Translator: Dreamscribe
‘BloodSister’. No, Kang Hyun-ah, Kang Woojin’s younger sister, was flustered, and Woojin secretly smiled a mischievous smile.
‘Oh, she’s totally stunned – ah, I really want to tease her.’
Teasing her when she had that kind of expression was the best. If it were the original Kang Woojin, he would’ve joked something like, ‘Are you okay? Your face looks ugly.’
‘Or I’d want to tell her not to randomly make faces in public – man, that would be super fun.’
Then Kang Hyun-ah would probably throw a fit. However, while reminiscing about those fun past moments of striking banter, Woojin had to hold back. Since there were hundreds of fans gathered, he needed to maintain his dignity. It was moments like this when his concept felt a bit regrettable. Regardless, Woojin lowered his voice and spoke to his dazed little sister.
“What are you suddenly talking about?”
He pretended not to know for now. Kang Hyun-ah, her eyes growing even wider, extended her phone toward him.
“This, this article just came out??”
Her phone displayed an article that had seemingly just been published.
『[StarTalk] Kang Woojin included among candidates for ‘Beast’ role in World Disney Pictures’ ‘Beast and the Beauty’ live-action adaptation』
Woojin’s expression didn’t change as he read the article. From the moment Kang Hyun-ah asked if he was a candidate for the role of ‘Beast,’ he had already suspected as much. It was likely that ‘World Disney Pictures’ had announced the lineup of candidate actors for the role.
‘But this is kind of unexpected again.’
The feeling was similar to when he was cast for ‘Pierrot’. However, given that the original work of ‘Beast and the Beauty’ was beloved worldwide, the impact of this announcement would undoubtedly be on a completely different scale compared to ‘Pierrot’. Woojin himself thought as much.
‘Even if it were me, I’d be surprised if there was a Korean actor among the candidates for the ‘Beast’ role.’
Although Woojin wasn’t overly concerned about the other actors who were confirmed as candidates, he could already predict without even seeing them. It would undoubtedly be Hollywood’s top actors lining up. After a brief moment of being lost in thought, Woojin lifted his gaze again, from the phone to his dazed little sister, Kang Hyun-ah. Then, as if it was no big deal, he answered.
“Yes, it’s true. What the article says.”
His response was so calm and low-toned that Kang Hyun-ah seemed to naturally accept it at first.
“Ah- really? I thought oppa was really a candidate actor… Huh?!! You, you mean it’s true?!!!”
She let out a shriek. Her cry echoed throughout the entire department store lobby. Thanks to her, the murmuring of the hundreds of fans present grew several times louder. However, Woojin, unfazed, simply nodded.
“Yes, it’s true.”
“……”
Kang Hyun-ah, her eyes and mouth opening wide in shock, froze momentarily before barely managing to speak.
“……What.”
At this point, the autograph session at the department store, with hundreds of fans gathered, turned into complete chaos.
“%&&#^^@*!*!!”
“Woojin-oppa!*&#%*(#(*%*(#”
“Ahhh!!$*#%*#(%@)(”
The murmuring escalated into bizarre screams that resonated loudly. All the fans, hundreds of them, began jumping up and down while holding up their phones, taking frenzied pictures of Woojin, who was on the platform. The excitement and frenzy filled the atmosphere. The autograph session devolved into pandemonium. Meanwhile, Woojin remained seated in his chair, maintaining his cool demeanor.
But inwardly, he was slightly scared.
‘This, this- they’re not going to suddenly rush at me, are they?’
The fans’ reactions were so intense that it was natural for him to flinch a bit. Even though dozens of guards were struggling to hold them back, it felt like it was only a matter of time before something happened.
Around this time.
“Woojin.”
From behind, Choi Sung-gun, with his signature ponytail, who had been talking with the staff, approached Kang Woojin. He whispered quietly.
“Let’s wrap this up for now. I’ve already spoken to them. We’ll reschedule the autograph session for later and leave now.”
“Yes, CEO-nim.”
Woojin put down the fan’s item he was holding and stood up from his seat. At his movement, the hundreds of fans in front of him, as well as the crowd clinging to the upper-level railings, began shouting even more fervently. Kang Woojin started stepping off the platform but suddenly stopped. Then he turned his body directly toward the frenzied crowd of hundreds of fans and gestured with his hand. A signal for them to quiet down for a moment.
In a significantly quieter atmosphere, Woojin opened his mouth.
“You’ve probably seen the articles or heard the news by now. ‘Pierrot’ and ‘Beast and the Beauty’. For both projects, it’s true that I’ve been selected as a candidate actor.”
He continued speaking calmly.
“Not just as a candidate. I’ll make sure you can see an article confirming me cast as a lead actor.”
Soon, ear-piercing screams filled the department store completely.
Later.
