Episode 456: Speed of Light (8)



The filming of Beast and the Beauty, which had started in the grand banquet hall set, finally wrapped up late at night after moving through several different sets. The crew—around a hundred people—was still busy preparing for the next day's shoot. Meanwhile, Kang Woo-jin, having just finished exchanging farewells with Director Bill Lautner, was making his way back to his trailer with his team.

At the moment, he was still wearing his motion-capture tights.

'Ugh... no matter how many times I wear these, they never feel right.'

Though he grumbled internally, on the outside, he maintained his usual composed demeanor.

Just as he was about to reach the trailer—

"Woo-jin."

Someone called his name. Turning his head, Woo-jin spotted Choi Sung-geon, who had been absent all day, waving at him.

As a side note, Sung-geon had been unable to stay by Woo-jin's side recently due to various obligations, including his work at the LA branch for 'Guest'.

Once inside the trailer, Sung-geon got straight to the point.

"Whether it's Hollywood or Korea, the whole world is buzzing about Perriot's bid for the Academy Award. I expected a reaction, but I didn't think it would be this chaotic."

Woo-jin, unfazed, nodded.

"I see. But Columbia Studios hasn't made an official announcement yet. Things will get even louder when they do."

Sung-geon leaned forward slightly.

"When do you think they'll announce it?"

"Within a few days."

"Hmm. We need to prepare as well."

As Kang Woo-jin changed out of his tights, Choi Sung-geon shifted the conversation.

"I heard they've set a rough date for the Beast and the Beauty wrap-up party?"

"Yes. Early January."

"Early January... That's less than a month away. Feels like we just started filming yesterday, but time is flying. Perriot is in the final stages of editing, and Beast and the Beauty is nearly finished filming."

Goosebumps ran up Choi Sung-geon's arms.

"It won't be long before both movies are released worldwide. Haaa.., I'm nervous. But Aren't you excited?"

Though Kang Woo-jin was just as eager as Sung-geon on the inside, he answered in his usual calm manner.

"Right."

"That's it? Wow. You're out here conquering Hollywood just a few years after your debut, and you act like it's nothing. Seriously, how can you be so cold about it? Anyway, I got a call from Jennifer Thurman, the head of 'Guest'. Apparently, Miley Cara reached out of the blue."

Woo-jin remained silent.

"And Chris Hartnett too. Both of them are interested in 'Guest', and they're scheduled to meet soon—"

Sung-geon, who had been smiling slightly, suddenly poked Woo-jin's cheek when he noticed his blank expression.

"Was it You?"

"Well."

"Well?, what the hell? How did two of Hollywood's biggest stars suddenly take an interest in 'Guest'? If you didn't pull some strings, how would this even happen?"

'Yes, of course. He had played a role.' Woo-jin smiled but kept his response short.

"I just recommended a script."

"That's it? What did you say to them to make them jump on board so fast? Huh?"

Sung-geon's curiosity was practically bursting, but Woo-jin remained tight-lipped.

In truth, he hadn't done anything extraordinary.

'All I did was give a proper explanation and recommendation.'

It was Miley and Chris who had taken action. Of course, their decision was heavily influenced by Kang Woo-jin himself. Right now, he was practically a cheat code in Hollywood.

Shifting the topic, Woo-jin asked, "Sir, when will the 'Guest' production building will start?"

"Hm? Ah—soon, I suppose. But we can't overlap with Perriot, so I should wait until Columbia Studios makes their official announcement first."

As their conversation continued, Woo-jin finished changing, put on his hat, and stepped out of the trailer first.

But then—He paused.

Standing right in front of the trailer was a familiar blonde woman.

"Why did you take so long?"

It was Miley Cara, still dressed as 'Beautiful Belle.'

Though they had been on the same set all day, they hadn't exchanged a single word due to a lack of shared scenes. Choi Sung-geon, noticing the situation, coughed lightly and walked away.

Kang Woo-jin casually remarked, "so you're still in costume."

Miley, her golden hair neatly braided, shrugged.

"I was talking to the director."

"I see."

"But more importantly—"

Dragging out her words, Miley took a step closer to Woo-jin. A subtle, pleasant scent reached him, though he acted as if he didn't notice. Glancing around briefly, Miley lowered her voice.

"I called 'Guest'. Looks like we'll have a meeting in a few days."

"Yes, I heard."

"For the record, nothing is confirmed yet. And more than anything, I wasn't interested in 'Guest' just because of you. I set up the meeting because the script was good."

Woo-jin, studying her expression, nodded nonchalantly.

