Episode 467: Encroachment (3)



The world's most credible movie information and review site, visited by countless overseas audiences and known to every filmmaker. Not only movie directors but also many influential figures post movie reviews, but the first person to review Perriot: The Birth of a Villain on that site was:

["Kang Woo-jin's Joker is harmful trash······"]

Rating: 10/10

[Roger Wright / Film Critic]

It was film critic Roger Wright. He was a highly prominent figure in Hollywood, well known for his harsh reviews. Incidentally, just last month, he wrote a scathing critique of a Hollywood movie.

It went something like: "I wanted to gouge out the eyes that watched this film and feed the actors' performances to the dogs."

The harsh criticism was so severe that his comments became a trending topic among the public. Well, film critic Roger Wright wasn't just famous for his harsh criticism. The movies he gave favorable reviews to become box office hits, while the movies he criticized became box office failures, further solidifying his reputation.

Critic Roger Wright gave Perroit rave reviews.

To put it simply, it was the first time in five years.

Whatever the case, there were many world-famous movie review sites, including in Hollywood, and soon reviews for Perriot: The Birth of a Villain would start pouring in. These reviews wouldn't decide everything, but just like in Korea, overseas, if a movie gains popularity on a review site, it tends to have a significant impact on its box office performance.

Of course, these various sites do not only feature expert reviews.

Audience scores, ratings, star ratings, and freshness scores from people who actually watched the movie are also updated. Since audience opinions directly influence box office success, they cannot be ignored. The first major review on these sites was a glowing one from an expert, marking a fantastic start for Perriot: The Birth of a Villain.

At that moment, Kang Woo-jin also checked the first review from inside the moving van.

'Nice—'

Of course, he kept an indifferent expression, but inside, he was grinning with satisfaction. It was understandable. Who wouldn't be happy about receiving such high praise? And not just any praise—exceptional praise.

'I was a little annoyed by the 'harmful trash' part, but the tone suddenly changed when they said 'fantastic.' Hehe, I think I'm starting to love Joker.'

Well, Woojin had received plenty of praise for his acting from many people, including Koreans.

'This is killing me.'

Stepping into the unfamiliar world of Hollywood and earning rave reviews from critics he had never met before was an absolutely exhilarating experience.

Of course, the team members around him were in chaos as well.

"I thought they were going to tear Joker apart, calling him toxic trash! This critic's shift in tone is insane!!"

"Wow!! Roger Wright, that guy is such a famous critic?? There are even memes about him in Hollywood!"

"Right, but those memes became popular because of his brutal reviews. And now he's given a glowing review?? I know he's a critic who almost never gives compliments."

"That just shows how amazing Woojin oppa's acting was! Perriot was incredible!"

Even though he didn't say anything, Choi Sung-geon was smiling. Of course, this excitement wasn't limited to Kang Woo-jin's van. Over at Columbia Studios, where executives had been gathered since the morning...

"Hahaha! Roger Wright gave it a great review!!"

"It's a strong start, isn't it? Since it's just a pre-release, box office numbers don't matter much yet! But considering the upcoming worldwide release, this is a great trajectory!"

"More articles are already coming in!"

Director Ahn Ga-bok, Chris Hartnett, and everyone involved in Perriot were exchanging enthusiastic conversations. Then, as the entire team, including Kang Woo-jin, continued their promotional schedule, Hollywood was flooded with articles by late morning.

[LA TIMES / Roger Wright, a critic famous for making or breaking films, says of Perriot, now in pre-release: "It's harmful trash, but I'll love Kang Woo-jin's Joker"]

[ABY / Kang Woo-jin receives a standing ovation at a surprise stage greeting / Photo]

Yesterday, the first day of Perriot's pre-release, had already been a whirlwind, but today, the second day, was even more intense—at least twice as much. The momentum had shifted.

[CNM / 'Perriot' audiences quickly shower praise after the first day of release—criticism is hard to find!]

Around noon, another review surfaced.

"A truly entertaining, deeply disturbing, and absolutely monumental piece of work. Perriot will go down as one of the greatest films to celebrate villains, and Kang Woo-jin's performance as the Joker was phenomenal."

[Rating: 10/10]

Following Roger Wright, more expert reviews of Perriot: Birth of a Villain began to flood in.

"Perriot: The Birth of a Villain has made new history in Hollywood. Columbia has created a film where the villain is loved by the audience. Kang Woo-jin's Joker will become the most influential villain in Hollywood history."

[Rating: 9.8/10]

"It's a waste of time to explain the plot of this movie to someone who hasn't seen it yet. You can only tell them to watch it, and once they do, they'll have nothing else to say except that it's amazing. What more can I say? Go to the theater, watch Kang Woo-jin's Joker, and experience the thrill for yourself."

[Rating: 9.7/10]

Film directors, actors, critics, columnists, etc.—the reviews from experts in various industries were overwhelmingly positive. The scores were mostly 9 or 10 points, and even the stricter ones were at least 8. Such an atmosphere was rare.

[CNM / 'Perriot' Rating: 9.8! If this continues, it will likely enter the top 5 in ratings rankings—the first film in three years to receive a score of 9.5 or higher from experts.]

If the second day of Perriot's release was dominated by expert opinions, the third day, the 11th, was filled with reactions from the global public.

From reviews posted on various rating sites:

-Masterpiece!! Thank you, An Ga-bok! I love Kang Woo-jin! Dear humanity, take note—this is what a movie should be...

-Perriot is the freshest and greatest movie I've ever seen! Perriot! Congratulations on winning an Oscar! Oh, not yet?

