Episode 445 Villain (2)

The first poster for Perriot: Birth of a Villain was unveiled on Columbia Studios' official SNS.

[— Hello, this is Columbia Studios. We are releasing the first poster for Perriot: The Birth of a Villain, which you have been eagerly anticipating and which has also garnered much attention at the Emmy Awards. The actors and production team are all working diligently on its production. We are striving to present you with an exceptional piece...]

Although various greetings were included, the focus remained on the poster. Only one poster was revealed, and even Miley Cara, who was passing through downtown LA, caught sight of it.

"Is this the villain? His visuals are killer."

It was true. Cara, holding a tablet in her hand, was amazed the moment she saw the poster. It radiated intense energy.

'I didn't think it would be him. I expected a more shocking mask—but this exceeded my expectations.'

She stared at the first poster for Perriot: Birth of a Villain on her tablet for a moment.

She asked the team members around her,

"What do you think of this poster?"

The responses came quickly.

"This visual is even more groundbreaking than I expected."

"The makeup is amazing—it's creepy. If you hadn't told me it was Kang Woo-jin, I wouldn't have recognized him."

"The title hinted at a clown as a motif, but this poster... how should I put it? Isn't it kind of terrifying?"

"It's incredible how this insane mask was created from Kang Woo-jin's usually taciturn and cynical image."

"It definitely grabs your attention."

"Right? I guess it's also because of the performance Kang Woo-jin gave."

There were various opinions, but overall, curiosity filled the air. Kara brushed her blonde hair back as she looked down at the tablet again.

"...I like it."

The extravagant outfit and hairstyle she had worn to the Emmy Awards parade were nothing compared to this. The poster she was looking at was just the first—either a teaser or a character poster. It was released before the full movie promotional posters.

That's why only Kang Woo-jin was featured, with no other characters in sight.

The background was a chaotic mix of red and blue, with black dominating the center, resembling a city on fire at night. Kang Woo-jin's upper body was embedded within this intense backdrop.

Of course, his appearance was that of 'Joker,' not 'Henry Gordon.'

His long red hair, reaching his chin, was slicked back, and his face was ghostly pale. Red dots adorned his eyebrows and the tip of his nose, while sharp black squares framed his eyes. But the most striking feature was his lips—painted an exaggerated, intense red, far thicker than normal. He was laughing wholeheartedly.

Or... was he?

Despite the expressionless face, it was hard to tell whether he was truly smiling or if the makeup simply created the illusion of one. The overall darkness of the poster made it difficult to distinguish his real lips. If one were to judge purely by appearance, it seemed like a bright, exaggerated grin. Visually, he was already stunning, but his outfit made him stand out even more.

No one knew the name 'Joker' yet, but one thing was certain—the world had just been introduced to his face.

Cara stared at the poster.

"Did he say 'terrible Villain'?"

She recalled Kang Woo-jin's interview at the Emmy Awards—and even his wild behavior, like smoking a cigarette on stage. Anticipation swelled within her.

'What kind of villain will Kang Woo-jin bring to life?'

Lost in thought, Cara found herself smiling for no reason. She tapped her fingers on the screen, exited the poster, and checked the public reactions.

"Everyone feels the same way I do."

Comments were already flooding in—each in a different language, spanning the globe.

And then—

—Ting*.

With that, she, too, shared the poster on her SNS.

After that—

The first poster for Perriot: The Birth of a Villain spread through Hollywood like wildfire. From mouth to mouth. From finger to finger.

Now, it was time for Beast and the Beauty to announce its first shooting date.

"The poster is intense."

"As expected, what he showed at the Emmy Awards was just the beginning."

"Who could resist this? Even Kang Woo-jin himself said, 'Watch it or don't.'"

"With this visual and that performance... yeah, I'm watching it."

"So, this is 'The Birth of a Villain'? Is Clown the first villain?"

"I'm a little jealous, but I'm sure our Beast will have a poster just as high-quality."