"I know."

Miley suddenly narrowed her eyes before correcting herself.

"No... okay, maybe half of it was because of you."

Woo-jin couldn't help but chuckle. Thinking back, Miley had managed to break through his usual stoic demeanor twice already.

"Half of it?"

"...That's right. So, let's eat."

"Eat?"

"Yeah. We haven't had a single meal together during Beast and the Beauty."

Was that true? He had been so busy he hadn't noticed, but now that he thought about it, she was right.

Nodding, Woo-jin agreed. "Okay. Let's eat."

Miley's expression brightened for an instant, but she quickly masked it with a small cough.

'Why am I so happy over just one meal? Ugh, this is so annoying.'

And After that—

After wrapping up work, Kang Woo-jin relaxed in the moving van, casually surfing the Internet. Naturally, he started with Korean news.

"Oh wow, this is getting out of control."

Korea was in a frenzy. And the reason? The aftermath of Woo-jin's recent interview had taken the country by storm.

『[Issue Pick] Kang Woo-jin's Perriot: The Birth of a Villain, Aiming for the Academy Awards This April? Columbia Still Silent』

『Kang Woo-jin Confirms His Academy Awards Ambitions! Industry Experts Skeptical: "Timing Impossible" – Will We See the Real Kang Woo-jin at the Oscars This April?』

The Korean media was entirely focused on three topics: Kang Woo-jin, Perriot: The Birth of a Villain, and the Academy Awards. Since he had already won Best Actor at the Emmys, speculation was reaching a fever pitch. The public wasn't any different. Social media, online communities, and YouTube were flooded with discussions about Woo-jin.

-Isn't Kang Woo-jin's interview a bit confusing? LOL. The Academy Awards are in April—how could he possibly make it there??

-Columbia Pictures' silence is suspicious. 100% confirmed they're going for it.

-Technically, it's not impossible for Kang Woo-jin to be at the Oscars in April. There are conditions, though.

-What conditions???

-First, the movie has to be screened in LA theaters for at least a week.

-Wouldn't Columbia Pictures take a huge loss if they rushed a limited release just to qualify? If they gamble for the Oscars and fail, their whole release schedule gets messed up, LOL.

-But if Kang Woo-jin does win an Oscar, holy shit, he will become a legend.

-If you openly declare your Oscar ambitions like this, won't the Academy reject you just to prove a point?

-If the movie sucks, they'll cut it anyway, LOL. But right now, Hollywood is freaking out.

Online debates raged on, and offline conversations were no different. Actors, directors, and industry insiders all had something to say about Kang Woo-jin. If this was the situation in Korea and Japan, just how wild was Hollywood right now?

『CNM Exclusive: Kang Woo-jin's Bombshell Statement Sends Shockwaves Through the Academy—Is Birth of a Villain Really Targeting the Oscars?』

International media outlets churned out endless articles. Meanwhile, famous overseas forums like Nedit were filled with rumors and wild speculation.

Still, since it was the end of the year, the global entertainment industry couldn't afford to focus solely on Kang Woo-jin.

With award ceremonies, exclusive events, and parties happening one after another, there was simply too much going on.

Despite his busy filming schedule for Beast and the Beauty, Kang Woo-jin managed to attend several award shows. Reporters bombarded him with interview requests at every event, but this time, he kept his words to a minimum.

And just like that, a week passed.

It was now mid-December.

Christmas lights sparkle everywhere, and the festive atmosphere was stronger than ever.

While heading to the Beast and the Beauty set, Woo-jin's phone rang. The caller? Columbia Pictures.

"Yes, I understand," Woo-jin said before ending the call.

Sitting beside him, Choi Sung-geon, who had been listening closely, immediately asked, "What was that?"

Woo-jin's reply was calm, almost indifferent.

"They'll announce it within an hour."

Just 30 minutes later, Columbia Studios made an official global announcement via their social media channels.

["Hello, this is Columbia Studios. Today, we'd like to address Perriot: The Birth of a Villain, which has recently become a hot topic following Kang Woo-jin's interview. Everything he said is true—Perriot: The Birth of a Villain will officially compete at the Academy Awards in April next year. To qualify, we will hold a limited pre-release in LA this February..."]

It was exactly as Director Ahn Ga-bok had proposed.

And just like that, Hollywood exploded.

International media, which had been full of skepticism, instantly pivoted from question marks to exclamation points as they flooded the internet with breaking news. Public reaction was just as intense.

The world was divided.

Some found it thrilling and unprecedented. Others called it absurd and reckless.