-Kang Woo-jin is the real deal—an absolutely amazing actor!

-You must watch Perriot! It will leave you speechless! This movie masterfully blends comedy and tragedy.

-Kang Woo-jin's Joker is undoubtedly a terrible villain, yet I couldn't help but love him.

-Henry Gordon's tragedy critiques society while his villainous comedy is deeply thought-provoking. Perriot will become a masterpiece.

There was chaos even in major international communities and on social media. It was a stark contrast to the pre-release period when people were quick to criticize and slander Kang Woo-jin.

-I used to hate Kang Woo-jin, but now I love him.

-Kang Woo-jin is insane. Even if he mocks the Academy Awards, I'll still watch his next movie.

-Joker... A truly unforgettable character filled with chilling thrills and raw violence.

-How did public perception of Kang Woo-jin change so drastically in just one day? Is Perriot really that good?

-This was the first time in years that I held in my pee just to avoid missing a single second of a movie.

It felt like an entirely different world.

Meanwhile, as Kang Woo-jin stayed busy with his packed schedule, the Hollywood response to Perriot: The Birth of a Villain also reached Korea. In particular, interviews with people other than Ryu Jung-min and Hong Hye-yeon, who had personally traveled to LA, gained significant attention.

[Star Talk] Hong Hye-yeon, after watching Kang Woo-jin's Perriot: "I hope everyone sees it when it's released in Korea."]

Additionally, the wave of glowing reviews from international movie rating sites quickly spread across Korean YouTube. The excitement was palpable. Before long, the domestic public was buzzing about Perriot and Kang Woo-jin.

Just like that----time melted away.

The fifth day of the pre-release schedule for Perriot: The Birth of a Villain had already dawned, and once again, foreign media reported that all 33 theaters were sold out. Hollywood was being taken over by Perriot and Kang Woo-jin.

However, events that were bound to happen were unfolding at an even faster pace.

Beauty and the Beast, which began editing two months ago and is currently the focus of director Bill Lautner and many other staff members, now has a rough schedule for the completion of its editing.

"Hmm... I think we'll have an outline by May at the earliest."

Meanwhile, an event hosted by Worldwide Disney Pictures, long established as a fan service tradition for fans of the original work, had been confirmed. It closely resembled a Korean production press conference, but in a broader sense, it was an event where actors portraying iconic characters were introduced.

"It's better to avoid the busy month of March with the Academy Awards, and April is too late."

"Then I guess it would be best to do it within this month, February."

"That's right. If Kang Woo-jin does it while the buzz is still strong, all eyes will be on him."

Many reporters were expected to attend, and all the main actors of 'Beauty and the Beast', including Kang Woo-jin, would be introduced. While Worldwide Disney Pictures held similar events for each of its projects, this particular announcement had garnered an even more enthusiastic response from the media and the public than usual.

There were probably several reasons for this—Kang Woo-jin, Miley Cara, and more.

Meanwhile, 'John Persona' was in the final stages of preparation for its first day of filming, scheduled for February 27th. With only about two weeks left until the crank-in, key staff members—including Joseph Felton and renowned director Danny Landis—were making rounds between the completed sets and on-location sites.

"Let's start with a car chase. The crank-in will be a car chase."

"Yes! Understood. I'll prepare the Scorpio Arm (a special vehicle for filming) right away!"

"And fly a drone, too."

They were ramping up crucial inspections. Since 'John Persona' was an action-heavy film, the set required meticulous attention, and as a result, it featured many rare, high-end filming equipment that wouldn't typically be seen on standard sets.

Additionally, 'John Persona' had already started early-stage promotions.

It might seem premature, but they couldn't afford to miss this moment when Kang Woo-jin was at the height of his popularity.

The same applied to 'Guest', which was also progressing rapidly. The film had already held a full-cast and staff meeting. Thanks to the special appearances of Miley Cara and Chris Hartnett, 'Guest' had garnered significant attention, and pre-production preparations for the script reading were steadily gaining momentum. Meanwhile, set construction was well underway.

And yet—

[BBX/Sun: A week after its release, still sold out—Perriot, a film that will go down in Hollywood history.]

After half a week of Perriot's pre-release schedule, February 16th had arrived. By this point, it was expected that every show would be sold out, and new reviews and reactions were flooding in daily. Now, on the 16th, Perriot has officially entered its second week of pre-release.

At the same time.

"Okay, let's start passing out the pieces now. We can organize the additional pieces separately and pass them on to the next round."

"By the way, Perriot: The Birth of a Villain is making a lot of noise. The reviews from critics and audiences are incredibly high."

"I wonder how many masterpieces they've created?"

"Many are saying that Kang Woo-jin's acting is phenomenal—aren't you curious to find out why everyone is so captivated by him?"

"That will be decided soon because Columbia Studios said they will hand over Perriot: The Birth of a Villain today."

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the organization that oversees the Academy Awards, had taken action. By mid-to-late February, it was time to get to work on confirming the nominations. Then, in the afternoon, the film Perriot: The Birth of a Villain was officially submitted to AMPAS.

Of course, since it had met the condition of being released for more than a week through pre-release.

Then, the next morning, on the 17th.

AMPAS distributed its annual list of selected films to Academy Award members—who serve as judges and are spread across the globe. The list was filled with extraordinary works, often featuring big-name directors and Hollywood stars. These were people whose mere names carried worldwide recognition.

And, of course, among these jaw-dropping films:

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— [Perriot: The Birth of a Villain / Columbia Studios ]

'Joker' had made the list.