Kang Woojin was on his way to the salon with his usual indifferent expression. Sitting with his legs crossed, he stared down at his phone, the screen filled with Japanese text. The reason was simple.
'Wow, this is seriously insane. Every last thing here is about The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice.'
He was currently skimming through the state of the Japanese media and public opinion. Today, Tuesday the 26th, was the release day of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. From the beginning of production until now, there had never been a single quiet moment, and with Kang Woojin's star power behind it, the film's release had thrown all of Japan into upheaval.
'Even the main pages of the search sites are completely covered with The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. Ah, but what's with this main article? Why did they have to use such an awkward photo of me?'
Every search engine, social media platform, and countless community sites in Japan were packed with talk about The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. In exactly one hour, the first screening would begin. What kind of reaction would it get? At the press screening, the reporters and viewers had poured out every kind of opinion imaginable. Would it be the same this time? Keeping his face expressionless, Woojin fired off question after question in his head.
But—
'Well, the answer will come soon enough.'
He quickly shifted his thoughts. The avalanche of things piling up around him did not stop with The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. There was a mountain of work waiting for him. The Miley Cara news that had broken a few hours ago, and Leech, which was set for domestic release just one day later. There was simply too much to handle.
Come to think of it, how's the Cara news doing?
Tilting his head slightly with quiet curiosity, Woojin absentmindedly moved his thumb. In an instant, his phone screen changed to an article from Power Patch about Miley Cara. Kang Woojin was momentarily startled.
'Wow, the traction is unbelievable.'
It was about the comments attached to the article. Only a few minutes had passed since it was uploaded, and there had already been around a hundred comments. Now there were hundreds more. Naturally, the public's almost manic flood of reactions was continuing to multiply in real time.
Just then—
"Ah! Hyung!!"
With Choi Seonggeon absent, Jang Suhwan, whose arm muscles somehow seemed even bigger now, sat down in the passenger seat. He closed the planner he had been looking at and spoke up.
"Invitations came from all the year-end film awards! The Blue Dragon and the Grand Bell! It's a bit early, but what can we do? Whether you attend or not makes all the difference in the world. The CEO said it would be best if you went to both, but what do you think?"
Turning toward Jang Suhwan, Kang Woojin answered in a low voice.
"Yes, I'm fine with attending both."
"Yes!! Hahaha, this year's domestic film awards are obviously going to turn into a festival for you and your films, right?"
The stylists eagerly joined in.
"Of course, one hundred percent!! You already broke the all-time record in Korea with Island of the Missing*, and then there's* Leech too!"
"You had bad luck at the broadcast awards this time, but when it comes to film, oppa, you're absolutely the top!!"
"If things go well, you could sweep three Best Actor awards this year! Wow, last year you won Best New Actor and Best Supporting Actor, and just one year later you got Best Actor at Cannes! Oppa, you're seriously incredible!!"
In an instant, the inside of the van was filled with excitement. Ah, right. Come to think of it, the end of the year was already just around the corner. Woojin let out a quiet sigh of amazement inside.
'Time really does fly. It feels like I was just winning an award at the domestic film festivals the other day.'
There were only about two months and a few days left before the new year.
In any case, at the end of this year, the Korean entertainment industry—
"Well, it's not exactly new, but the end of the year is going to be insanely busy."
—it was obvious that a storm named Kang Woojin would be raging through it.
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At this very moment, in Japan—
Japan was already overflowing with talk about The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice with just one hour left until its release and first screening.
[[The highly controversial film The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice finally opens today, the 26th, with one hour left until the first screening. Number one in advance ticket sales!]]
[[What exactly has become of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, whose preview reactions were so explosive? Find out in theaters starting today]]
[[The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice takes first place in ticket reservations the moment it opens! Will audience curiosity over Cannes Best Actor Kang Woojin's performance explode?]]
The entire Japanese entertainment industry—media, production companies, film studios, agencies—was buzzing with talk of the soon-to-be-released The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. That was only natural. The film had become a phenomenon.
"So it's finally opening. I honestly can't remember another movie that stayed this noisy from production all the way to release."
"Do you think it'll do well?"
"It should pull in audiences on opening day and for a few days after that, at least. The original is by writer Akari, Director Kyotaro is well known, and most importantly, Kang Woojin is in it. His popularity is huge, and the rest of the cast is top tier too."
"Right. It's also the first time in Japanese film history that a Korean actor has taken the male lead."
"Even so, I think it'll sell well for a while and then gradually cool off. Buzz like this usually only carries things through the beginning. In the end, the movie itself needs solid content to keep people interested."
"Ah, but from what I heard about the preview reactions, there were a lot of critical opinions surrounding The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice."
There had definitely been people who reacted positively, but the negative opinions were much louder. It was a strange blend of emotions. Jealousy from people who resisted change. Contempt toward the idea of a Korean actor. Envy of Kang Woojin, the man from Cannes. And beneath the masks of criticism and cynicism, the hidden unease of:
'What if the movie actually succeeds?'
"I heard from reporters who attended the preview that The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice was torn apart overall."