Around the midpoint of the new year, amidst various issues stirring up noise in Korea, Kang Woojin unleashed another tsunami. No, to be precise, it was Hollywood’s ‘World Disney Pictures’ that caused it. Without any warning, literally out of the blue, ‘World Disney Pictures’ announced the primary candidates for the major roles in the live-action adaptation of ‘Beast and the Beauty’.
Woojin was hearing about it from inside the van.
“Thank you for your tremendous interest in the live-action adaptation of ‘Beast and the Beauty.’”
The one briefing the situation was Choi Sung-gun, sitting in the passenger seat. While Woojin maintained his poker face, his ears were perked up. Of course, the same applied to the rest of the team.
“We’re aware that fantasy castings for ‘Beast and the Beauty’ have been circulating across SNS and communities. We view this as a sign of deep affection as well. In light of this, we’re officially announcing the candidates for the major characters. First, the role of Beauty ‘Belle’.”
Choi Sung-gun began listing names, which belonged to top-tier actresses even in Hollywood. Each time a name was called, the team members exclaimed in awe. They were such famous actors that even this reaction was expected. While Woojin’s response was more lukewarm compared to the team, he still reacted.
‘Ah- who was that actress just mentioned? I feel like I’ve heard her name a lot.’
It was similar to Chris Hartnett. He knew they were famous, but he couldn’t immediately recall who they were, which was frustrating. Then, a familiar name came out of Choi Sung-gun’s mouth.
“Miley Cara.”
Oh? Miley Cara too? That was unexpected. Of course, Woojin had also seen the fantasy casting boards floating around online. He was aware that Miley Cara was frequently mentioned. But for it to turn out to be true? He hadn’t heard anything directly from her.
‘Coincidence? Well, I guess it is.’ (TL: Coincidence? I THINK NOT!)
Some of the stylists chimed in.
“Woojin-oppa and Miley Cara must really be connected in some way!”
“Right? ‘Beast and the Beauty’ must’ve just overlapped by coincidence. Isn’t that true, oppa? You didn’t hear anything, right?”
“Yeah, I didn’t hear anything.”
“But Miley Cara is seriously perfect for Beauty ‘Belle’.”
Kang Woojin agreed with them. At this point, Choi Sung-gun began listing the candidates for the role of the ‘Beast’. As expected, the names of top-tier Hollywood actors were called, including even a massively popular pop singer. Finally, at the end.
“And- Kang Woojin.”
The team members screamed in awe. Amidst their emotional outcry, Choi Sung-gun spoke again.
“Wow- the comments on this post are absolutely exploding.”
Curious, everyone pulled out their phones. Woojin did the same. What Choi Sung-gun said was true. The SNS post uploaded by ‘World Disney Pictures’ was already inundated with an overwhelming number of comments. The activity was ongoing, and the comments were in a variety of languages.
‘What the-? This is insane, seriously?’
There were tens of thousands of comments and counting. Woojin skimmed through some of them. It was, for lack of a better term, a mess. Predictably, there were far more criticisms visible for now. But this was something Woojin had anticipated, so he wasn’t too concerned. However, Choi Sung-gun and the team members’ expressions were darker.
“……Though we were prepared- this is harsh?”
Woojin shifted his focus to searching. First, he accessed Korea’s top search engine. As soon as the page loaded, his face was plastered across the front page of the news section.
『Kang Woojin made it as candidate actor for confirmed live-action ‘Beast and the Beauty’!』
Below that, the listed articles all prominently featured Kang Woojin’s name.
『‘World Disney Pictures’ announces ‘Beast and the Beauty’ candidate actors. Among a lineup of global stars, Kang Woojin?』
『[Issue Talk] Kang Woojin once again shakes up the nation, suddenly revealed to join the iconic ‘Beast and the Beauty’ project by ‘World Disney Pictures’!』
.
.
.
Even at this very moment, articles were being churned out endlessly. It was an explosively provocative piece of news. Kang Woojin, who had already displayed crazy levels of issue-making power with projects like ‘Pierrot,’ was now tied to the recently trending live-action adaptation of ‘Beast and the Beauty’. Who could have possibly expected Kang Woojin’s name to be associated with that iconic work, cherished in everyone’s memories?
Subsequently, the media and various domestic outlets began covering this issue exclusively.
『From ‘Pierrot’ to ‘Beast and the Beauty’? What happened during Kang Woojin’s recent trip to LA?』
Articles, news, radio broadcasts, Woojin’s name was mentioned nonstop all day long. From the end of last year to the new year, every step Kang Woojin took had been a first in history, so it was only natural. Moreover, this time, the scale was enormous. Even people who didn’t have much interest in Kang Woojin were left wide-eyed.
“What? Kang Woojin is a candidate for the ‘Beast’ role? No way, seriously?”
“Yeah, the articles are out, and it’s a huge deal!”
“Wow- this is such a twist! Crazy, it’s kind of unexpected, but I’m super surprised!”