"When do we shoot our pre-poster?"

"Soon—right before the first filming."

The John Persona camp was in an uproar, with Hollywood big-shot director Danny Landis being especially vocal. Joseph Felton chimed in as well.

"The mask is incredible. I've only seen the first poster, but it's the first time a single image has made me want to see a movie."

"...The costumes and appearance at the Emmy Awards were shocking—but for a first poster to cause this much buzz? That's impressive."

"Shouldn't we take notes from this?"

"I'll keep that in mind."

"One thing's for sure—Perriot: Birth of a Villain is going to explode right out of the gate. Just look at how the media and public are reacting."

That was exactly what was happening. The first poster for Perriot: Birth of a Villain sold out at a staggering rate the moment it was released.

『CNM: "Emmy Best Actor Kang Woo-jin—The villain's face he teased is finally revealed!"』

『LA TIMES / "See or Not" – Kang Woo-jin, who turned the Emmys upside down, unveils the first poster for Perriot: Birth of a Villain! / Photo』

『BBX / Explosive interest despite just a first poster release! Did Kang Woo-jin's Emmy Awards performance really work?』

Meanwhile in Korea

『Academy Award-nominated Kang Woo-jin—Shocking first poster for Perriot: Birth of a Villain revealed!』

『[Issue Pick] Kang Woo-jin's solo poster spreads worldwide... The global audience asks, "What is this?!"』

It was a little crazy.

— Wow... This poster is stunning...

— What is this? Is this makeup really going to be used in the movie? What's the story even about?

— ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ If you pull that stunt at the Emmys and then drop a poster like this, who wouldn't watch it? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

— This seriously feels like a masterpiece.

— With this makeup and Kang Woo-jin's acting skills... What kind of movie are we about to witness?

— I've just met a terrifying villain. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

— I'm really curious about how international audiences are reacting, lol.

Naturally, entertainment media worldwide—including Japan—spread the poster like wildfire. Thanks to this, by the 12th, just a day after its release, the first poster for Perriot: Birth of a Villain was everywhere—on the internet and in various media outlets.

At that moment, Kang Woo-jin...

'Oh, man. It's great that the movie is getting so much publicity, but isn't it kind of embarrassing to have my face plastered all over the world? Even if it's the Joker's face.'

As he traveled to the filming location, Woo-jin scrolled through the global reactions. He wasn't the only one—every team member in the van was doing the same. Some were checking Korean reactions, others were looking at Japan or Hollywood. Among them, Woo-jin casually browsed through Nedit, the massive international online community, pretending not to be too interested.

And there it was—'Joker's' face, everywhere.

And...

'What? Is it really that shocking?'

The English comments were rolling in at an alarming speed, most of them expressing shock or fear. Some even described him as a monster. Of course, there were plenty of hate comments laced with swearing, but what could he do? Woo-jin read through the reactions, keeping a straight face. Then, it hit him.

'What I'm seeing is probably just the tip of the iceberg.'

Something massive was happening.

Perriot: Birth of a Villain wasn't just releasing in Korea and the U.S.—it was a global release. And recently, its rating has been raised to EX +++.

The first EX-class film, 'Beneficial Evil,' became a worldwide sensation and won six Emmy Awards.

Then how much more impactful would Perriot: Birth of a Villain be, considering it was three levels higher than that? Just looking at Leech, it had drawn 30 million viewers in Korea and Japan alone, generating insane revenue and influence. But Perriot: Birth of a Villain was on a whole different level.

'To be honest, I can't even imagine it.'

A worldwide release. No one could easily grasp the scale of such a thing—not even Kang Woo-jin himself.

And now—

"Woo-jin."

Choi Sung-geon, the long-haired man in the passenger seat, turned around and pointed behind Woo-jin.

"Look behind you. Do you see the vans following us?"

"Yes."

"They've been tailing us for a while now. I'm 100% sure they're following you to take pictures."

