Episode 460 Prologue (3)

[[Official Announcement – Columbia Studios]

"'Perriot: The Birth of a Villain' will have a limited pre-release in 33 theaters across LA and New York starting February 9th, with a screening period of approximately two weeks. The global release will take place after the Academy Awards schedule concludes. At Columbia Studios, we are continuously pushing boundaries, and your support means everything. Thank you."]

Alongside this announcement, Columbia Studios released detailed listings of the 33 theaters participating in the pre-release, ensuring that audiences in LA and New York knew exactly where to experience the film first.

With this, all pre-release information for Perriot: The Birth of a Villain was officially unveiled.

But this was just the beginning.

Columbia Studios had already mapped out an intensive promotional campaign leading up to the pre-release. Even though the film was launching in just 33 theaters, it was still a major financial investment—one that needed solid results to justify the strategy.

While the initial goal was to qualify for the Academy Awards, the two-week pre-release was also a trial run to gauge overall box office potential.

Key factors would be analyzed:

Audience and critic reactions

Performance metrics

Word-of-mouth impact

Media and social buzz

A successful pre-release would create momentum for Perriot's Academy Awards push and set the tone for its worldwide box office performance.

Columbia Studios knew what was at stake. They had to give this everything they had.

And it didn't take long for the announcement to explode online.

Within minutes, social media was flooded with reactions in multiple languages, from English and Korean to countless others. Perriot was already turning into a global phenomenon—even before its official release.



Especially, the Online Reactions to the 'Perriot' Pre-Release Announcement:

-Pre-release? So they're doing this just to qualify for the Academy Awards?

-Why only in LA and New York?! And just 33 theaters?? Damn it, I give up.

-This is the first film in Columbia's new cinematic universe, right? Feels like a weird start... something about it seems doomed to fail.

-Great! One of those 33 theaters is near my house!!

-Columbia, do you seriously believe Kang Woo-jin has a shot at the Oscars?

-I'm curious, but flying all the way to LA just for a movie? Nah.

-How did this film even get greenlit? If the trailer is all there is, it's not worth watching.

-OPEN TICKETS NOW!! I need to book ASAP!!

-Seeing the movie early will tell us if Kang Woo-jin will be applauded or destroyed at the Oscars.





At the 'Guest' Production Meeting--

At that very moment, Kang Woo-jin arrived at the first major production meeting for the movie Guest.

Jennifer Thurman, CEO of A8 Media, was seeing Woo-jin in person for the first time. She found herself staring for a second—along with everyone else in the room.

"Ah."

Snapping out of it, Jennifer quickly extended her hand.

"First time meeting you? Nice to meet you. Jennifer Thurman, A8 Media."

Woo-jin, maintaining his usual poker face, reached out and shook her hand.

"Kang Woo-jin."

His deep, heavy voice brushed against Jennifer's ears, making her blink.

'Wow... He's even more intense than I expected. There's something raw and untamed about him.'

Meanwhile, Woo-jin was internally freaking out.

'She's tall. She's almost my height?! Why is everyone in America so damn tall?!'

Just as the awkward moment passed, Miley Cara, the film's lead actress, turned to Woo-jin with a playful smirk.

"You're last."

Woo-jin responded flatly.

"I arrived on time."

Before Miley could retort, Chris Hartnett strode over, grinning, and clapped a hand on Woo-jin's shoulder.

"Miley, hold on—Woo-jin's a big deal, you know? Anyway, Woo-jin, you weren't sure if you'd join, but here you are."

"The timing worked out."

Miley suddenly frowned.

"Why do you two talk so casually? You just met."

Chris shrugged.

"Woo-jin and I became friends on Perriot. That's how it is."

Miley shot him a glare before turning back to Woo-jin.

"Fine. Then you can be casual with me, too."

Woo-jin hesitated for a split second—her expression was strangely serious, yet unreadable. He barely managed to respond in his usual neutral tone.

"I don't mind."

Miley clicked her tongue.

"Ugh. Still, why did Chris get the easygoing talk first? Not fair."

Chris laughed.

"Miley, are you seriously jealous right now?"

The three actors carried on effortlessly, their dynamic natural and unforced. Even though Woo-jin was still new to Hollywood, his presence among these top stars already felt seamless.

Meanwhile, the director and production staff started gathering around Woo-jin, engaging him in conversation. Jennifer Thurman watched from a distance, a small smile forming on her lips.

