It was tempting. The conclusion that Kim So-hyang, the Executive Director of Netflix Korea, reached at the sudden proposal thrown out by PD Song Man-woo. Although it felt a bit abrupt, it made sense. Rather than launching the 12-episode ‘Beneficial Evil’ in two halves, the key point was cutting down the long period required for the launch.
‘It’s not bad. No, it might actually be a good idea.’
The content market these days is a battleground. Public broadcasting stations, cable, general programming channels, and even platforms like YouTube and the various OTT services flooding the scene. There were plenty of platforms available for the public to use, and the products being displayed were in oversupply.
Therefore, in order to survive, the quality of the content was important, but timing was also crucial.
Right now, PD Song Man-woo was deciding on that timing.
The 12-episode ‘Beneficial Evil’ would be split into two parts: episodes 1 to 6 and episodes 7 to 12, with a gap between their releases. In short, it would be launched in two parts. First, the filming and editing of episodes 1 to 6 would be rushed to launch them as soon as possible, while the filming and editing of episodes 7 to 12 would be carried out during that gap. It was a strategy, after all. Usually, episodes are released one by one, or three a week, or even all at once.
Since content is pouring out from everywhere, they had to do whatever it took to stand out.
Thus, dividing a part into two wasn’t strange at all. Here, the plump Executive Director Kim So-hyang, suddenly had a question. She directly asked PD Song Man-woo.
“PD-nim, it’s an tempting idea, but is there a specific reason you came up with this plan so suddenly?”
Song Man-woo PD, a veteran with several hits under his belt, including the recent ‘Hanryang’, and decades of experience, already had it all calculated.
“To be frank, it’s because of our protagonist.”
“The protagonist? Ah- Kang Woojin-ssi?”
“Yes. Of course, we could go ahead as originally planned and launch after finishing all 12 episodes. Even by then, Woojin-ssi will undoubtedly be dropping a bomb somewhere, whether domestically or internationally. But.”
“But?”
“Every project has a timing to attach a booster. In my view, the timing for ‘Beneficial Evil’ should be as soon as possible.”
PD Song Man-woo, slightly more serious now, extended his five fingers and folded them one by one.
“Woojin-ssi’s ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, the album collaboration with Miley Cara, and now the Cannes Film Festival. And curiously, Hollywood figures are getting involved too.”
“Come to think of it, Hollywood people showed up in Bangkok this time too, didn’t they? I don’t know if it was because of Cara, but they must have seen Woojin-ssi’s acting.”
“I see Woojin-ssi extending his reach to Hollywood by the end of this year or early next year. Well, even if Woojin-ssi doesn’t actively try, the invitation to Cannes already answers that. Plus, all the major Hollywood monsters will be watching ‘Leech’, and there’s no way they’ll just leave Kang Woojin alone, right?”
The plane shook slightly, and Kim So-hyang and Writer Choi Na-na gave a brief nod of agreement. PD Song Man-woo spoke again.
“Whether it explodes through Cannes or something else, Woojin-ssi’s value will skyrocket both in Hollywood and abroad. If ‘Beneficial Evil’ launches then? Naturally, global attention will be much greater than usual.”
In that moment, Executive Director Kim So-hyang and Writer Choi Na-na let their imaginations run wild. Kang Woojin, who was already making waves internationally, casually dropping a global bomb, and when interest surges, ‘Beneficial Evil’ is launched worldwide through Netflix.
“It’s a no-brainer. We’ve got ‘her’ on our side too.”
Miley Cara was a bonus.
PD Song Man-woo lowered his voice.
“But the schedule for all 12 episodes of ‘Beneficial Evil’ is too late.”
“So we cut it in half.”
“Is it difficult?”
Kim So-hyang shook her head.
“No. The content and characters of each episode of ‘Beneficial Evil’ are so distinct that even if we split it into two parts of six episodes each, it won’t be an issue. The overall story is connected anyway, so it won’t feel like it’s being interrupted.”