'Taking pictures of me?' Woo-jin tilted his head in confusion, but Choi Sung-geon answered before he could ask.

"That's paparazzi. Proof that you've officially become a Hollywood star."

Two days later, on the morning of the 14th

The location was a 50,000-square-foot studio in LA, where Beast and the Beauty was being filmed. The massive set buzzed with activity as dozens of people moved about, preparing for the day's work.

At the center of it all was director Bill Lautner, wearing his signature black horn-rimmed glasses.

In short, this was the Beast and the Beauty team.

Director Lautner and his crew were taking a final look at the completed set while also reviewing the scenes and compositions from the in-progress shooting storyboard.

"I need the extras to get familiar with the layout of 'Belle the Beauty's' town set in advance," Lautner instructed.

"It's quite spacious, so if we're not careful, movement will get messy."

"Exactly. Rehearsals are crucial. Make sure the actors are aware."

"Understood."

After circling the set for several minutes, the team arrived in front of a magnificent castle. Director Lautner, envisioning the final artistic touches, stroked his chin thoughtfully. Standing before a massive tree near the castle, an idea struck him.

"If we position it as the castle entrance, the shot will turn out beautifully."

He turned to the staff beside him.

"This would be a great spot for the character posters. And for The Beast, take shots of both his Prince and Beast forms."

With the poster locations and other details finalized, the Beast and the Beauty team returned to the set. Not long after, the producer approached Director Lautner.

"I'll inform the actors about the first day of filming."

Lautner nodded, then muttered to himself.

"First day of filming on September 1st... only two weeks left."

Meanwhile, at Columbia Studios

In a medium-sized conference room within the main building—far from the filming sets—several familiar faces had gathered.

Director Ahn Ga-bok sat at the head of the table, his wrinkled face deep in thought. Across from him was executive producer Nora Foster, alongside several employees and executives from Columbia Studios.

Despite today's Perriot: Birth of a Villain filming schedule, they had the morning free, as production was set to resume at noon.

This monthly meeting served as a progress update, a space to discuss any challenges or unexpected developments.

A variety of topics were covered:

— The actors' conditions — On-set issues, big and small — Upcoming preparations

Then, a bald executive turned to Director Ahn Ga-bok and asked,

"Will filming begin as originally scheduled?"

Ahn Ga-bok thought for a moment before answering.

"I believe it will actually start earlier than planned."

"Oh— that sounds good."

Director Ahn Ga-bok then asked,

"Have you finalized casting Kang Woo-jin in any of your upcoming projects related to your 'cinematic universe'?"

"······"

The bald executive hesitated for a moment, exchanging glances with the other executives before letting out a small sigh.

"We're working on it."

Director Ahn Ga-bok, who had been observing their reactions, muttered to himself,

'It won't be easy. Woo-jin's price tag is sky-high, and that kid won't budge unless he's impressed by the script.'

After a brief pause, he spoke again.

"Have you decided on the release date for Perriot: Birth of a Villain?"

"Considering the worldwide release, marketing, and post-production, we're currently looking at the second half of next year."

"The second half of next year..."

As he wiped his wrinkled cheek, Director Ahn Ga-bok suddenly recalled a moment from the past— Kang Woo-jin's acceptance speech at the Emmy Awards.

"Is Perriot: Birth of a Villain really just the beginning of your 'cinematic universe'?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm asking if you're aiming for an Academy Award."

A brief murmur spread among the foreign executives in the room, but it quickly settled. This time, the bald executive responded.

"Every film produced in Hollywood naturally aspires to an Academy Award nomination. Ours is no different. The Academy Awards next April are too soon for us, but we'll aim for the following year once the film is released in the latter half of next year."

"I see things differently."

"Huh? You do?"

Director Ahn Ga-bok leaned back, recalling the intensity of Kang Woo-jin's Joker during filming.

"I believe we should aim for this year's Academy Awards."