"The audience reactions at the screening were sharply divided too."
"The original has such a passionate fanbase, so how much did they change the script to stir up this kind of controversy?"
"Who knows. But from what I've seen on social media, people are calling it absurd, saying it trampled all over the original, and even calling it disgusting. There must be something seriously wrong with the content."
"Hmm. I thought this might finally become a film strong enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with hit theatrical anime releases, but maybe not."
"Still, with Kang Woojin and the rest of the cast, it should easily break five million viewers."
As the heated back-and-forth continued, time passed, and it was now a little after nine in the morning. Into a movie theater in Tokyo stepped a familiar woman. Her dark brown hair was tied back, and she gave off a gentle atmosphere. It was Asami Sayaka, the famous Japanese voice actress who had worked with Woojin on Boy Friend: Remake.
The reason this well-known voice actress had come to the theater so early was simple.
'Woojin's first Japanese film. I have to see it with my own eyes.'
Because of her connection to Kang Woojin, she had come to watch the very first screening on opening day of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. Aside from minor differences, Japanese theaters were almost identical to Korean ones. Still, the moment Sayaka Asami entered the lobby, she was taken aback.
'There are way more people here than I expected.'
Even though it was still morning, the lobby was packed with far more people than she had imagined. The age range varied, but there were noticeably many young people. Looking around the lobby, Sayaka surveyed the area. Just as expected, advertisements and posters for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice were plastered everywhere. Most of the people in the lobby were probably there to watch the same film.
After making that guess, she collected her ticket from the automated machine and headed toward her assigned theater.
And then—
"...Wow."
The moment she stepped inside, her lips parted slightly in surprise. There were far more people here than in the lobby, and the hundreds of seats were already filling up. There were still ten minutes left before the film started, yet the theater was already half full. Sayaka tried to calm her surprise as she took her seat and politely bowed to those nearby.
She could hear the murmurs of the surrounding audience.
All sorts of topics were being discussed, but Kang Woojin's name kept coming up over and over. Some were cheering him on, while others were criticizing him.
Ten minutes later—
-Swish.
The lights in the theater dimmed.
'It's starting.'
The first screening of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice began.
By then, the hundreds of seats in the theater were nearly full.
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At the same time, in Korea—
Kang Woojin was at the salon. His face remained indifferent, but aside from the styling that was still being finished on his hair and makeup, everything about him already looked flawless. Gazing at his reflection in the mirror, Woojin couldn't help admiring himself inwardly.
'Hmm, not bad.'
With his bangs slightly parted to reveal his forehead and a beige blazer over his shoulders, Kang Woojin had been perfectly styled ahead of two interviews with overseas media. While he quietly admired the image staring back at him, the designers and employees around him had been bombarding him with questions for quite a while.
"Mr. Woojin, Mr. Woojin! I saw an article earlier—is it true that Miley Cara is appearing in your project?"
"Huh? There was an article like that?"
"Yes, that's what I'm talking about! You know Beneficial Evil*, the one currently filming, right? A blonde foreign woman was spotted in the overseas shoot photos, and people are saying it's Miley Cara!"*
"What? No way! Mr. Woojin! Is it true?"
They were all trying to satisfy their curiosity, but to Woojin, the attention felt more annoying than anything. In moments like this, the best response was firm and vague at the same time.
"Who knows. Are we done here?"
"...Ah, sorry. I think we got too excited."
"It's fine."
At the chill in Woojin's tone, the salon employees instantly calmed down and fell quiet. But the moment he left the place, the Miley Cara talk spread again at full speed.
"This is the article, right? Look at the photo, this woman here!"
"Ah, this blonde woman! She does kind of look like Miley Cara, doesn't she?"
"No way. Why would Miley Cara appear in a Korean project?"
"I don't know, but to me she really does look like Miley Cara! Just look at that bright blonde hair and that figure!"
"It's probably just some extra who happens to look similar. Honestly, why would someone as famous as Miley Cara be involved in a Korean project? The article itself is all speculation. It's basically tabloid nonsense."
"Hmm, really? Mr. Woojin didn't exactly deny it earlier either."
"But if that woman really is Miley Cara, then what happens?"
"It'd be huge!! A Hollywood superstar has never appeared in a Korean production before!"
Meanwhile, at the large-scale Beneficial Evil filming site in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, PD Song Manwoo sat smiling brightly in front of a monitor.
"Good, good. That's it."
His eyes were fixed on his phone.
"Keep the fire burning. Let it blaze."
He was watching countless media outlets rush in to follow up on the major article Power Patch had just released.
[[Feature Article] Hollywood superstar Miley Cara rumored to be joining Kang Woojin's Beneficial Evil!]]
[[Photos leaked from the overseas shoot of Beneficial Evil in Bangkok, Miley Cara appears... are the two collaborating again after Cannes?]]
[[Miley Cara, currently dominating the Billboard charts, linked to Beneficial Evil? Sudden explosive rumor sends shockwaves]]
The entertainment industry had already begun boiling over with rumors about Miley Cara. That was only natural. The rumor was outrageous and unexpected, but from another angle, it was not completely impossible.
