The Hollywood dinosaur film series, Jurassic Land.
Even after decades, it remained a massive hit. Kang Woojin knew it well, and there were hardly any people who didn't.
How should it be described?
It felt as if the medium of film itself had turned imagination into reality.
Despite being an old movie, its CGI was so advanced that even by today's standards, it didn't feel outdated at all. The story and direction had been handled by some of Hollywood's top directors and actors.
Jurassic Land was one of Kang Woojin's cherished memories.
As a child, he had watched it with his mouth hanging open, and even as an adult, whenever he felt nostalgic, he would rewatch the series. In any case, Jurassic Land 1 and 2 had both been blockbuster hits in Hollywood.
But for some reason, a third installment had never come out.
Then around 2016, news suddenly broke in Hollywood that Jurassic Land 3 was being produced, and exactly two years later, it was released. Of course, the director, staff, and cast had all changed, though the core elements remained. Naturally, the technology had improved as well. However, its box office performance fell short of expectations. Even so, Jurassic Land 3 stirred nostalgia among many fans, especially in Korea.
Kang Woojin had also watched Jurassic Land 3 in theaters.
After that, for several years, there was no news about Jurassic Land 4. It was probably because the global performance of the previous film hadn't met expectations. But now, the script for the legendary dinosaur series Jurassic Land 4 was right in front of him.
'Wow, this is insane. Is this actually real?'
It was unfolding right before his eyes. It was none other than a casting script for Jurassic Land 4, and it even contained details about Kang Woojin's casting. In that moment, he was overwhelmed by awe and disbelief.
'Is this really happening?'
Reality felt unreal. A film that had existed only on TV, in theaters, or within his imagination—something he had kept tucked away in a corner of his childhood memories—was now calling out to him. It was hard to believe.
-Swift.
He checked the Jurassic Land 4 script again along with several other scripts and screenplays Choi Seonggeon had handed him. More precisely, he focused on the black squares attached to the script. Fortunately, all of them were intact.
At that moment—
"As expected, that script caught your eye?"
Choi Seonggeon, seated across from him, chimed in.
"Honestly, I was surprised too when I saw the title Jurassic Land*."*
"Same here."
Woojin set the script down, gathered his thoughts briefly, then asked,
"When did you receive it?"
"Jurassic Land 4? Just yesterday. The other scripts all came in within a few days after Cannes ended."
Choi Seonggeon gave a faint smile.
"Cannes really is something, huh? Of course, the Best Actor win stirred up huge buzz, but I didn't expect a legendary series like Jurassic Land to reach out this quickly. At first, I thought it was a scam—but after checking, it's real. It's definitely the next installment in the series."
"..."
"Still, as soon as I received the proposal, I looked into Jurassic Land 4*. But there's nothing. No information anywhere—neither in Korea nor in Hollywood. They're keeping everything under tight wraps. There was even a confidentiality clause in the proposal itself."*
"Can you walk me through the details?"
Choi Seonggeon immediately pulled out several transparent folders he had prepared in advance. Opening one of them, he continued.
"They sent over the official script, and judging by the casting stage, it looks like they're in early pre-production. Most details, including the director, haven't been revealed yet. The key point is that they want to cast you and are requesting a meeting. The role they're offering, however, is a supporting one."
"A supporting role."
"Yeah. But the fact that they sent the official script before even meeting you, and how strongly they expressed their desire to cast you in the email—it's practically eighty percent confirmed. They must have already reviewed you thoroughly before reaching out."
After finishing his explanation, Choi Seonggeon handed the folder to Woojin. Inside were detailed materials about Jurassic Land 4, including the production proposal. Both the original English script and a Korean translation were included. Without hesitation, Kang Woojin began reading the original English version.
'Hmm… their intent is very clear in this proposal.'
It turned out the Jurassic Land 4 production team strongly wanted to meet Kang Woojin. It was obvious that Cannes had played a major role in that.
"Still, I didn't expect a project of this scale to come this quickly."
But the fact that it was a supporting role weighed on him slightly. Honestly, if it had been another actor, they would have scheduled the meeting without hesitation. After all, it was a sequel to the legendary Jurassic Land series. There was a high chance that a Korean actor would be cast in the franchise for the first time, and if that news broke worldwide, it would undoubtedly cause a huge stir.
From a general perspective, even landing a supporting role in Jurassic Land was an incredible opportunity.
At that moment, Last Kill 3 crossed Woojin's mind.
Of course, the Jurassic Land series was great—but was it something worth staking everything on?
'…Honestly, not really.'
Some people might call him crazy, but Kang Woojin felt that a supporting role wasn't enough for him. Sitting across from him, Choi Seonggeon seemed to feel the same way as he scratched his head and spoke.
