Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 143

Former Hero is a Top Star-143

To the World Stage (6)

*

There’s a simple way to pique human curiosity:

First, stop talking mid-sentence. Second, say nothing when you should be speaking.

Park Gun’s new project… or rather, a project that may or may not be new, has done both.

[Park Gun, Contact with Director… Next Move is Independent Film?]

[Gwyn Raymond, Unofficial Entry… Invited to Cannes? Already Acquainted]

[The Protagonist of Sundance, Carlovy Vary’s Scene Stealer, Why Would a Star of European Cinema Meet the Protagonist of Cannes?]

If it were an unknown nobody, maybe it wouldn’t matter. But when a well-known director throws a boisterous party while traveling around Seoul, tips are bound to come in.

The unique thing is that there were no Korean actors, including Park Gun, which most people initially dismissed as noise marketing.

This is also a strategy to heighten the mystery, and they’ll reveal the details when curiosity reaches its peak.

And there was no word.

Really, no response at all.

A director who appeared like a comet in the independent film scene secretly entered the country and met the winner of the Best Actor award at Cannes that year, but there were no particular results?

Of course, it’s possible they simply met, satisfied their respective fans, and parted ways. But the problem is their recent behavior, which is suspiciously quiet.

An A&R team leader who happened to stop by the PR department asked about Park Gun’s news but only heard that they didn’t know.

“No, the employees there are like Little Gong Team Leader. I think they know but are pretending not to know.”

“Team Leader, calm down. What’s got our team leader so worked up?”

“I’m curious too! I’m also an employee here!”

You could guess how thoroughly security was maintained just by looking at the title of the post on the fan cafe.

[Has there been any news about the new project?]

I really don’t know, even the people involved say they don’t know. I think they’re pretending not to know. Should we pretend not to know together….

Underneath the somewhat sad text, comments with similar content were posted one after another, creating a field of lamentation.

This has been going on for weeks.

There are no uploads on the agency’s official account, nor on the actors’ social media.

In Park Gun’s group chat, fans exhausted from waiting fervently shared each other’s pain.

[GunnyGunnySsoong]: What is it? Is it really just a rumor that our actor is appearing…?

[ParkHyukGunSe]: I heard he was with Roman officials. Let’s wait a little longer.

[RomanIsTemple]: It’s not usually this late for an official announcement ㅜ I’m getting anxious

Noh Joong-man, the head of Roman Entertainment, would do anything for so-called ‘aggro’ [attention-grabbing tactics], but that’s old news.

Now, when you pick the big three agencies, it’s DG, Joinus, and Roman right behind them.

What company would hide its representative actor while aiming for the top of the industry, beyond just being a solid mid-tier company?

While fans were withering away from frustration and curiosity, a candid photo from the set suddenly appeared at an unexpected time.

Title: Saw a movie shoot on my way home

Content: I can’t believe they’re filming something like this in my neighborhood ㅋㅋㅋㅋ There were so many cameras and quite a few staff members ㅇㅇ The actor is Park Gun? It sounded like a silenced gunshot ㄹㅇ

The accompanying photo showed a man who looked like Park Gun, foreign staff members, and a few more dark shadows.

Of course, the comment section was on fire.

-They’re really filming something ㄷㄷㄷㄷ

└It looks like action ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Let’s gooooo

-Why is it private? Why is it private? Why is it private?

-But seriously ㅋㅋㅋ Why didn’t they take a better picture? They really just threw it together ㅋㅋㅋ

-Isn’t this a marketer pretending to be a passerby?

└Considering Joongma’s track record, it’s possible ㅇㅇ

A photo with the shadows removed and the brightness maximized was uploaded, but there were no particular features.

You could only identify Park Gun with a buzz cut and Director Gwyn Raymond.

-Breaking) Park Gun Returns to His Debut Days

-Special Report) Even a handsome guy is handsome with a marine-style haircut

-Real Breaking News) This movie is said to be a special forces film invested in by 66 World

-Is he going to catch Killshorn…?

└Don’t even try to compare

Amid the overflowing speculation, the ‘Park Gun Division’ 7th generation, which included overseas members, departed.

*

Republic of Singapore.

GDP ranked 20th in the world. Land area is 740km2. A city-state where the capital is the country, and a representative tourist attraction is Marina Bay, built on the beach.

From the perspective of filming a movie, none of that information is important.

The key is just one thing:

Whether the authorities will permit the desired location. In other words, whether the local officials are cooperative with the filming.

“Damn airplane, the seat was so damn cramped.”

A clear and refreshing morning.

The ‘God’ team, having left the airport, set foot on Singaporean soil. Among the staff members moving in droves, Sammy, who was constantly loosening his massive shoulders, said.

“I was fine.”

“Come on, you and I are different sizes. We’re going to be moving around a lot, why don’t you get a private jet or something?”

Park Gun, who was pulling his carrier, retorted.

“It’s a waste. It’s better for all of us to fly business class.”

“Oh, you’re right, Teacher. Unnecessary waste is a sin.”

Pushing aside Sammy, who was nodding to himself, Raymond, who had sunglasses around his neck, approached Park Gun.

“How’s your condition? Can you handle it?”

Inside the plane, one of the staff members who was prone to motion sickness had a vomiting incident. Park Gun looked back at his manager next to him and said nonchalantly.

“I’m fine.”

“Good, I’m relieved that the protagonist is the strongest. I was worried that the schedule would be delayed due to minor illnesses.”

