Even though Jihoon already knew what Leo was hoping for—the coveted Best Actor Oscar—he also knew the hard truth: "THE DEPARTED" was never going to be the kind of film that secured Leo that golden statue.
In his previous life, the movie had been released in 2006 as Martin Scorsese's adaptation of the Hong Kong crime thriller "INFERNAL AFFAIRS".
Martin had localized the story brilliantly, but even then, despite its success, the role didn't earn Leo his long-awaited Best Actor win.
Jihoon remembered that clearly.
Now, in this second chance at life, the timeline felt eerily familiar, but also slightly… off.
It was already 2008, and Martin didn't seem to be moving in the same direction as before.
There was no buzz, no industry whispers about him acquiring the rights to"INFERNAL AFFAIRS".
If anything, Martin seemed focused elsewhere.
That difference lit a spark in Jihoon's mind.
This could be it—his window.
But before letting ambition run wild, Jihoon needed certainty.
The film industry was a battlefield of lawyers, contracts, and buried clauses.
One wrong assumption, and he'd be throwing money at a locked vault.
So, he called in Jaehyun. Quiet, efficient, invisible when he needed to be—perfect for a job like this.
And the results came back better than expected: the rights were still sitting with the original Hong Kong production team, untouched and unlicensed to any Hollywood director.
That gave Jihoon the opening he needed.
He immediately instructed Jaehyun to secure those rights for himself.
After all, this wasn't just about one film—it was part of Jihoon's bigger vision, the foundation of the cinematic universe he wanted to build.
A distinctly Asian-inspired cinematic universe that could rival Hollywood's own franchises.
Still, none of that changed the reality about Leo's Oscar chase.
"THE DEPARTED" had won big in Jihoon's past life: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.
But Jihoon doubted history would repeat itself so neatly this time around.
At best, he figured the film might snag a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay—and maybe a win, if the Academy leaned that way again.
And that brought up a key distinction few outside the industry fully understood.
The Academy had two categories for best writing award: Best Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay.
The first celebrated wholly original work, like Jihoon's "GET OUT".
The second honored films adapted from existing material, like novels, plays—or in this case, a remake of a foreign film.
"THE DEPARTED" had fallen under that adapted category, and if Jihoon remade it again, that's exactly where it would land.
For Leo, that meant one thing: no matter how strong his performance, this wasn't the project that would finally win him Best Actor.
But Jihoon wasn't about to let that stop him.
He still wanted Leo in the role—not just because the character had originally been Leo's in the timeline Jihoon remembered, but because Leo's presence would anchor the project with undeniable star power.
In Jihoon's mind, it made perfect sense.
If the past had proven that Leo fit the role, then the new future he was shaping might be even brighter with Leo still at the center of it.
So he made his pitch.
"Leo," Jihoon said firmly, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I know you're chasing that Oscar's Best Actor."
"And I'll be honest with you—"THE DEPARTED" isn't the film that's going to give it to you."
"But I promise you this: down the road, I'll make sure you get that role, the one that finally lands it. How about that?"
Leo didn't answer right away. His expression tightened as he thought it over.
He knew Jihoon was no ordinary filmmaker.
Their work together on "INCEPTION" had already shown him that Jihoon was a rare talent—sharp, precise, and capable of weaving stories that stood out in Hollywood.
But Leo wasn't looking for fame anymore.
Fame which he had already plenty of.
What he wanted now was legacy, respect—the golden statue that had eluded him for so long.
And Jihoon, as brilliant as he was, hadn't yet proven that his films could secure actors that kind of recognition.
Yes, his scripts had won awards, yes his films were critically adored.
But the performances in them?
They didn't carry the same weight in the eyes of the Academy.
Still, turning down Jihoon wasn't simple either.
Especially Jihoon's deep ties with Fox made him someone Leo couldn't just dismiss.
It was a career crossroads—and that's why Leo sat there, wrestling with his decision in silence.
Finally, after a long pause, Leo exhaled.
"How about this, Lee," he said slowly, "let's talk again after I wrap "REVOLUTIONARY ROAD"."
"That'll only take me another three months or so. Your production isn't starting this year anyway, right? We'll have time to revisit it."
Jihoon's smile came quick. "No problem."
With the tension broken, Leo visibly relaxed.
The two drifted into easier conversation, and soon enough, Leo was laughing as he told Jihoon about his current girlfriend, Bar Refaeli.
He even mentioned, almost offhandedly, that he'd been thinking about proposing.
Jihoon nearly choked on his drink.
Engaged? To Bar?
He remembered too well how this relationship had played out in his last life.
Bar was 23 now, beautiful and adored, but by 2009 the two would split.
It was practically written in stone.
In fact, the industry often joked about Leo's so-called "25-year-old rule"—his habit of dating women under 25, and inevitably breaking up with them as they approached that number.
Online, people compared him to Benjamin Button, aging forward while his girlfriends stayed the same age.
It was funny at first, but eventually, the jokes gave way to criticism—claims that Leo just couldn't commit, that he only cared for short-lived romances.
So hearing Leo muse about engagement now?
Jihoon had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing.
If there was one thing Hollywood loved more than movies, it was gossip—and no gossip ever aged as well as Leo's dating history.
"An engagement, huh?" Jihoon teased lightly, raising a brow.
Leo just smirked. "What, you don't believe me?"
Jihoon shrugged with a grin. "Let's just say… I'll believe it when I see it."
The conversation carried on a while longer, but eventually Jihoon excused himself, feeling the weight of the long night.
He wandered around the Vanity Fair party one last time before deciding to call it a night and slipping out.
Sliding into the backseat of a taxi, he loosened his tie and let out a breath.
But as he adjusted in his seat, he felt something odd in his pocket.
Reaching in, he pulled out a hotel room keycards.
They carried a faint scent—sweet, milky, almost cloying.
Jihoon froze.
When the hell did these get here?
The thought made his skin prickle.
Whoever had slipped them into his pocket had done so without him noticing at all.
And if someone had that level of skill, why waste it handing out hotel invitations?
"Wouldn't robbing a bank be a better use of that talent?" Jihoon muttered, shaking his head.
Without a second thought, he rolled down the window and tossed the cards out into the night.
As the taxi rumbled forward, Jihoon leaned back and closed his eyes. His thoughts drifted back to Leo.
"Maybe he really is interested in "THE DEPARTED"," Jihoon murmured to himself. "If he wasn't, he wouldn't have strung me along like that."
Still, he knew Leo's hesitation wasn't baseless.
As a writer, Jihoon had already proven himself.
But as a director capable of elevating actors into Oscar territory? That was still unproven ground.
"Looks like I'll have to prove myself on Cannes again," Jihoon sighed.