A freckled staff member, observing the scene, leaned over to Jennifer and whispered.

"CEO... I know Woo-jin is just making a special appearance, but... it feels like he's the lead."

Jennifer chuckled, still watching Woo-jin at the center of Hollywood's biggest names.

"That's the influence."

She folded her arms.

"It's the ability to pull in the powerful without even trying."

After a few more minutes, Jennifer called the meeting to order.

The square conference table was now surrounded by a powerhouse team, and 'Guest' was officially in motion.

Meanwhile...

Seated at the table, Choi Sung-geon leaned over to Woo-jin and whispered.

"Columbia just announced Perriot's official pre-release date."

Woo-jin barely reacted.

"...Is that so?"

Choi Sung-geon smirked.

"Oh yeah. And judging by the comments, people are going nuts."

Shaking his head, he added with a grin.

"By the way, I booked the flights for your family. Everything's set."

At the same time, the announcement about Perriot was dominating the industry.

[[BBX News – Breaking] "Columbia Studios, setting its sights on the Academy Awards, officially announces the pre-release date of Perriot: The Birth of a Villain!]

The world was watching.

And Kang Woo-jin's Hollywood chapter was just getting started.

[Breaking News] Kang Woo-jin's 'Perriot: The Birth of a Villain' to Aim for an Academy Award – Pre-Releasing in 33 Theaters Across LA & New York on February 9th]

The news spread like wildfire across the globe. Naturally, Korea reacted first—and loudest.

-Ah!! Ouch!!! Please release it in Korea too!! PLEASE!! ㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜ

-Ha... I can't take this... I'm booking a flight to LA RIGHT NOW!!

-This is wild—movies only get pre-released before the Oscars if they're special ㅋㅋㅋ

-But what if it releases first and doesn't even get nominated??

-LMAO then it just flops.

Meanwhile, Hollywood and the global media were in a frenzy.

Columbia Studios, riding the wave of buzz, wasted no time. The very next day, they dropped a bombshell:

【'Perriot: The Birth of a Villain' – 3rd Official Trailer | Columbia Studios】

They flooded the market with new trailers, unseen footage, and exclusive teasers—ensuring that Perriot dominated every corner of Hollywood.

For a few days, it seemed like all anyone could talk about was 'ierriot: The Birth of a Villain'.

But then—another major announcement shook the industry.

[Miley Cara & Chris Hartnett Confirmed as Leads in 'Guest']

[[LA Times] Miley Cara & Chris Hartnett Team Up for Next Film!]

The industry was already buzzing about Kang Woo-jin, but suddenly, his co-stars from 'Perriot' and 'Beast and the Beauty'—Miley Cara and Chris Hartnett—were cast as the lead roles in 'Guest'.

The news took Hollywood by storm.

And Korea? Korea lost its mind.

-NO WAY ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Miley Cara & Chris Hartnett as leads?? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ This is unreal ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-This is INSANE... And BW Entertainment is the main investor? A top Hollywood movie??

-LOL this is 100% because of Kang Woo-jin. Miley was already close, and Hartnett got close through Pierrot.

-Let's gooo, Detective Agency remake!!

-It's not a remake, it's 'Guest,' the Hollywood adaptation!!

-No but seriouslyㅋㅋㅋ If 'Guest' becomes a hit, Kang Woo-jin and BW's value will skyrocket ㅋㅋㅋ

It made perfect sense that two world-class actors were suddenly attached.

Even though 'Guest' was a Hollywood film, it was originally based on Kang Woo-jin's 'Detective Agency', with BW Entertainment as the primary investor. That meant the Korean media picked up the story instantly, amplifying the hype.

At this point, 'Pierrot', 'Beauty and the Beast', and 'Guest' were dominating the global conversation.





Meanwhile, the Man at the Center of It All...

Kang Woo-jin?

He was completely silent. Busy. Too busy to even react.

'Hugging Miley for the kissing scene is harder than I thought... But recording the OST was easy.'

His schedule was insane.

The biggest priority right now?

' Beast and the Beauty'.

Filming had wrapped, but post-production was in full swing—and since the film relied heavily on CGI, Woo-jin had countless post-dubbing sessions to complete.

For the past week, he had been practically living in the studio, balancing between:

🎤 Vocal recordings for the 'Beast' OST 🎧 Post-recording & dubbing sessions 📽️ Editing discussions & production meetings for 'Perriot' 📸 Promotions, interviews, ads, photoshoots, and events 📱 Managing personal SNS & filming for 'Kang Woo-jin's sub-character'

Time blurred. Days melted away.