She turned her head toward Writer Choi Na-na, who was sitting next to her.
“What do you think, Writer-nim?”
It was a situation where some monumental decisions were being made. Writer Choi Na-na, startled, answered with a flinch.
“Huh?? Ah! Yes! I-I’m fine with it as long as both of you are okay!”
Executive Director Kim So-hyang, who smiled and gave a thumbs-up, then said,
“I’m in too. Even if we don’t succeed, I think it’s something we have to go for.”
She became slightly more serious and picked up her phone, as if checking something.
“Hmm- of course, it’s not like we can just decide and make it happen right away. As you know, since this is a Netflix original and a global launch, we’ll have to negotiate with several parties, starting with Netflix headquarters, but…”
“But?”
“It’s doable. Leave that part to me. It’ll increase the workload, but that’s nothing.”
Then, Kim So-hyang turned her gaze back to PD Song Man-woo.
“Originally, ‘Beneficial Evil’ was supposed to launch around mid to late next year- PD-nim, if we’re going to split it into two parts of six episodes each, when do you think the launch would be?”
As if he already knew the answer, PD Song Man-woo replied,
“If I shoot like I’m grinding my bones, and edit during whatever spare time I have, speeding things up more than usual.”
He answered right away.
“The earliest would be the end of this year, and at the latest, the beginning of next year. Up to the editing of episodes 1-6.”
Back to Cannes, France. Around lunchtime.
Kang Woojin, who had arrived in Cannes, which was packed with hundreds of thousands of tourists, had just reached his hotel. The hotel was a five-star establishment near the Palais des Festivals, where the Cannes Film Festival would be held, complete with a swimming pool and a large park-like terrace. Naturally, the hotel, which was predominantly white inside, was bustling with people.
“$@%@*(*%&*@”
“*)@*(@&%(*@%&*@”
Especially in the wide lobby, it was lively. A mix of languages from various countries could be heard, and the gathered crowd was diverse in ethnicities.
Everyone here had been officially invited to the Cannes Film Festival.
From Hollywood to prominent filmmakers from all over the world. Naturally, other hotels were the same. All of them had faces that were either excited or nervous. And for good reason. There were only six hours left until the Cannes Film Festival began.
It was already past 1 PM, and the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival would begin exactly at 7 PM.
From that moment, many famous figures would walk the red carpet laid out in front of the Palais des Festivals. By now, the nearly 5,000 reporters who had been officially invited were likely already taking their places around the red carpet.
“When I saw it earlier, there were a ton of reporters around the Palais des Festivals.”
“Of course. They said Cannes invited more than twice as many people as last year.”
Naturally, reporters who weren’t officially invited, as well as broadcasting stations from various countries, would also be present outside the red carpet.
There were likely close to 10,000 reporters alone.
The commonality among everyone here, from guests to reporters, was that they were all dressed in the same attire for the Cannes Film Festival. Men in black tuxedos, women in dresses. This applied to reporters as well, and the unified attire further emphasized the grandeur of the Cannes Film Festival.
At this point, Kang Woojin as well,
“Oppa!! Woojin oppa!! The tuxedo has arrived!!”
“Ah- 6 hours left! Oppa! As soon as you put on the tuxedo, we’ll start your hair right away!!”
was busy preparing for the Cannes Film Festival. The setting was his room. In the medium-sized room, not only Kang Woojin but also his styling team, led by Han Ye-jung, were bustling around. Woojin, of course, had to walk the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival.
“Ah, oppa totally has to crush the red carpet today!!”
“It’s possible to crush even Hollywood stars! When I saw the actors in the lobby, their faces weren’t even all that great!”
“Didn’t you jump up and down earlier saying how amazing it was when you went downstairs?”
“Eek! Sunbae-nim, Ye-jung sunbae! That’s a secret!”
Everyone was in a frenzy. Choi Sung-gun, who was sitting on one side of the room, was also busy on the phone. However, Kang Woojin, who had just received his tuxedo, remained calm.
