Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 142

142. Lucky Top Star

Chapter 142

Director Shim Sung-bo’s weak voice continued.

“I’m not sure if I chose the project after properly reviewing it…….”

“Ah, of course. I definitely chose it after looking at the project. The synopsis was so well-written.”

Shim Sung-bo pursed his lips even more at Lee Min-ki’s unwavering words.

“Wouldn’t your star power be too much for it?”

“Would it be?”

“Yes, you even put your name on the list of co-producers.”

That’s right.

There was a list of co-producers proudly listed in this movie.

[Shim Sung-bo]

[Jin Joo-yeon]

[Lee Min-ki]

These three.

[Manman Fight] was originally a two-lead system between Shim Sung-bo and Jin Joo-yeon, but Lee Min-ki nominally participated in it.

“We’re grateful that you’re helping us, but wasn’t that a big factor?”

Lee Min-ki chuckled at the voice that didn’t have even a speck of confidence and said.

“Yes, probably. They must have looked at my name to some extent. It would be a lie to say otherwise.”

“I knew it…….”

It was the next moment when he became discouraged.

“But what’s so bad about that?”

Lee Min-ki shrugged and said.

“They say you have to pass the preliminaries to get to the finals. I lent my name to pass the preliminaries, and now we can go to the finals.”

“…….”

“The only reason I lent my name was because I thought it would be good for promotion if I participated in the production directly. I won’t interfere with the movie at all. From there, it’s up to the directors’ skills.”

That’s exactly right.

Lee Min-ki had no intention of getting deeply involved in the production process, only using his name for promotional purposes.

“If I interfere and the movie quality drops, I’m the only one who loses. Right?”

Leave the experts’ area to the experts.

It was his small belief.

Experts can envision grand concepts, so smaller details might seem strange to them.

On the other hand, beginners only focus on small details, so they don’t know how to develop grand concepts.

Lee Min-ki thought that what the movie needed was a grand concept.

‘These two people’s abilities are guaranteed.’

The important thing is autonomy.

Lee Min-ki wanted them to unleash 100% of their creativity.

1,000%, no, since we’re at it, 10,000%.

‘The reason for the lack of confidence is obvious.’

They’ve been criticized a lot.

Their previous work was also highly anticipated, but it was a box office failure with 300,000 viewers.

If you look closely, Lee Min-ki and he are not that far apart in age.

A hit actor and a director who hasn’t found his stride.

The balance of power has shifted according to the logic of power in this relationship.

But the balance will be found soon.

“The actor said so.”

Jin Joo-yeon also chimed in and said.

“The moment we get an okay from Netplay [a fictional streaming platform, similar to Netflix], we’ll do a little pre-shooting and immediately spread the news to the media. Is that okay?”

Since they brought him as a promotional tool, they’re going to use him well.

Lee Min-ki chuckled at her confident words.

“I’m fine with it. Use me as much as you want. That’s what I’m good at. But please go through JC [presumably Lee Min-ki’s agency].”

“Yes, JC will do that better. We’ll also think of this work as a collaboration with JC as well as the actor.”

She’s so cool.

It’s easier to deal with this side.

I should talk to this side a lot if I have anything to discuss in the future.

Lee Min-ki, who had made up his mind, got up from his seat and said.

“Then, since there’s nothing to do until we get a reply from Netplay, should we go on a preliminary visit to the prop company or location?”

“Actor, do you have a lot of time these days?”

“I’ve finished all the urgent schedules.”

Lee Min-ki shrugged at Jin Joo-yeon’s questioning words.

“I’m a co-producer in name, too. It’s my job to hang out with the directors.”

Just as he was about to go get a cup of coffee, leaving the two with blank faces.

“Ah, wait a minute, I need to take this call.”

His cell phone rang.

The voice heard over the receiver was.

It was exactly what Lee Min-ki was more confident than anyone else.

“I told you, it would work.”

The first movie invested with production costs.

Netplay, passed.

In the slightly quiet office, Lee Min-ki shrugged awkwardly and said.

“Am I the only one happy, Director?”