"This is… I don't know. Maybe I'm the crazy one, or maybe being around you has messed up my sense of reality. But even if Jurassic Land is a legendary series, it feels like a waste for you to take a supporting role. Even as I'm saying this, I'm not sure if I'm right. But honestly, that's how I feel."
Choi Seonggeon looked like he was experiencing cognitive dissonance.
"On the other hand, from the perspective of an agency CEO, Jurassic Land 4 has enormous influence. If we turn this down and word gets out, we'll be treated like fools—not just here, but in Hollywood too."
"..."
"Of course, it's your call. What do you think?"
Kang Woojin set the folder he had been reviewing down and answered indifferently.
"Every project is the same to me. If it's not interesting, I'll pass."
──────────
It was around nine in the morning.
The black van carrying Kang Woojin was nearing the large-scale filming site of the drama Beneficial Evil in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province.
-Vroom!
They were about ten minutes away. Inside the van were around ten members of Woojin's team. As usual, Choi Seonggeon, who normally sat in the passenger seat, wasn't there today. He had too much work piled up and planned to join later. The ten days spent at Cannes had left him buried in tasks.
Meanwhile, Kang Woojin—
"..."
Sat quietly, reviewing a stack of documents. They were the five scripts and screenplays Choi Seonggeon had given him that morning. Although he had already heard explanations for each project, he started by skimming the basics—titles, summaries, and so on.
In the end—
'They all have their own appeal.'
All five projects were quite interesting. Not just from the perspective of an actor, but even from the viewpoint of Kang Woojin as an ordinary person. Two were French films, two were Hollywood films, and one was an American drama series. Still immersed in thought, Woojin clicked his tongue inwardly.
'Hmm… honestly, none of them are worth rejecting outright, but in terms of global impact, Hollywood is far ahead of France, isn't it?'
One of the Hollywood scripts was Jurassic Land 4, and the other was a relatively calm family drama. The TV series seemed to revolve around the success story of a singer-songwriter. From the proposals, it appeared the French projects wanted him as the lead, while the Hollywood films and TV series offered either leading or supporting roles.
Now that he had reviewed everything, it was time for the next step.
-Tap.
Without making it obvious, Kang Woojin moved his index finger. He was pointing at a black square.
Soon—
-Stab!
The inside of the van instantly transformed into a pitch-black void. As soon as Woojin stepped into the void, he shook off his heavy thoughts, rolled his neck from side to side, and muttered,
"Ah, I'm a bit tired. Since I'm here, I should rest for a moment."
He walked toward the white rectangles floating in the air. He planned to check the ratings of all five projects. Otherwise, something would feel incomplete. First, he stopped in front of the white rectangle corresponding to the first project he had chosen to evaluate. Among the several works, the one he selected appeared at the very end.
-[11/Scenario (Title: Jurassic Land 4), Grade B]
-[This scenario has a very high completion rate. 100% readable.]
Naturally, the first thing he checked was Jurassic Land 4. Seeing the result, Woojin gave a faint smile.
"A B grade? Hah… honestly, that's a bit underwhelming. Does this rating apply to both domestic and overseas audiences?"
A B grade was average. On top of that, the role offered to him in Jurassic Land 4 was a supporting one. Woojin gradually lost interest. If it had at least been an A, he might have felt more motivated—but a B? It made him wonder whether it was even worth it.
"Sure, it'll get attention, but if the film itself ends up being mediocre… it could hurt my filmography."
There was a slight sense of regret, but Kang Woojin shook it off and selected the white rectangle representing Jurassic Land 4. Whether he took the project or not, there were two clear reasons for him right now.
One was—
"Still… damn, I'd get to see dinosaurs up close. That alone makes it hard to pass."
It was a chance to experience dinosaurs firsthand.
And the other—
"Hmm… the character's name was probably Juan Gonzalez, right?"
He was thinking about the possibility of acquiring a new ability.
Among the characters in the script was someone named Juan Gonzalez.
And in his lines—
["E: Juan Gonzalez is preparing to read…"]
["A new language has been detected besides the default language. Please learn 'Spanish' first."]
Spanish was included.
How much time had passed?
Everything ahead was pitch black. That was what Kang Woojin saw. It was humid and hot. The temperature against his skin was high. The air carried a strange scent—like grass and soil mixed with something sharp and metallic. A low buzzing sound filled his ears. Not sharp, but heavy and fluttering.
Was it insects?
There was also a distant noise from above, almost like barking.
A bird? Or something else?
