'Pierrot' had received an EX+ rating, one level above the EX rating of 'Beneficial Evil.' To be honest, Kang Woojin couldn't really picture what that meant.
"Wow, seriously, EX+?? Just how insanely explosive does something have to be to get that?"
There was no way to measure it. The only thing he could guess was that it had to be clearly above 'Leech,' which had shaken Cannes with an SSS-tier impact, and that meant 'Pierrot' had to be a far superior work.
"I mean, 'Leech' won the Palme d'Or and Best Actor at Cannes. And even after release, the audience numbers were enormous, right?"
That was the full extent of his understanding. If someone as knowledgeable as Choi Seonggeon had been here, he probably could have given him an answer, but Kang Woojin still wasn't at that level. So in the end, Woojin simply smiled.
'Anyway, as long as I do what I'm supposed to do well enough, that's all that matters.'
There was no use thinking deeply about it here. As long as he kept acting as though his life depended on it, a day like that would come sooner or later. What mattered now was focusing on filming 'Beneficial Evil' and securing the lead role he might end up taking in 'Pierrot.'
Swish.
Woojin, who had been staring at the white rectangle, suddenly dropped flat onto the floor. Then, gazing up into the empty darkness, he muttered,
"So I got the role. Ah, what was the title again? Was it something like 'Last Kill 3'?"
The system was definitely the same. Both 'Last Kill 3' and 'Pierrot' were Hollywood films, after all. The difference was in the role itself. On top of that, the gap in scale between the production companies was like heaven and earth. In other words, this wasn't going to be as easy as 'Last Kill 3.'
He couldn't picture it exactly, but instinctively, Woojin felt that much. Still, he quickly shook it off as if it were nothing.
"I plan to actively go after the role, but even if I don't get it, there's no reason to obsess over it. There are plenty of other films besides this one."
The EX+ rating did leave a trace of regret, but just as Kang Woojin thought, Hollywood and the world itself were vast. Somewhere out there, another project with the same rating would surely appear. After settling his thoughts like that, Kang Woojin took a short rest in the void. Then, after lying there for as long as he pleased, he called for the exit and returned to reality.
──────────
Inside the van speeding along the highway.
Having recovered his energy, Kang Woojin calmly lowered his gaze to the 'Pierrot' script on his lap and turned the page.
Flap.
It was about reading the script in full before diving into reading it in the void, before experiencing it.
About two hours later.
After arriving in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, Kang Woojin began throwing himself into filming once again as 'Jang Yeonwoo.'
"Hi—action!!"
More than a hundred staff members, the actors, and Song Manwoo PD all moved as though they were one body. In the middle of that bustling set, a man with a ponytail stood there with his arms crossed and a serious look on his face.
It was Choi Seonggeon. Watching Woojin passionately embody Jang Yeonwoo, he thought to himself,
'...I need to map this out carefully.'
Naturally, he was building a strategy for 'Pierrot.' Soon enough, Choi Seonggeon recalled the conversation he had had that morning with Director Ahn Gabok.
It had started with Ahn Gabok sitting across from him and explaining the situation.
"At the moment, everything about 'Pierrot' is still strictly confidential."
Quick on the uptake, Choi Seonggeon responded immediately.
"Of course. You can tell just by looking that it's a huge project. For now, only Woojin and I will know about it."
"It won't take long. Since Woojin has decided to join the project, I'll contact you at the proper time and announce it to the world."
"...Understood. But Director..."
"Hm?"
"Would you mind telling me how this project came into being? What exactly led to all this?"
Why was it that after suddenly going to Hollywood and then returning to Korea, he was immediately handing 'Pierrot' over to Kang Woojin, and even setting up a meeting in such a hurry? Choi Seonggeon's curiosity was quickly answered by a single sentence from Director Ahn Gabok.
"Because I'm directing the film."
Choi Seonggeon was so startled he nearly jumped. Naturally, Kang Woojin remained calm.
"What?? Really?? My god, Director, congratulations!!"
Choi Seonggeon realized immediately that Ahn Gabok had secured a Hollywood directing project. Since he had won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, it wasn't as though Hollywood taking interest in him was unbelievable, but even so, Choi Seonggeon hadn't expected things to move this quickly. Director Ahn, on the other hand, remained composed.
