Episode 463 Prologue (6)

Sold out? All time zones? Seriously? Kang Woo-jin, with his phone glued to his ear, had an indifferent expression, but inwardly, he was quite surprised.

'What does this mean? Everything was sold out on the first day??'

Woo-jin, who didn't answer right away, checked the time. It was a little past noon—around 12:10. As far as Kang Woo-jin knew, ticket sales for Perriot had opened at 12 o'clock today. Instead of a staggered release, all time slots for all 33 theaters had opened simultaneously at noon. That meant—

'No way, the first-day tickets sold out in 10 minutes? Wow, that's crazy.'

Ten minutes. Just ten minutes. Even though it was a pre-release and limited to only 33 theaters in LA and New York, the fact that the first day's advance tickets had sold out in just 10 minutes was hard for Woo-jin to process. This was his first time experiencing something like this.

'I might understand if it took an hour, but selling out in just 10 minutes—'

When Perriot is screened in theaters, there are 5 to 8 showings per theater, running from morning to night. The number of seats varies by theater, but it's roughly 300 to 400 per screening. At maximum capacity, that's 3,200 viewers per theater. With 33 theaters, that's over 100,000 tickets. And if the number of theaters increases after the official release, the daily audience could reach several hundred thousand.

And all those tickets sold out in just 10 minutes?

'Is that even possible??'

Of course, this was America, not Korea—the difference was like night and day.

As Kang Woo-jin remained silent, Chris Hartnett spoke again on the other end of the phone.

"Did you hear what I said? It was sold out on the first day of release."

"···Yeah, I heard."

"Oh my god. It was over in 10 minutes? I've never seen anything like it."

It was rare—almost unheard of.

"Even more! I heard that the second day of release is almost sold out too?!"

The second day too? What the heck is going on right now? Woo-jin had expected the film to be popular to some extent, but honestly, he never thought it would be this popular. His reaction remained lukewarm, perhaps because it didn't feel real, while Chris, on the other end of the phone, was practically jumping with excitement.

"It feels like not just Korea, but the whole world is flocking here??"

Chris then predicted a bright future for Perriot.

"At this rate, by the time it officially premieres on the 9th, all tickets for the two-week advance release might be sold out."

While Kang Woo-jin, inwardly dumbfounded but outwardly calm, returned to the photoshoot, foreign media were quick to report on Perriot.

First, advance reservations for the entire pre-release schedule had opened.

『LA TIMES / Perriot: The Birth of a Villain, Challenging the Academy Awards – Two Weeks of Pre-Release Tickets Now Available!』

Second, the first day's tickets had sold out in just 10 minutes.

『BBX / Amazing! Perriot: The Birth of a Villain Tickets Sell Out in 10 Minutes on the First Day of Pre-Release!』

『CNM / Sold Out in 10 Minutes – Perriot: The Birth of a Villain Creates Frenzy as Ticket Sales Open』

Meanwhile, as Woo-jin remained busy with the photoshoot, the second day's tickets had also sold out.

Currently, tickets for the third day were selling fast. Naturally, the same applied to the remaining days. The rapid spread of news about Perriot was not only due to the quick reporting of international media but also thanks to the aggressive promotional efforts of Columbia Studios.

As night fell, Kang Woo-jin, having wrapped up his schedule for the day—including the photoshoot—did not leave work right away.

"Hello, Woo-jin."

"Hello."

He had a meeting scheduled with executive producer Nora Foster. The location was, of course, Columbia Studios.

The topics of discussion with Nora and some of the production staff were straightforward: reviewing the promotional schedule for the upcoming release of Perriot and discussing the next film after Perriot, titled Bat: The Birth of a Hero. But why was she involved in the next installment of the Cinematic Universe? Because Nora was once again in charge of production.

Before diving into the main discussion, Nora, still impressed by recent events, brought up another topic with Kang Woo-jin.

"Things are taking an unexpected turn. I anticipated success, but I didn't expect the pre-release of Perriot: The Birth of a Villain to take off like this."

"Yes, I was surprised too."

"Hmm? For someone surprised, you look very calm."

"It just happens as time goes by."

Unaware of Kang Woo-jin's usual demeanor, Nora handed him a tablet. The screen displayed information about Perriot's pre-release, and she began her briefing while looking at the same data.