Woojin's senses were heightened to the extreme. It felt both familiar and unfamiliar. The ground beneath his feet was damp and sticky. His heart pounded wildly.
Kang Woojin opened his eyes.
-Swift.
The darkness turned gray, then gradually faded as color returned. The most vivid color was green.
Yes—
This was a forest.
Woojin slowly turned his head. A forest? Was this really a forest? His eyes said yes, but his mind refused to accept it. There were too many unfamiliar plants. And the trees—each one towered toward the sky at an unbelievable height, as if they had lived for a thousand years.
Woojin stood in the middle of dense vegetation filled with ancient trees and unknown plants.
"…My god."
The words slipped out—Spanish, not Korean, English, or French. Kang Woojin had now entered the world of Juan Gonzalez. A completely different world, engraved into his existence.
His heart wouldn't stop racing.
It was so intense that a constant ringing filled his ears.
"Footsteps… that's real, isn't it? That's actually there?"
Muttering quietly, sweat dripped down his face. He wore a large safari hat, a short-sleeved shirt, and jeans, with a black camera in one hand.
-Swift.
Driven by tension and anticipation, he took a step forward and leaned against a massive tree. Its trunk was easily five times taller than a person, and its top couldn't even be seen. The forest was filled with countless trees like it.
This was no ordinary forest.
Holding his camera, Woojin captured the vast scenery and towering trees.
As time passed, sweat poured down his body. His heart raced so fast it was hard to breathe. Was the oxygen thin here? Even so, he endured it. The breathtaking view sent adrenaline surging through him.
At that moment—
-Sting!
A sharp pain struck his right forearm along with a chilling sensation. Instinctively, Woojin turned his head.
"Aaaah!!"
He screamed in shock. A winged insect the size of his palm clung to his arm. It resembled a mosquito—but it was the size of a human torso. In panic, he flailed his arm and fell backward onto the ground.
Thankfully, the soft forest floor absorbed the impact, but cold moisture seeped into him.
-Whoosh!
Only after watching the giant mosquito fly off did Woojin let out a shaky breath.
"Ha… damn it."
His hands and feet trembled. He realized the camera he had been holding had dropped and stuck into the ground. Wiping the sweat from his face, he reached out to pick it up.
Right then—
-Crack!
A sharp, heavy sound echoed nearby. Then came the rustling of something massive moving through the grass.
A faint vibration spread through the ground.
Startled, Woojin slowly turned his head. Before he could fully look—
Huge bodies passed by on both sides of him.
-Thud… thud…
A deep, strange cry. Rough, armored skin. Short but solid legs. And two long, sharp horns.
At first glance, they resembled rhinos.
But they couldn't be.
Each one was at least ten times the size of a human. And there were eight of them.
Woojin sat frozen, his mouth hanging open.
"Ah…"
He watched them pass in shallow breaths. Each step thundered through the ground. Staring blankly at the massive creatures, he murmured,
"Triceratops…"
Dinosaurs.
Then suddenly—
He froze.
The lead Triceratops stopped, and the entire herd halted. They began grazing calmly.
An awe-inspiring, surreal sight.
Woojin's eyes widened, and a faint, almost manic smile spread across his lips. Slowly, he lifted himself off the ground.
He reached out toward the belly of a passing Triceratops.
-Sss.
Its skin was rough, yet strangely resilient. As it breathed, its abdomen expanded and contracted. The creature turned its massive head toward him.
The two horns sliced through the air.
"..."
Fortunately, it lost interest and returned to grazing.
"Ha… hahaha."
Woojin let out a disbelieving laugh and shook his head. With trembling hands, he picked up his camera.
Just as he was about to take a picture—
The ground began to shake.
At first, he thought it was his imagination.
It wasn't.
The vibrations grew stronger. Closer.
-…Boom. Boom. Boom.
Thunderous impacts filled the air.
And then—
-ROOOAAAR!!
The grazing Triceratops bolted in terror. The sudden charge knocked Woojin off his feet again, slamming him face-first into the mud.
Then—
-BOOM!! CRASH!!
A deafening explosion of sound tore through the ground right behind him.
Lying face down, Woojin felt his body tremble uncontrollably. His hands shook violently. A tree snapped with a sharp crack.
Something enormous was behind him.
-Grrrrrr.
It sounded like a storm.
But it wasn't.
It was breathing.
Woojin's lower body felt damp—partly from the ground, but honestly, from fear. Frozen in place, he slowly turned his head.
"…H-heup."
A monster the size of a building loomed over him.
Its arms were ridiculously short, but its head was as massive as the Triceratops.
Then it roared.
-ROAA—
Woojin sprang to his feet and ran.
"Ah—!"
It was a Tyrannosaurus.