"Thank you. Well... for now, I think it would be better if I only tell you what I'm allowed to say."
"..."
"I'll be directing 'Pierrot,' and the production company is Columbia Studios."
"!!!"
Choi Seonggeon's eyes widened in shock once again. That reaction was only natural. Columbia Studios was unquestionably one of the top production and distribution companies in Hollywood. Which meant 'Pierrot' had to be an extraordinary script. Choi Seonggeon turned to look at Kang Woojin, who was seated beside him. But Woojin was listening quietly without the slightest change in expression.
The only one shaken was Choi Seonggeon.
Suppressing his excitement as much as possible, he lowered his voice.
"My apologies. Please continue."
"I'm sorry, but those are the only two pieces of information I can give you for now. Ah, though there is one more thing I was permitted to tell you by Columbia Studios."
Director Ahn Gabok's gaze settled on Kang Woojin.
"Woojin, your name was already on Columbia Studios' casting board. Even if it hadn't been me, they would have contacted you. I was simply the one who insisted on handing over the script myself."
"Our Woojin?"
"Yes. Winning Best Actor at Cannes would have had the biggest impact."
"..."
"Of course, you're not the only one. There are many of Hollywood's top actors on the casting board as well."
Director Ahn continued explaining.
"But I didn't give the 'Pierrot' script to Woojin in advance as a special favor. Columbia Studios is already moving. By now, they've probably sent the script out to the other actors too. They considered it important to give everyone an equal opportunity."
"...Equal timing?"
"Yes. The scripts will be distributed to everyone at nearly the same time, and the auditions will also be held within a similar time frame. Then they'll choose the actor who best suits the role of 'Pierrot.'"
"Ah."
"They want to see which actor can deliver the most powerful performance within that same time frame. Or rather..."
Director Ahn looked straight at Kang Woojin.
"They're betting on who can bring that 'terrifying clown' into reality the fastest."
At that moment, Choi Seonggeon came back to himself. The set of 'Beneficial Evil' returned to his sight. Staring at Woojin amid the chaos of filming, he muttered under his breath,
"A terrifying clown..."
Then, almost immediately,
"A Columbia Studios production. Directed by Ahn Gabok, the living legend of Korean cinema. If Woojin gets cast in this..."
His point of view shifted into that of an entertainment company CEO.
'The first Korean actor in history to win both the Palme d'Or and Best Actor, followed by a Hollywood breakout.'
That would be an enormous headline.
──────────
Sunday the 8th, Los Angeles.
While the sun was rising in Korea, it was already afternoon in America, and specifically in Los Angeles, the heart of the global film industry. That was why countless related companies gathered there: distributors, film studios, agencies, and production companies of every kind.
In other words, many films were constantly being produced there at the same time.
The genres were wildly varied as well. Amid all of that, a production meeting was taking place inside a huge conference room at a major film studio in LA. Foreigners sat shoulder to shoulder around a U-shaped table, every one of them with a laptop open. The lights in the conference room were dim, and a video was playing on the screen at the front.
♬♪
It was the music video for Miley Cara's new album title track, the one that had swept the Billboard charts while racking up hundreds of millions of views.
-[Alcoholism (feat. Woojin)] | Miley Cara
The foreigners sitting in the conference room were all watching the music video on the front screen in their own way. What was unusual was that their attention wasn't actually on Miley Cara. They kept replaying not her parts, but the parts featuring someone else.
The person in the music video was Kang Woojin.
The foreign woman seated at the front, who had been operating the various clips, moved the mouse and paused the video. But it wasn't over. She immediately played another video she had prepared.
♬♪
This time, a Japanese song played over animation. It was the opening track of 'Boy Friend: Remake,' which had once topped Japan's Oricon chart. Then another track followed. This time it was an OST from the Netflix drama 'Boy Friend.' Every song they played had once dominated the Korean music charts. The dozen or so foreigners seated around the U-shaped table listened in silence.
"..."
"..."
Some of them closed their eyes and immersed themselves completely. Others busily scribbled notes in their planners. All of them were focusing in their own way. The videos and songs kept changing, but hardly anyone in the room moved. The one thing they all had in common was that every last one of them was listening closely to Woojin's voice.