“Yes?”

“Can’t you be happy with me?”

“Ah, hahahaha! Hahaha! Hahahahahaha!!”

It’s awkward.

* * *

Two months had already passed since Lee Min-ki returned from the United States.

The things Lee Min-ki has achieved during that time.

[What is Lee Min-ki doing these days?]

There was really nothing special.

[I’m shooting one or two commercials here and there.]

[Like Real Protein and gym commercials?]

[Bumcheon Coffee keeps coming out, did you sign an exclusive contract?]

[I’m also doing model activities with the company that made Terminus from time to time.]

[Do they pay a lot?]

[No, Lee Min-ki doesn’t get paid that much.]

There was also the topic he drove in Hollywood.

When I returned to Korea, I thought I would start a job right away or leave the country again, but surprisingly, it was quiet without any news.

If it’s quiet, it’s strange.

Lee Min-ki’s value had already reached that level.

[Isn’t that Hollywood bubble?]

[That’s a rumor, but there’s a rumor that AST [presumably a talent agency] was angry because Lee Min-ki refused.]

[Why did Lee Min-ki refuse?]

[Is it official that you received the offer?]

[It’s true that I received the offer. An internal whistleblower said it. He said Lee Min-ki refused and hated it.]

At least rumors spread.

[Why did you refuse?]

[They asked for an exclusive contract?]

[?]

[??]

[So why did you refuse that?]

It’s a rumor, but the refusal to solicit from Hollywood has become a widely believed theory.

At this point, public speculation had no choice but to flow in a different direction.

[What is the work that you chose even after rejecting the Odin Universe [a fictional cinematic universe, similar to the MCU]?]

What was the alternative?

From a commercial point of view, there is no blockbuster on Earth that surpasses the Odin Universe.

Then wouldn’t you have received a bigger offer?

There were some guesses.

I made an alliance with a world-renowned director.

Or there was a pre-agreement with a domestic film company for a large sum of money.

Lee Min-ki got sick of art, etc.

However, there is no specific confirmation.

[Stop resting and do something.]

While words were going back and forth.

The correct answer was revealed.

The correct answer that accurately avoided everyone’s expectations.

[The war of all against all?]

[Who are these unheard of directors?]

[Why Netplay exclusive?]

* * *

[The war of all against all].

How did this movie, based on Battle Royale [a Japanese novel and film about students forced to fight to the death], succeed in attracting Netplay’s attention?

The reason for that was really simple.

[Low budget]

[The production cost is only 2 billion won [approximately $1.5 million USD]]

Because the production cost required was extremely low.

Of course, 2 billion won is not such a small amount when viewed from the perspective of Korean movies.

Strictly speaking, it’s ambiguously between low budget and medium budget.

But this is only the standard of Korean film companies.

From the perspective of Hollywood, where budgets of 100 billion won [approximately $75 million USD] fly around without hesitation.

[Even if you lose, it’s worth it.]

[It’s also tempting]

Even if something goes wrong, it meant that they could use it to fill one exclusive work in the playlist, considering it a write-off.

[Because it doesn’t cost much anyway.]

Here, Director Shim Sung-bo’s true value was revealed.

‘It’s amazing even when I look at it.’

Shim Sung-bo’s belt-tightening skills were like that.

“Okay, okay, Mr. Yang-gyu, please go over there. Behind the rock, yes! Mr. Cheol-mo, under the tree.”

Why is the background of [Manman Fight] an island?

That was the beginning of saving the budget.

‘Instead of setting up a set, they use an entire island.’

The actual island was used as the background.

It was one of the islands in Shinan Diamond Island, which people lived in a long time ago, but now it’s empty.

‘The island’s topography is being used neatly as a location to the bone.’

Still, did it cost money to rent an island?

No!

On the contrary, I got paid.

[These days, movie filming location marketing works pretty well.]

The Shinan County Office said that they invested in the production cost in exchange for filming on their island.

Artificial objects were almost excluded.

‘Since the movie setting and the real background are the same from the beginning, there’s nothing to be a problem.’