And before he even realized it— The world had gone crazy over Kang Woo-jin.

—

Time flew by, and it was already January 27th.

That day, Kang Woo-jin found himself at Columbia Studios. With the promotional schedule for Perriot ramping up and a large-scale YouTube shoot on the horizon, Columbia executives had requested a private meeting with him.

Woo-jin, sitting alone without Choi Sung-geon, kept a serious expression.

'Why is the atmosphere so tense? Why are they acting like this is some crime thriller? Shouldn't the energy be a little more exciting?'

Across from him sat more than five Columbia executives—some familiar, others new. Their expressions? Grim. Serious. Calculating.

Finally, a bald executive, someone Woo-jin had spoken to before, slid a thick bundle of papers across the table.

"Mr. Kang Woo-jin," he began, his voice even. "This is what we discussed in the past. We initially proposed three films, including Perriot, as part of our Cinematic Universe."

Woo-jin nodded slightly.

"Yes, I remember."

"The second draft of the script for the next film is ready."

The next film after Perriot.

Woo-jin had expected this, but his stance had always been clear—he wouldn't agree until he saw the script.

'Oh? The script is finally here? Hell yeah, let's check it out!'

Of course, on the outside, he maintained his usual cold, unreadable expression.

"Let me take a look first."

Casually, he picked up the script. His eyes flicked to the cover, scanning the title, before flipping open the first page.

And then—

-*Phuk!*

He pressed his finger onto the black square hidden within the script.

In an instant, Woo-jin's consciousness shifted. The real world faded into darkness, and the familiar void of his subspace swallowed him whole.

Yawning, he walked forward, eyes locked onto the floating white squares displaying script rankings.

The first thing that caught his eye?

[14 / Scenario (Title: Guest), SSS-Class]

"Oh-ho. Guest finally reached the SSS-tier, huh?"

It wasn't surprising. Miley Cara and Chris Hartnett had signed on, instantly elevating the project's potential. Even better? Woo-jin had invested some of his own money into the production.

"Hundreds of billions of won went into this... I better see some big returns."

Woo-jin let out a mischievous chuckle.

Then, his gaze shifted to a brand-new entry.

[15 / Scenario (Title: Bat: Birth of a Hero), EX-Class]

[This is a very high-quality movie scenario. It is 100% readable.]

His smile stretched wider—almost Joker-like.

"EX-Class from the very beginning? Damn, that's rare. This is some next-level stuff."





Just like that, time jumped forward again.

It was February 3rd—exactly one week before Perriot's pre-release.

Kang Woo-jin sat in a van, watching the streets of downtown LA blur past.

But something was different.

This time, his destination wasn't Columbia Studios. It wasn't World Disney Pictures.

He was heading to one of Hollywood's 'Big Five.'

Kang Woo-jin's destination was Universal Movies. The reason? Simple.

'It's been a while since I've seen that giant guy.'

The script reading for John Persona—the film where Joseph Felton was an executive producer—was set to begin in an hour. That meant filming would be kicking off soon, right after Beast and the Beauty wrapped up.

However, the scenario Woo-jin was currently reading in the van wasn't for John Persona.

Instead—

'Damn, this is good. No wonder it's EX-Class.'

It was Columbia Studios' second film in their planned Cinematic Universe— 'Bat: Birth of a Hero.'

The EX-Class rating from his subspace already told him it was high quality. And as he read through it, he could see why.

'If I turn this down, I'd be an idiot. Guess it's time to give them my answer.'

Finally, Woo-jin looked up and called out to Choi Sung-geon, who was seated in the passenger seat.

"CEO."

Silence. Woo-jin frowned slightly.

"I'll take Bat: Birth of a Hero with Columbia—"

But then, he paused.

Because Choi Sung-geon wasn't responding.

Instead, the manager was staring down at his phone, his brows furrowed. Then, suddenly—

"Hah—what the hell is this?!"

Woo-jin raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"No, this just dropped. How do I even explain this..."

With a sigh, Choi Sung-geon turned his phone screen toward Woo-jin.

The moment Woo-jin's eyes landed on the headline, his expression remained calm and indifferent.

"Hm-."

But internally?

'Huh???! Eek!??!'

Because—

It was his first-ever major dating scandal.

『CNM / Miley Cara Seen Leaving Kang Woo-jin's Home—Romance Rumors Spark / PHOTO』