Translator: Dreamscribe
The fastest reaction to PD Song Man-woo’s words came from writer Choi Na-na.
“What?!”
She widened her eyes in surprise. Of course, Executive Director Kim So-hyang and the Netflix staff reacted the same.
“R-really?”
“We can watch it right now??”
“Wow- I didn’t even think about this.”
PD Song Man-woo, with a playful chuckle, responded jokingly.
“Yes, why? Don’t want to? Then never mind.”
Writer Choi Na-na, startled, jumped in first.
“No, no!! I want to see it!”
In the end, everyone agreed. It was understandable. Writer Choi Na-na had the chance to see a part of her script come to life, and Netflix Korea had the opportunity to preview a segment of their high-stakes project, ‘Beneficial Evil’. Soon, everyone gathered in a large editing room inside DM Production under PD Song Man-woo’s guidance.
The editing room, dimly lit and equipped with numerous monitors and devices, had several editors seated.
-Swish.
PD Song Man-woo sat in the central chair.
Writer Choi Na-na, Executive Director Kim So-hyang, and over a dozen others stood behind him. The editing room was spacious enough to accommodate everyone standing. Shortly, as PD Song Man-woo operated the editing equipment,
-Swish.
He pointed to the largest of the monitors on the front wall.
“It’ll play on this screen.”
Following his hand, everyone’s eyes turned to the monitor. As PD Song Man-woo manipulated the controls a few more times, a video began playing on the screen.
To be precise, Kang Woojin, in the role of Beneficial Evil’s ‘Jang Yeon-woo’, appeared.
Inside a shabby building, he was bound with cable ties.
Specifically, what PD Song Man-woo had just played was the 10-minute long-take scene filmed in Bangkok, a key sequence in the early part of ‘Beneficial Evil’ that aimed to captivate global audiences.
And then.
-[“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!”]
As soon as Kang Woojin in the monitor began to move in earnest,
“Wow……”
“Whoa-”
“…This is insane.”
“Huh-”
Writer Choi Na-na, Executive Director Kim So-hyang, and everyone else watching the preview involuntarily let out exclamations. Nobody could take their eyes off the monitor, utterly captivated.
It was natural.
“This, this feels completely different…from when we saw it on set.”
The video they were watching now was unbelievably spectacular. The vivid result, full of dynamic and dazzling visuals, was worlds apart from what they had seen during the Bangkok shoot. At the core of it all, of course, was.
“Seriously……Woojin-nim is insanely cool.”
Kang Woojin in the role of ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ was the centerpiece. His action sequences, his CQC (close-quarters combat), and his acting filled the screen and mesmerized everyone. Combined with PD Song Man-woo’s painstaking direction, the result left everyone in awe.
At this moment, the head of Netflix Korea.
“What is this-”
Executive Director Kim So-hyang, who had reviewed countless domestic and international content, murmured involuntarily.
“This turned out several times better in quality than I expected.”
She seemed utterly entranced.
January 10th, LA.
Hollywood, like Korea, was fully immersed in the New Year’s atmosphere. News about movies set to be released or recently confirmed for production was frequently heard. However, two works currently dominated Hollywood’s attention and were frequently covered by foreign media.
‘Pierrot’ by ‘Columbia Studios’ and ‘Beast and the Beauty’ by ‘World Disney Pictures’.
As expected from the so-called ‘Big Five’ mega film studios in Hollywood, both studios were pouring their resources into their projects after announcing their productions. Recently, ‘Pierrot’, which had announced its official audition and screen test schedule, was gaining traction.
『LA Times / Columbia Studios’ ‘Pierrot’: Behind-the-scenes photos from pre-production revealed!』
『CNM / Plot details for ‘Pierrot’ still undisclosed, but renowned director Ahn Gam-bok confirmed along with a powerful production team.』
『BBX / Upcoming open audition for ‘Pierrot’! Among the candidates, the sole Korean actor Kang Woojin draws Hollywood’s attention.』
They had launched their initial marketing campaign in earnest, continuously announcing details about actors, sets, and pre-production progress. This only intensified curiosity about the movie ‘Pierrot’.
The title, director, and candidate actors had been disclosed, but nothing about the plot was revealed.
However, around this time, ‘Columbia Studios’ revealed something other than the movie’s content. It was through their official SNS.