“Well, I’ll go change and be right back.”
Or at least, he pretended to be calm. It was a front. The moment Woojin stepped into the wardrobe/fitting area,
-Clunk
As soon as the door closed, he ran his fingers through his black hair and let out a small breath. A surge of intense tension escaped from his mouth.
‘…This is crazy. Calm down, heart, you stupid heart.’
Because he was genuinely nervous. It had started the moment he arrived at Nice Airport. Then, when he saw the Palais des Festivals where the Cannes Film Festival would be held, followed by the massive crowd of hundreds of thousands in Cannes. The final blow was when he entered this hotel. Clearly, there were actors he had only seen in Hollywood movies and foreigners who exuded a grand presence.
This was not a domestic event, but a global festival.
Who wouldn’t be nervous in such a situation?
Especially Kang Woojin, who was just in his second year. Though his rise had been incredibly fast, and his adaptability quick, no matter how much he looked around, this place- Cannes, France, didn’t feel real. Walking among hundreds of thousands here was on a completely different level compared to the Blue Dragon Film Awards.
But what could he do?
‘Ah- screw it, whatever. It’s all about the spirit! It’s not like I’m going to die or anything.’
Whether it was a dream or another world, the answer was no turning back. Kang Woojin slowly took a deep breath to cool his racing heart. He started putting on the tuxedo piece by piece. Then, as the appropriately dressed Woojin came out, the waiting stylists rushed in. Their skills were essential for adjusting the bowtie and perfecting the fit of the tuxedo.
In the midst of all this, Han Ye-jung, standing in front of Woojin, asked,
“Oppa, aren’t you nervous?”
Ah, I feel like I’m going to die? But Kang Woojin, maintaining his calm and indifferent demeanor, lowered his voice as much as possible.
“Not really.”
“Honestly, I thought you’d show some cracks here in Cannes. I mean, it is Cannes, after all. But I was wrong. You’d probably be the same even if you went to space, huh?”
No, no, space is a bit much, isn’t it? Actually, wait- is it? If there’s a void space, there’s no reason I couldn’t go to space or even a black hole.
‘Ah- now that I think about it, it’s probably all that experience in the void space that’s making it easier to stay calm at a time like this.’
As the stylists began working on Woojin’s hair and makeup, Choi Sung-gun, who had been sitting in a corner of the room, finished his call and stood up. He was holding a tablet and showed it to Woojin.
“These are the jury members for this year’s Cannes Film Festival.”
The tablet displayed the names of 10 foreigners. They were all prominent figures in the film industries of their respective countries. These judges would watch the 20 films in the ‘In Competition’ section and select the ones to be awarded.
“They’ve already gone to take selfies in front of the Palais des Festivals and caused quite a scene. There’s been a lot of interviews too, and ‘Leech’ was mentioned a lot. Hold on.”
He took out his phone and read off his notes.
“‘’Leech’ is highly anticipated. It’s the only Korean film, and Director Ahn Ga-bok is an outstanding director’, and so on. It could just be lip service, but still, the jury’s response seems positive.”
Choi Sung-gun then swiped the screen to the next item.
“Next up is the screening schedule for the ‘In Competition’ section at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.”
This was, in a way, the crux of the matter.
“The official screening starts tomorrow, October 1st.”
All films invited to the Cannes Film Festival are screened at various theaters across the city of Cannes. Among them, the 20 films in the main ‘In Competition’ section would be screened exclusively at the Lumière Theater, the largest venue inside the Palais des Festivals. The theater could hold nearly 3,000 seats.
The screening schedule was simple.
The 20 films were divided across ten days, with two films screened each day. There were two time slots- morning and afternoon.
So, on October 1st, two films would be shown, followed by another two on the 2nd, and so on. The attendees of the festival could choose which films to watch. However, the official jury members were required to watch all the films. Over the ten days of the Cannes Film Festival, all 20 films would be screened, and on the final day, the 10 jury members would make their final decisions.