"Out of the two-week pre-release schedule, two days have already sold out, and tomorrow will likely be the third. The fourth day is already half sold out."

Woo-jin was inwardly amazed as he reviewed the data, but outwardly, he remained indifferent.

"Okay."

Nora Foster, attempting to hide her excitement, swept her slightly longer hair back a couple of times.

"Honestly, this pre-release isn't about box office success—it's mainly for the Academy Awards. That's why we limited it to just 33 theaters. But if we had known this would happen, we should have increased the number as much as possible."

"If that were the case, it wouldn't have had this impact."

Nora nodded in agreement and tapped the tablet with her index finger.

"If this trend continues, it could sell out within a week—or even for the entire two weeks of pre-release. It's a bit absurd, but also a fantastic situation. In my opinion, it's a combination of several factors."

She began counting on her fingers.

"First, Perriot has taken an unconventional path from the beginning, especially with its connection to the Academy Awards. It's also the first film in the Cinematic Universe that Columbia Studios is betting everything on. The director of such a film is Ahn Ga-bok, and you, Kang woo-jin. While your skills and abilities are impressive, the public may still be curious."

"I understand."

"And then there's the Academy Awards. The road Perriot is taking to the Oscars is highly unique, drawing public attention. On top of that, there have been various notable issues leading up to its release. Perriot: The Birth of a Villain has already gained an abnormally high level of recognition before even hitting theaters, and with this two-week pre-release window before the Oscars, the public sees it as an opportunity to watch Perriot before the prestigious awards."

Kang Woo-jin, who had been quietly listening to the explanation, responded softly.

"Limited sale, limited time only."

"That's right. It's similar to limited-edition luxury goods. I think people are drawn to that uniqueness."

At that moment, Woo-jin thought of a situation where people rush to buy high-end products in small quantities at a premium price.

'I've seen it before. It's like an open run as soon as the doors of a luxury store open.'

High-value luxury goods sell out quickly, even at steep prices. In other words, Perriot: The Birth of a Villain was also perceived as a high-value product by the public. It was a rare event, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Then, Nora continued speaking, pointing at Kang Woo-jin.

"With your influence added to all of this, the momentum has multiplied several times."

"······"

"Kang Woo-jin and the Academy Awards are inseparable topics. Your presence has fueled media and public discourse, both past and present—whether positively or negatively. And let's be honest, there will probably be more negative opinions. People were already waiting for this film, but now that it's getting an early release, they're rushing to see it. On top of that, the recent dating rumors and other headlines have only added to the buzz."

After hearing this, Kang Woo-jin began to understand the current sell-out situation more clearly. Meanwhile, Nora Foster's expression turned slightly serious.

"It's great that this pre-release is starting with the entire two-week schedule selling out. But, Mr. Woo-jin, among the hundreds of thousands of viewers who bought tickets, many will be there just to criticize you."

Woo-jin, his expression unchanged, responded calmly.

"It doesn't matter. Criticism means nothing to me."

Kang Woo-jin continued his schedule while keeping up with the latest developments regarding Perriot: The Birth of a Villain's pre-release. Although he could only follow the news through reports or by checking his phone, he still found moments to enjoy the excitement.

'Oh! Sold out by the fourth day!'

Columbia Studios wasted no time in announcing this to the world.

It was all about creating momentum. With everyone fiercely competing for attention and votes, seeing an article like this would push people to act even faster.

Meanwhile, the dating rumors between Kang Woo-jin and Miley Kara had grown into an even bigger issue, even after several days.

『LA TIMES / Kang Woo-jin and Miley Kara in Love? Their Silence Is Proof』

Public opinion worldwide, whether in online communities or on social media, was evenly split on whether the two were actually dating. No—if anything, more people were against the idea. This was largely due to Miley Kara's massive global fanbase.

Extreme fans voiced their discontent:

-Does it make sense for someone like Kang Woo-jin to date Miley?

-Go back to Korea, Kang Woo-jin!

-Kang Woo-jin is just clinging to Miley for no reason and ruining her image!

The level of backlash against Kang Woo-jin was intense, almost excessive.

Yet, whether the rumors were true or not, Woo-jin remained completely unfazed. Meanwhile, everything else related to him continued to move forward smoothly, without a hint of panic.

_______________

Meanwhile on the other side, The movie 'Guest' Is starting with its Pre-production.

"This scene."

"Yes, Director."