Then—
"The next clip was pulled from YouTube."
The foreign woman at the front clicked the mouse again. Soon, a video of a Japanese restaurant appeared on the screen, with Kang Woojin seated at a piano. Then he began to play. Yes, it was the footage from when he performed Merry-Go-Round of Life.
♬♪
The piano melody filled the conference room. Subtle changes appeared in the expressions of the foreigners gathered there. Some widened their eyes. Others let their mouths fall slightly open.
"...His skill level is remarkable."
"Was he trained from a young age?"
"Whether it's in Miley Cara's music video or in this footage, his piano skills are near professional level."
"Do you think he may have tried music at one point and then given it up?"
"That wouldn't be unusual. There are quite a few actors in Hollywood with similar backgrounds."
The sighs they had been holding back slowly began to spread. But that still wasn't the end of it. The woman at the front clicked again. This time, a familiar YouTube channel appeared on the screen.
-[Channel Name: Kang Woojin's Alter Ego]
It was Kang Woojin's YouTube channel.
The various songs and clips uploaded to 'Kang Woojin's Alter Ego' began to play. Naturally, they were all covers by Woojin. Japanese songs, Korean songs reworked into English, English pop songs, and even a Miley Cara hit. They played them in order of highest views, and it felt as though it would never end.
The 'Kang Woojin's Alter Ego' channel was full of songs that proved the level of Woojin's vocals, the same vocals that had captivated tens of millions of subscribers and even enchanted Miley Cara herself.
♬♪
Finally—
"We'll stop there for now."
The lights in the conference room came back on, and all the videos and songs came to an end. The briefing portion of the meeting finished, and one by one, the gathered foreigners began to speak.
"Kang Woojin's not just a good singer. His vocal tone itself is unique. It's not a voice you hear every day."
"At that level, calling him a singer wouldn't be a stretch, would it?"
"Of course not. Honestly, if no one had told me he was an actor, I would have assumed he was a singer."
"But he is an actor, and on top of that, he's the Korean actor who won Best Actor at Cannes."
"Is it actually true that he debuted only two years ago?"
Transparent files containing photos of Kang Woojin were laid out on the desks in front of them. In other words, this meeting was entirely about Kang Woojin. All of the videos and songs they had just reviewed were proof of that.
"His vocal skills are undeniable. And his piano playing is exceptional."
"Which makes it even more compelling, because those are exactly the skills we're looking for in this project."
"But his primary profession is... acting. Am I the only one who finds that surprising?"
"But his main talent is acting. He has the kind of acting ability that can shake Cannes."
"The description on his YouTube channel even says, 'Everything except acting is just a hobby.'"
Despite the murmur of voices, the conclusion they reached was unanimous.
"In any case, his capabilities have been clearly proven. It may feel different in person, but based on all the material we've reviewed so far, the evidence is more than sufficient."
Someone cut in.
"What about languages?"
The answer came immediately.
"According to our research, his English, Japanese, French, and even sign language are all at native level."
"You heard his English-language covers, didn't you? If you closed your eyes, you'd never believe he was Korean."
Then a long-faced man, someone who radiated the air of a decisive figure, spoke up.
"Vocals, languages, acting, image, and even piano. And that's without even mentioning his recent popularity. There doesn't seem to be a single thing missing."
One after another, the dozen or so foreigners around the table nodded in agreement.
"He absolutely belongs on the casting list."
"For this project, the key requirements we need are acting, vocals, and piano. Kang Woojin has all of them. Even if his language skills had been lacking, we still would have considered offering him a role. But his language ability is extraordinary."
Throughout the discussion, vocals and piano kept being emphasized.
"Kang Woojin—confirmed."
At that moment, one heavyset foreigner seated near the middle of the U-shaped table quietly rose to his feet. He had his phone in hand, which meant he'd just received a call. Trying not to interrupt the meeting, he stepped out into the hallway as quietly as he could.
"Yes, it's me. I'm in the middle of a production meeting, so please keep it brief."
While he was on the call, the company logo and name were clearly visible on the glass door behind him.
It was a very familiar name.
World Disney Pictures