Director Kyotaro seemed aware of this too.
“Cannes is on September 30th this year, right?”
He preemptively brought it up to Kang Woojin.
“Yes. While the exact date when the editing finishes isn’t certain, it’ll likely be around that time. The screening test will be held just a few days after the editing is done.”
“I might not be able to attend.”
“I understand, it can’t be helped. You’re a very busy person, Woojin. If your schedule allows, we’d love for you to attend the test screening. If not, we’ll gather the other actors for it.”
The completed version of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’. Honestly, Woojin wanted to see it if possible.
‘It’s my first Japanese film, so I’d really like to check it out if I can- but I can’t postpone my Cannes schedule.’
What could he do? If it was impossible to align his schedule, he’d just have to give one side up.
‘Tsk, if it gets too tough, I can always sneak into a theater when ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ premieres and watch it.’
Afterward, Director Kyotaro shared details about tomorrow’s production announcement. The venue was the same location as the script reading for ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, at the Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel, where Kang Woojin was currently staying. It was clear that Chairman Hideki’s influence played a role here. It was fortunate in a way—Woojin could rest at his hotel and just head downstairs when the time came, without rushing.
After finishing the meal like that, Woojin.
“Shall we head back?”
“Yes, Director~nim.”
Kang Woojin and Director Kyotaro made their way to the Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel. From the hotel lobby, Woojin garnered the attention of countless guests. With all eyes on him, he entered the hotel’s massive hall. More specifically, he was visiting the grand hall where tomorrow’s production announcement would be held.
‘Whoa—this place is huge. Isn’t it about twice the size of where the script reading was held?’
The setup for the production announcement was already complete. Hundreds of desks were spread across the hall, with a large podium at the front, and a long table placed on top of it. Small cameras were set up throughout the hall, and at the back and diagonal corners, larger cameras were being adjusted by the Japanese staff, who were busily operating something.
Seeing them, Director Kyotaro chuckled softly and explained.
“They’re the live broadcast team. You heard, right? Tomorrow’s production announcement will be mainly streamed live on YouTube. Around 150 reporters are expected to attend.”
“Is that so?”
“Counting our people and other officials, there will easily be over 250 attendees. As for the public joining the stream—well, a few tens of thousands will likely tune in. What do you think? Haha, as you mentioned, we’ve doubled the scale of the event.”
“……”
Kang Woojin, who was scanning the massive hall, responded in a low voice.
“It’s not bad.”
“That’s a relief. Tomorrow, no one will be able to stop you, Woojin.”
Director Kyotaro’s smile deepened.
“You can do whatever you please.”
Whatever he pleases? Woojin sensed a strange vibe of misunderstanding in Kyotaro’s sparkling eyes.
‘Why are his eyes twinkling like that?’
Whatever it was, after finishing the pre-event inspection of the hall, Kang Woojin and Director Kyotaro parted ways. Still feeling puzzled, Woojin reunited with Choi Sung-gun in the lobby, who had been waiting for him. What was interesting was the tablet in Sung-gun’s hands.
“Done?”
“Yes.”
Choi Sung-gun nodded as he moved toward the elevator, holding the tablet. Then he said,
“Did you agree to receive a house as a gift from Miley Cara? In LA.”
A house? What house? Woojin, hearing this for the first time, silently shook his head.
“No.”
“Then why- no, anyway, Cara sent a list of houses in LA to the company. Take a look at it first.”
Filled with questions inside but pretending to be calm, Woojin checked the tablet’s screen. At the same time, he let out a scream. Of course, only inwardly.
“……”
It was only natural. The first house on the list,
‘This is insane!! Wow- what the hell!! It even has a swimming pool? Is this even a house??’
It looked more like a mansion, complete with a swimming pool.
****
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