“Exactly!”
“So what does this mean? If Kang Woojin passes the audition, he’ll play the ‘Beast’ role? Amazing, that’s kind of giving me chills??”
The momentum didn’t slow down the next day. From the morning news, Kang Woojin was introduced, and the number of articles had multiplied several times compared to the day before. On top of that, YouTube also caught the scent of this scoop, and the platform was flooded with videos about Kang Woojin.
SNS and online communities were already at maximum capacity.
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋThis is insaneㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-WHATㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋKang Woojin is really crazyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋThis genuinely shocked meㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Goosebumps… Isn’t this literally historic?? A Korean actor being a candidate for two major Hollywood studio projects??
-Am I the only one freaking out that Kang Woojin’s name is listed among top-tier Hollywood actors?
-Why’s everyone praising him? Honestly, I’m kind of baffledㅋㅋㅋTo be honest, Kang Woojin doesn’t seem to fit the ‘Beast’ role.
-↑Agreed. Right now, Disney is getting bashed like crazy overseas because of thisㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-What nonsense? The role hasn’t even been confirmed yet; he’s just a candidate.
Naturally, there was intense polarization in opinions.
-Disney… If he gets the role, his recognition will skyrocket, but the backlash will probably be just as intense… A hot potato for sure…
-No!! Everyone!! Why are you criticizing when a Korean actor is making an impact in Hollywood!! We should support!!
-Haters will always hate without rhyme or reasonㅋㅋㅋNo need to overthink it Kang Woojin just needs to crush them with his talent.
-But honestly, this is kind of chillingㅋㅋㅋIf Kang Woojin lands both ‘Pierrot’ and ‘Beast and the Beauty’, I can’t even imagine what that would look like.
-Kang Woojin’s sync rate is pretty good though? Even better if it’s with Cara? Good vocals, amazing acting, it’s perfect right?
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This atmosphere persisted for several days. The blazing fire of interest showed no signs of dying down. Kang Woojin’s SNS and YouTube channel were practically hit with a nuclear bomb. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that almost everyone, actors, directors, and industry insiders in the domestic entertainment industry, as well as the general public, was talking about Kang Woojin.
『[Issue Check] Both the media and public opinion are all about Kang Woojin. Even after breaking such a huge story at the start of the year, Kang Woojin remains silent.』
Naturally, the buzz extended to Japanese side as well.
“You’ve heard, right?? Kang Woojin has been confirmed as a candidate actor for ‘World Disney Pictures’ live-action adaptation of ‘Beast and the Beauty’!”
“Ehhhh?? Really? Not for ‘Pierrot’??”
“What? Isn’t this news way too late? He’s confirmed for both ‘Pierrot’ and ‘Beast and the Beauty’!”
“That’s incredible! I just watched ‘Leech’ a few days ago!”
“Ahhh- Kang Woojin-san, can’t you make a guest appearance on a show just once??”
Even Japanese variety shows frequently mentioned Woojin, and just like in Korea, the media was flooded with stories about him. While there were some differences in tone, the Japanese public was also boiling over the topic of Kang Woojin.
And this topic wasn’t confined to just Korea and Japan, it extended beyond Hollywood as well.
『[International News] Kang Woojin’s name spreads across LA and beyond. Divided opinions on whether he suits the ‘Beast and the Beauty’ role or not.』
It was now spreading worldwide.
A few days later, on the 18th. DM Production.
The large editing room at DM Production, responsible for producing ‘Beneficial Evil’. A musty smell filled the air. In such an editing room, editing staff worn out from fatigue sat huddled together.
“……”
“……”
All of them were silently staring at the monitors in front of them. Apart from breathing, they were completely still. The only exception was the goateed man sitting in the middle. It was PD Song Man-woo.
-Click, clickclick.
He skillfully operated the editing equipment. His beard had grown even longer, and the dark circles under his eyes had deepened severalfold. Despite the fact that Woojin’s name was making waves not only in Korea but across the world, PD Song Man-woo remained steadfast and focused.
-♬♪
Music played for a moment in the editing room before being cut off. Kang Woojin’s face appeared on the monitors, only to freeze again. After several dozen minutes of working on the equipment by himself, PD Song Man-woo suddenly.
-Swiik.
Leaned heavily back into his chair and let out a deep sigh.
“Phew- somehow, it’s done.”
The editors gulped and turned their gazes toward him. PD Song Man-woo rubbed his face with both hands. For a few seconds, he stayed like that. Then, he took out his phone and dialed a number. The ring only lasted a moment. Once the call connected, he began speaking.
“Yes, Executive Director.”
On the other end of the phone was Kim So-hyang of Netflix Korea, and whether it was a positive or negative, during the frenzy of Woojin’s skyrocketing name recognition worldwide.
“The editing is complete.”
The preparations for the launch of ‘Beneficial Evil’ were finished.