-[……This ‘Pierrot’ will be the starting point of a large-scale project planned by ‘Columbia Studios’.]
They dropped a teaser. While the specifics of the project were unknown, it was clear that ‘Pierrot’ would serve as its starting point.
On the other hand, unlike ‘Pierrot’, ‘Beast and the Beauty’ was relatively quiet. After confirming its live-action adaptation, there was no further news.
But this only fueled the fire of foreign media and public opinion.
『NT / Following the confirmation of Beast and the Beauty’s live-action adaptation, ‘World Disney Pictures’ remains silent. Which actors will take on these beloved characters loved worldwide?』
『ABY / From SNS to online communities, and even internet broadcasts, fantasy casting boards for ‘Beast and the Beauty’ are everywhere! Which ones seem the most realistic?』
The frenzy wasn’t limited to the U.S.- global audiences, including Korea, were in an uproar. Discussions about ‘Beast and the Beauty’ were endless on SNS and online communities, often in various languages. Amid the waves of excitement and concern, the main focus was on which actors would be cast.
The same was true in Korea.
-Beast and the Beauty is my favorite Disney film… I really hope they make it well….
-Foreign communities are exploding with Beast and the Beauty fantasy casting boards ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ But to be fair, some are pretty spot on
-I don’t care about anything else, but Disney, you better not ruin my Belle okay? I’m serious. You hear me?
-Looking at the fantasy casting boards, most of the suggestions are actors with musical talent ㅋㅋㅋ Personally, I vote for Miley Cara.
-Riley’s name is being mentioned a lot too, for the role of Belle.
-Yep, some international singers are rumored to be possibilities.
-Disney!! You botched the last live-action adaptation, so you better nail this one, okay?? I’m trusting you?????
-↑Do you actually trust Disney? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-To be honest, I think any actor can handle the Beast, but Belle needs to be a perfect match
-They can’t just cast anyone for the Beastㅋㅋㅋ He needs to be super handsome.
-In the early parts, sure, the Beast can rely on CGI or heavy makeup, but by the end, when he transforms back into a prince, he has to be stunning.
-And doesn’t the Beast need to be great at piano and vocals too?
-Piano, vocals, acting, and roaring is all that’s needed
.
.
.
.
Two days passed like that.
Wednesday, January 12th.
The location was one of the stages inside ‘Columbia Studios’ in LA. The studio’s massive complex, resembling a small city, housed over 20 stages that were no less than giant film sets. Among them, Stage 7 was bustling with a familiar film crew.
There were at least 30 foreigners, and amidst them stood an elderly Korean man.
It was Director Ahn Ga-bok.
‘Pierrot’ had officially entered its pre-production phase, and Director Ahn Ga-bok was inspecting the set with the key staff members involved in filming. Walking around the set and discussing various aspects with several foreign key staff, Director Ahn Ga-bok appeared different in spirit. The determination on his wrinkled face said it all.
This included the process of changing ‘Pierrot’ to ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’.
Even in its early stages, it hadn’t been a light project, but hearing about Columbia Studios’ grand-scale plans made it feel even heavier. Perhaps that was why executives and officials from ‘Columbia Studios’ frequently visited the stage site. However, Director Ahn Ga-bok didn’t pay much attention to them.
He simply focused on the task at hand.
The conversation he was having with the key staff was undoubtedly about set construction. After all, he was holding the script for ‘Pierrot’ in his hands. For now, they had to distinguish between set-based and location-based (outdoor) filming before the official shooting storyboard was completed. While ‘Pierrot’ had a lot of set-based scenes according to the script, there were also outdoor shoots. The first step was dividing these properly.
At that moment.
“Director-nim!”
A man of Asian descent approached quickly from afar. He was the assistant director of the Korean team brought by Director Ahn Ga-bok. The foreign key staff of ‘Pierrot’ turned to look at the assistant director, and Director Ahn Ga-bok, frowning slightly, turned his head.
“What’s with the fuss?”
The assistant director hurriedly moved closer to Ahn Ga-bok, who was surrounded by the foreign staff. Drawing all their attention, he spoke in Korean to Ahn Ga-bok.
“D-Director-nim. Have you seen the post ‘World Disney Pictures’ just uploaded on their official SNS?”
“World Disney Pictures? No. Why suddenly them?”