Did they say that this island was an abandoned island where residents left?

The island of [Manman Fight] also had the same setting.

People from all over were kidnapped and pushed into an uninhabited island where the law does not exist, so it can be seen as the same.

And one more thing.

“Action!”

Pow!

The action scene, which was thoroughly composed of bare hands and sword fights, was like that.

Excluding special effects and only shooting bare-body action, would there be any reason to increase the production cost separately?

It’s okay if the action is clumsy!

Because in the movie setting, they called people who couldn’t fight from the beginning and made them fight!

Even the action quality was excellent.

“Good! Let’s change the composition and shoot again!”

Director Shim Sung-bo’s own action direction was like that.

‘He’s more capable than I thought?’

This was something that even Lee Min-ki was surprised to fall back on.

‘I was worried because he looked so weak, but he’s actually very good at shooting violent action scenes. He’s a natural, a natural.’

Director Shim Sung-bo’s action direction had reached its peak.

I was wrong.

I thought Director Jin Joo-yeon would take on the cool direction, and Director Shim Sung-bo would draw the big picture, but it wasn’t.

“Director Sung-bo, I’ll take some people in front of me for a while.”

“Be careful and come back.”

“Should I buy you a cup of coffee when I come?”

“No, I can drink water.”

“I’m going to give it to the actors, not you.”

Director Jin Joo-yeon mainly played the role of looking after and coordinating the entire site.

Director Shim Sung-bo is detail-oriented.

The hands and feet fit perfectly.

As it was a low budget, the filming continued without a single grain of waste for a long time.

‘That’s why it’s a hit.’

Lee Min-ki was unknowingly shivering.

I feel it instinctively.

It is no coincidence that this movie was a global hit.

Director Shim Sung-bo and Director Jin Joo-yeon did not lack skills. They just lacked opportunities and budget.

In the previous life, Netplay filled it.

This time, Lee Min-ki added to it, and Netplay was fascinated by it and filled it with more money.

That was the completed site.

‘Amazing. No matter how much I learn, there’s still a lot left to learn.’

A site with no waste.

Lee Min-ki was capturing the site in his eyes as if he wouldn’t miss it even a little.

There were also people who couldn’t take their eyes off Lee Min-ki.

‘Lee Min-ki is not Lee Min-ki for nothing.’

The actors who participated in the site were like that.

‘Lee Min-ki is not Lee Min-ki for nothing.’

‘He’s usually a gentle person, but when he starts acting, he becomes a wolf.’

‘Wow, look at his body.’

Among them, there are many people who participated after seeing the name Lee Min-ki.

They wanted to learn from the actor Lee Min-ki.

How to attract attention.

How to become a successful actor.

You can see it.

The more you look, the more you know.

The reason why Lee Min-ki was able to succeed is.

‘The skill itself is so good.’

It was a different level of skill.

‘I understand the site perfectly.’

In particular, the understanding was different from the beginning.

Even before the directors gave instructions, he seemed to be looking beyond that.

It was the same right now.

“Actor, please come this way.”

“Yes!”

Director Shim Sung-bo called Lee Min-ki.

Then, he moved to the corner, took him to a large tree, pointed the camera and said.

“Do you have the machete I gave you earlier? Can you hit the tree above with all your might?”

The thickness of the tree was about the waist circumference of an ordinary woman.

If you hit it wrong, you could hurt your hand.

A role that top stars who care about their bodies are reluctant to play.

But Lee Min-ki is.

“Wait a minute.”

Swoosh!

A huge sound that could cut through the air rang out.

Crack!

Soon, along with a chilling sound, a tree fell like a rotten old tree.

Crash!

For a moment, Shim Sung-bo, as well as fellow actors, were gaping at the sight of dust rising.

Shim Sung-bo, who barely grabbed his mind, muttered.

“……I told you to hit it, but I never told you to knock it down.”

Oh, right.

Shim Sung-bo turned to the side and asked urgently.

“Did you take it now?”

“Yes, with an ax.”

“No, I mean, did you take it properly?”

“Ah, yes, yes!”