When something involved Kang Woojin, the situation changed.
Still, because this would have been the first time a global superstar like Miley Cara had taken part in a Korean project, the media pounced on it with even greater interest and rushed to report it.
[[Evidence emerges that Miley Cara appears in Beneficial Evil! / Photo]]
[[Sudden shock! Miley Cara spotted in photos from the Beneficial Evil set! Has her connection to Kang Woojin secured her appearance?]]
The media's response was frenzied.
And the public's reaction was several times even more intense.
[?????? What???????]
[What kind of nonsense rumor is this lol]
[Wait, is this real????!]
[↑Do you seriously think this is real? lol This is complete BS. Trash reporters are just making stuff up like always.]
[Yeah, why would Miley Cara want to appear in a Korean project?? This is one hundred percent a rumor.]
[But... judging from the photo in the article, she kind of does look like Miley Cara?? Maybe because of that striking blonde hair!!]
[How many blonde foreign women do you think there are? This is ridiculous lol. I hope Cara's side sues these reporters.]
[This is honestly hilarious. Why would Cara ever do this?? She's already huge in Hollywood.]
[But... what if it really is Cara? Could Woojin have made some kind of deal with her to make this happen?]
[Be realistic. Miley Cara's appearance fee would be astronomical. There's no way they could afford her.]
[Miley Cara appearing in Beneficial Evil... it sounds crazy, but it's impossible. This is just a clickbait article.]
And not only online.
Offline, in cafés and restaurants, Cara had become a major talking point too.
"Did you hear the rumor that Miley Cara is appearing in Beneficial Evil?"
"What? What are you talking about? That sounds way too exaggerated."
"No, I'm serious, there was an article about it!"
"Huh, let me see."
Even as the snowball grew madly larger, the other side still gave no response.
[[Rumors that "Miley Cara" is appearing in Beneficial Evil are spreading everywhere, but the production remains silent]]
[[Is Hollywood star Miley Cara really appearing in Beneficial Evil? Kang Woojin's side stays silent]]
The Beneficial Evil production team and Kang Woojin both refrained from commenting.
While Miley Cara dominated entertainment headlines, domestic film industry issues continued to draw attention as well. Among them, the one that especially caught people's eyes was the Japanese release of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice.
[[Movie Talk] Kang Woojin-starring The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice opens today in Japan, advance screenings completely sold out / Photo]]
But in Korea, Leech was still the clear frontrunner.
[[Palme d'Or-winning Leech records 50% reservation rate, holds "overwhelming first place"]]
[[MovieIS] Leech, opening tomorrow, already showing signs of a major hit... number one in domestic ticket reservations!]]
[[The film Leech, winner of both the Palme d'Or and Best Actor, finally opens tomorrow]]
Kang Woojin's overwhelming presence and influence were mentioned again and again.
[[Star Talk] In Japan, The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. In Korea, Leech... Kang Woojin releases blockbuster films in two countries within a single day]]
It was an unprecedented achievement.
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The next morning, the 27th—
Many people who knew Kang Woojin headed to theaters. In fact, even many who had no connection to him at all, or had never seen him in person, flocked to theaters nationwide.
Today was the day Leech, the film that had shone at Cannes and received worldwide praise, finally opened in theaters all across the country.
Because it had already become such a massive issue, countless reporters headed to theaters from early morning. They had to capture the scene and get their articles out as quickly as possible.
[[Leech gets off to a smooth start with 500,000 advance tickets sold and a reservation rate of 77.3%]]
Meanwhile, a black van pulled into the Beneficial Evil filming set. Kang Woojin stepped out with his usual indifferent expression. There was a scheduled shoot for Beneficial Evil this morning.
At the same moment—
-Bzzz, bzzz.
Just as he was about to step forward, the phone in the pocket of his jeans vibrated. It was a call. Kang Woojin signaled to the staff to wait a moment, then checked the screen. The moment he saw the caller, a serious expression settled over his face. Naturally, his inner thoughts matched.
'If Director Kyotaro is calling this early, it has to be because of that.'
The caller was Tanoguchi Kyotaro, the director of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, currently in Japan. Kang Woojin lifted the receiver to his ear and spoke in Japanese, keeping his voice as low as possible.
"Yes, Director. Hello."
On the other end, Director Kyotaro sounded extremely excited.
"Woojin! I called the second the audience numbers came out! Opening day audience for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice! Eight hundred fifty thousand! Eight hundred fifty thousand!"
Eight hundred fifty thousand viewers in one day.
'No way! Eight hundred fifty thousand?!'
Even Island of the Missing, the biggest hit in Korean film history with over twenty million viewers, had only drawn seven hundred thousand on its first day.
The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had sold one hundred fifty thousand more than that.
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Meanwhile, in Los Angeles—
In the middle of downtown LA, surrounded by rows of high-rise buildings, stood an old building with constant foot traffic. In an office near the top floor, a man with a balding head and round glasses sat at his desk, talking on the phone.
"Joseph, I'll take that project. But I have one condition."
That man was none other than the Hollywood master director Danny Landis.