"It was originally planned as an outdoor location shoot, but I think it would be better to change it to a set."

"I'll check."

Pre-production was in full swing. All the staff at A8 Media, along with CEO Jennifer Thurman, were busy. Jennifer had been appointed as both the producer and executive producer of the project.

Additionally, A8 Media spread the news across Hollywood that Kang Woo-jin would be making a special appearance in The Guest.

About seven days later.

『ABY / People from all over the world flock to LA and New York! Perriot: The Birth of a Villain pre-release—1 week out of 2 weeks sold out!』

While news spread throughout Hollywood that all tickets for the first week of Perriot's two-week pre-release period had sold out...

"Please take good care of this project as well, Kang Woo-jin."

"The same for me too."

The contract between Kang Woo-jin and Bat: Birth of a Hero was finalized. It took about a week of negotiations, but fortunately, everything was settled without any issues.

And Kang Woo-jin's asking price?

'Wow—Shit!! My worth is seriously fucking crazy!! How many houses could I buy with this?!'

Of course, his value had more than doubled from before.

The baton was passed to director Ahn Ga-bok, and his contract was also finalized without a hitch. With that, the blueprint for Bat: Birth of a Hero was completed.



-The morning of February 8th.

News of Kang Woo-jin's return to filming was delivered by none other than Choi Sung-geon.

"Woo-jin-ah, the first day of filming for 'John Persona' has been set. February 27th."

It was just a few days after the pre-release schedule for Perriot would end.



Morning of February 9th, Downtown LA.

It was just past 9 o'clock. As expected for the time, downtown LA was packed with people and cars. Pedestrians hurried along the sidewalks, while the congested roads echoed with the constant honking of horns.

A multiplex cinema stood at the heart of the city.

It was the largest movie theater chain in the United States and the most famous in LA. Soon, a black van pulled up in front of the theater's towering building.

*Thud!*

Several familiar faces stepped out of the vehicle. Korean was immediately heard.

"Wow—the movie theater is huge. Are they using the whole building?"

"Yeah, I heard they rented the entire place."

"Well, it's more than I expected."

"Director, please be careful when getting out."

Hong Hye-yeon, with her long hair tied back, Ryu Jung-min, who had let his hair grow out during his break, and director Kwon Ki-taek, who had become even more charismatic. These notable figures from Korea had appeared at a theater in downtown LA.

Following them were five or six other staff members.

Leading the group, Ryu Jung-min and Hong Hye-yeon moved toward the entrance.

They were among Korea's biggest stars, but here in LA, few people recognized them.

There wasn't much reaction at first, though a few people glanced in their direction.

By the time they reached the entrance of the movie theater building—

"Wow—Woojin is seriously cool."

"Oh my god!"

Ryu Jung-min and Hong Hye-yeon exclaimed almost simultaneously. Even director Kwon Ki-taek couldn't hold back his reaction.

"Haha, right. Seeing that really makes me realize just how incredible Woojin is."

What caught their attention was a massive billboard towering over the entrance. It stood more than five times the height of an average person, displaying the haunting image of a grotesque man with red hair and a ghostly pale face.

The Joker.

Or rather, Kang Woo-jin.

Right at the heart of downtown LA, at the entrance of one of the most prominent movie theaters, the billboard—the very face of the theater—was completely dominated by Woojin's Perriot. Even in front of the colossal display, a crowd of foreigners had gathered, busy snapping photos.

Of course, Hong Hye-yeon and Ryu Jung-min joined in, capturing their own shots.

After about ten minutes of taking pictures, the group finally made their way through the entrance and into the theater's lobby.

Then—

"What—WHAT!! Why are there so many people?! Is this for real?!"

Hong Hye-yeon's shocked voice rang out.

The expansive movie theater lobby was absolutely packed. There was barely any room to move. Calling it crowded would be an understatement. The sheer noise level echoed like they were inside a massive cave.

Hundreds of people, easily.

Hong Hye-yeon, her eyes wide with disbelief, muttered under her breath without even realizing it.

"All these people... they came just to see Perriot?"

Ryu Jung-min, equally stunned, responded, his pupils dilated.

"...Yeah. Since Perriot rented out this entire theater today."

"So, basically, they all came to see Kang Woo-jin?"

The countdown was on.

There was now less than an hour left until the first screening of Perriot: Birth of a Villain.