After all, this strategy was nearly unheard of in Hollywood history. Naturally, controversy ignited like wildfire.

Yet Columbia Studios acted unfazed. They immediately dropped a new poster and teaser for Perriot: The Birth of a Villain, adding even more fuel to the fire. Meanwhile, Kang Woo-jin remained cool as ever, simply posting a behind-the-scenes photo from Perriot on his social media with a short caption:

["Please support me."]

While Hollywood and the global entertainment industry were in turmoil over Perriot, behind the scenes, things were steadily moving forward elsewhere.

______________________________________________________________________

Inside the offices of A8 Media, the production company behind the film 'Guest', Hollywood's top actress Miley Cara had just arrived for a meeting.

"Oh—hello, Ms. Miley Cara."

"Nice to meet you," she responded smoothly.

Jennifer Thurman, head of A8 Media, took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

'Holy shit. Miley Cara is sitting right in front of me.'

She had anticipated meeting a major Hollywood star, but seeing Miley Cara in person was something else entirely. Meanwhile, Cara, ever the professional, was completely at ease.

This meeting would determine many things, but the most crucial topic on Jennifer's mind? The price.

Miley Cara was one of the highest-paid actresses in the world. A8 Media would bend over backward to cast her, but if the cost was astronomical, it would be nothing more than a pipe dream.

Then, after scanning the contract details, Miley Cara nodded.

"Hm—not bad."

Her response was casual, but Jennifer nearly jumped out of her seat.

'She's considering it. It's not a definite yes, but it's possible!'

Even if Miley Cara's price went up slightly, it was within expectations.

Of course, a significant portion of 'Guest'' budget was already allocated to actor fees—perhaps over 50% of the total production cost—but in Hollywood, that was nothing unusual.

With the meeting wrapped up, Jennifer Thurman shook hands with Miley.

"Great, we'll talk again soon."

Then, exactly three hours later, she sat across from another Hollywood heavyweight.

"Ha-ha, hello."

"Welcome, Chris."

It was Chris Hartnett.

Meanwhile, at Universal Studios...

Elsewhere, one of Hollywood's Big Five studios, Universal Movies, finalized a major agenda item.

Seated in the meeting room were several industry giants, including Joseph Felton, key executives, and legendary director Danny Landis.

The discussion?

Kang Woo-jin's third confirmed Hollywood project—'John Persona.'

The executives exchanged knowing looks before Felton leaned back in his chair.

"This is going to be complicated. Let's just enjoy the rest of the year before we dive into it."

Danny Landis smirked. "Agreed. Let's have a crazy December and start fresh in January."

Felton nodded.

"Alright. Script reading happens in January."

And just like that, another major project was set in motion.

The script reading for 'John Persona' was set for January, just a few weeks away.

Then, time flew by.

One day, two days—a week.

Between back-to-back schedules and an avalanche of commitments, Kang Woo-jin barely had time to process it all. It wasn't until late at night, exhausted from another long day of work, that he finally arrived home in LA.

He shut the door behind him and let out a deep sigh.

"Oh my god, I'm going crazy."

Woo-jin peeled off his jacket and checked his phone.

[2022 / 12 / 31] [PM 11:55]

Just five minutes left until the year ended.

His screen was flooded with messages.

*katak*katak*katak*....

Texts, DMs, notifications—it had been ringing all day. Everyone was reaching out, sending well-wishes, congratulations, or just trying to get a word in before the new year.

But Woo-jin, scrolling through the chaos, simply muttered:

"Oh. I'm a year older."

Because the numbers on the screen had changed. [2023 / 1 / 1]

Just like that, another year had begun. And with it, Woo-jin officially stepped into his fourth year as an actor.



The year-end madness had passed—both in Korea and Hollywood—but the new year was no quieter.

Early in the morning, Woo-jin climbed into a van.

His face was as unreadable as ever, a perfect poker face. But inside?

He was excited.

'How did I even get here in just four years?'

For a brief moment, he thought back to the first time he had encountered subspace. That strange, defining moment that had changed everything.

Just then—

*—Vrrrrrrr.

His phone vibrated, buzzing relentlessly.

Startled, Woo-jin glanced at the caller ID.

[Director Ahn Ga-bok.]

He took a second to compose himself, then cleared his throat before answering.

"Yes, Director."

A familiar, slightly hoarse voice spoke on the other end, in Korean.

"I just finished editing Perriot: The Birth of a Villain."

It was done.

The final cut was locked.

The film was ready to launch.