The assistant director, wide-eyed, showed his phone as he answered.
“They announced the confirmed candidates for Beast and the Beauty and for the ‘Beast’ role……”
“What about the ‘Beast’ role?”
Director Ahn, sounding slightly annoyed, grabbed the assistant director’s phone. Displayed on the screen was the official SNS of ‘World Disney Pictures’, and as Director Ahn Ga-bok read the freshly uploaded post, his mouth fell slightly open.
“Huh?”
Right afterward, the foreign key staff of ‘Pierrot’ also gathered around Director Ahn and.
“???”
When they saw something on the phone, question marks seemed to appear in their eyes.
Meanwhile, in Korea.
Unlike LA, where it was afternoon, it was morning in Korea. Nevertheless, an enormous crowd had gathered at a large department store in Seoul. While this department store typically saw a decent number of visitors, the current scene was on another level, enough to make anyone’s eyes go wide.
At a glance, there were easily over several hundred people.
The location was the first-floor lobby of the department store. On one side of the expansive lobby, an event section had been set up. Four lines of people stretched from the event area, filling the lobby and extending all the way to the entrance. Naturally, the line continued outside the department store.
As a result.
“#%*&%(*#&%*(%!”
“&*%(#%&#**!*!”
“&())$#%##%!#()*(%!_”
Incomprehensible shouts and screams filled the department store. Curious about the commotion, numerous people leaned over the railings of the second and upper floors, taking pictures of the first-floor scene with their phones.
“This is insane, what’s with his looks? The camera doesn’t do him justice at all!”
“Right? Seriously his physique is good too!”
“Ah- I should’ve lined up earlier!”
The crowd of hundreds filling the department store was all focused on one spot, where an actor with a intense poker face sat, dressed sharply in a gray double coat. Among the crowd, his name was constantly shouted amidst the screams.
“Oppa!! Woojin oppa!!”
“Kyaaa! Kang Woojin!! Look this way, please!!”
“Just one wave! Oppa!!”
It was Kang Woojin.
Today, Woojin was holding a casual fan signing event at the department store. As a result, countless fans, having heard the news, flocked to the venue even in the early morning. Among them were members of Woojin’s official domestic fan club ‘Kang’s Heart’, members of the Japanese fan club ‘KWJ Aishiteru’, and fans who simply liked Woojin.
And, of course, there were also people who just happened to visit the department store.
Amidst the sea of hundreds of fans, Woojin sat calmly.
“Oppa! I’ll be rooting for you in ‘Pierrot’! You have to get the role!”
“Thank you, I’ll do my best. What’s your name?”
“I’m Ara! Jo Ara!”
“Thank you for coming.”
“No, no! Of course I had to come!”
He was in the middle of signing and greeting each fan one by one. While maintaining his signature stoic persona, his tone when speaking to fans was a bit softer than usual. After finishing a signature, Kang Woojin glanced at the hundreds of fans still waiting in line.
‘Phew- can this even be done in half a day? Feels like I’ll need to extend the time.’
Even signing like crazy, there was no sign of the fans decreasing. His fingers were starting to hurt. Still, he couldn’t show any weakness. Just like during filming, Kang Woojin’s persona becomes even more intense when fans gather like this. Soon, as Woojin was about to signal to the next fan with renewed determination.
“……Huh?”
“Is it true?……No way.”
“For real? No way……”
“Holy……”
The hundreds of fans suddenly began murmuring among themselves. Their demeanor was completely different from just moments ago, when they had been calling out to him in excitement. Woojin, puzzled, wondered silently.
‘What’s this about? All of a sudden?’
The atmosphere grew thick with an overwhelming sense of mystery. At this point, the hundreds of fans gathered in the department store were all staring intently at Kang Woojin. Their gazes were filled with shock.
Sensing that something unusual was happening, Kang Woojin instinctively became alert.
And then it happened.
“……Oppa?”
A familiar female voice came from his right. When Woojin turned, it was ‘BloodSister’, the representative of the official fan cafe ‘Kang’s Heart’. No, it was his younger sister, Kang Hyun-ah. She was standing there, holding her phone in one hand and pointing at it with her index finger, her face drained of all expression, as she asked Kang Woojin in disbelief.
“Oppa, are you… a candidate actor for the role of the ‘Beast’ in ‘Beast and the Beauty’??”