That would lead to the awards at the closing ceremony.
In any case, Choi Sung-gun tapped the tablet with his index finger.
“’Leech’ will be on the second day, October 2nd. The screenings are at 9 AM and 7 PM.”
At that moment,
-Bzzzz, Bzzz.
Kang Woojin’s phone, which had been left on the table, began to ring. Choi Sung-gun, lowering the tablet, picked up the phone and handed it to Woojin. The caller was none other than a superstar currently in Cannes.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Miley Cara.”
Woojin answered and brought the phone to his ear.
“Yes, it’s me.”
From the other side, Miley Cara’s voice, tinged with laughter, came through the phone.
“Where are you right now?”
A few hours later.
In front of the massive venue, the ‘Palais des Festivals’.
The front of the place, where the grand opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival was about to take place, was practically on the verge of exploding. Hundreds of journalists and Cannes officials gathered at the entrance, along with a long, wide red carpet. Thousands of reporters and broadcast teams were crowded on either side, and covering them were tens of thousands of tourists, easily surpassing that number.
It was 7:10 PM, and the red carpet procession had already begun.
“Hey!! Natalie!! Natalie!!!”
“Natalie!!!”
“Over here!! Please look this way!!”
“Wave your hand!! Please just wave your hand!!!”
Even the sight of the thousands of journalists dressed in tuxedos was spectacular. Their shouts were relentless. The camera shutters kept flashing without pause.
-Pabababababapak!
The flashes went off so rapidly it felt more like daytime than evening. Tripods were standard, and many journalists were even standing on small ladders. From small cranes to broadcasting teams filming with drones, it was a sea of people. With the screams and cheers of tourists added, it made one’s ears sting.
Was this the World Cup? It certainly felt like it.
On the other hand, the prominent directors, actors, and famous figures from around the world strolling down the red carpet showed no signs of nervousness.
“Swinton!!! Swinton!”
“Eric!!! Hey! Eric!! Give us a wave!!”
“Annie~!! Annie!!!”
They waved at the reporters or even chatted with them, displaying a relaxed demeanor. Their experience was clearly evident. And whenever a Hollywood superstar appeared, the frenzy here exploded to another level.
After about 10 minutes had passed,
The time was approaching 7:30 PM, and it was around when dozens of major stars had passed through the red carpet.
-Screech!
Of the many vans and limousines stopping in turn, a white limousine had just come to a halt at the far end of the red carpet. The area was packed with journalists, all dressed in tuxedos, representing diverse ethnicities.
-Pabababababapak!
-Pabababababapak!
Even before anyone had stepped out of the white limousine, the reporters went crazy with their flashes.
And then.
-Click.
A well-built guard opened the back door of the limousine. Out stepped a blonde woman in a black-toned dress that accentuated her chest and with exposed back stepped out. As soon as the hundreds of nearby reporters saw her, they practically foamed at the mouth, shouting her name.
“It’s Miley!!!”
“Oh!! It’s Miley Cara!!”
“Miley!! Miley!! Over here, this way!”
“Hey, hey!! Miley!!”
It was global superstar Miley Cara, so it was only natural. She gave her signature light smile and waved at the reporters. They pressed their shutters as if possessed.
That’s when it happened.
-Swoosh.
Behind Miley Cara, another figure stepped out of the white limousine. A man with sleek, slicked-back black hair, wearing a perfectly fitted black tuxedo with a bow tie. His face was calm and indifferent. As soon as he stepped out, he coolly surveyed the frenzied surroundings.
“……”
The hundreds of reporters tilted their heads, puzzled. Who is he? They didn’t recognize him, but they took photos anyway, frantically pressing the shutter buttons. The flashes were blinding. Soon after, Miley Cara naturally hooked her arm through the man’s. Then, she whispered softly.
“Woojin, it’s your first time at Cannes, but your expression looks like you’ve been here ten times?”
It was the moment a monster appeared at Cannes.