In any movie, the lead actor is the beginning and the end of the project. Raymond’s expression also showed relief at the refreshing answer from the precious one.

“You can go in as soon as you’re ready. I don’t get affected by jet lag easily.”

“I’m glad to hear that. If the stay gets longer, we might end up like we did in the Philippines again. The authorities there are so fickle.”

Unnecessary production costs were also incurred. Raymond clicked his tongue and muttered.

In any country, getting permission for tourist attractions or specific location shoots is easier than you think.

Especially if you’re a famous director… or a popular actor. The authorities also know that it’s the most effective form of promotion, so they give location permits that accommodate the production team as much as possible.

‘Um, the filming starts the day after tomorrow? We have a problem….’

However, there was a small snag in Baseco, Philippines, the previous filming location.

Even though the permits had all been issued, the official in charge of the area suddenly changed his mind and restricted filming.

“But it turned out well, so what are you grumbling about? Commercial films are always harder to shoot than independent films.”

Jo Hermong, the cinematographer who joined last and had been working with Raymond for a long time, grinned and chimed in.

One way or another, this is already the third location.

They filmed in Korea, and they filmed in the Philippines.

The battle with the local drug dealers wielding machetes and sashimi is a cliché, but the realism of the slum they scouted brought the scene to life.

On top of that, the martial arts team’s action, which seemed to transfer the unique humid heat of Southeast Asia to the screen, created an amazing picture.

Percy, a firearms expert who was scouted as the head of the stunt team along with Kim Yang-ho, was speechless as soon as he joined the team locally.

‘His interpretation is amazing. Even the local actors are surprised. Whether he takes long takes or short takes, it’s perfect in itself, so you can put it in without editing.’

As much as the production team was surprised by the actor, the actor was also experiencing a new world in his own way.

First of all, the number of people is enormous.

During his first movie… Black Priest, there were not even fifty staff members in total.

It was virtually an independent film-level workforce, and it was the result of grinding down director and editor Kim Ryul and the others.

It’s different here.

Not only is every task perfectly divided, but when the set time passes, they stop filming and take a break.

Raymond, who turns into an extreme perfectionist when he grabs the megaphone, is the same.

‘Let’s wrap it up, you’ve all worked hard.’

The director, who had been giving directions for every single movement and expression of the supporting actors, becomes as lax as a different person.

The head staff members whisper to each other for a moment, then take the day’s storyboard and script and disappear somewhere.

Later, when I went to the hotel room, they were eating room service dinner among the piles of paper spread out like a mountain.

‘What’s wrong? Room service is available in your room too, right?’

‘…No, it’s nothing.’

It was a little unfamiliar at first, but from the staff’s point of view, there’s nothing more comfortable than this.

Kim Yang-ho and his team, who were used to the brutal Korean schedule, wandered around the set in disbelief.

‘Is this the end? It can’t be?’

‘Look, they’re taking out the equipment. It looks like there’s really no filming until tomorrow morning?’

‘Hey, hey, people in this neighborhood only do what they have to do and finish. What do you country bumpkins who have never even seen Hollywood know…’

‘Oh yeah? You haven’t had a project in ten years, what are you talking about!’

That’s how they finished filming in the Philippines and came to Singapore on the first day. While the actors and staff were resting, Raymond had a meeting with local officials.

-Okay. It’s easier to communicate here than before? Just notify them of the location and time, and they said we can film as we please as long as we get the angles they want. They must be desperate to promote the simple city view.

The staff members who were listening to the phone in the hotel room breathed a sigh of relief.

Now that they have local cooperation, there’s no time to waste.

From the next day, filming began at the luxurious hotel in Marina Bay, the city’s number one tourist destination.

*

Singapore, hotel rooftop.

This is virtually the second main filming location. In Korea, they filmed in a remote alley on the outskirts of Seoul, and in the Philippines, most of the locations were in slums next to night markets.

The first scene of begins in a Philippine slum.

God, who had retired from the special forces and was living a life like a waste.

To him, crouching in front of a dirty alley, a pair of siblings, skinny and with only their eyes shining, hand him an orange.

―······

The man with short hair, Park Gun, who had completely transformed into God, raises his eyes.

The cursed beast-like eyes gleam black, but the children just giggle and hand over the dirt-covered orange.

―Are you hungry?

The language of the country, which used to be one of many operation sites, comes out of the child’s mouth.

―Eat, it’s delicious.

God takes the orange and splits it in half, handing it to the child. Feeling that the life he was about to end has been postponed.

And that day, 60% of the slum’s population dies in a gang’s terror attack.

―What, you crazy bastard!

―Are you the gang leader of this city?

The scene changes, and Jose Legion, the boss of the largest drug organization in the Philippines, shouts while bleeding.

―Yes, I am Jose, the son of Carlo! How dare you point a gun at me in this land, who are you?

The man who infiltrated the boss’s room alone, with only one gun and one jungle knife, whispers.

―…God.

―What?

―God, it’s simple revenge.

His given name and surname have long disappeared.

For the oriental man who only has the code name left as a trace of humanity, the only driving force moving his body at this moment is revenge.

“Alright, then.”

Gwyn Raymond, who was skimming through the edited version filmed in the Philippines, smiled.

Behind Park Gun, who was wearing a loose long-sleeved shirt, the stuntmen who would be working with him today were gathered in a circle like soldiers at a parade.

“Shall we educate some Singaporean mafiosi?”

* * *