Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 156

The Summer Harvest Festival (6)

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Two days before the world premiere of .

The domestic film community was buzzing with dozens of pages of posts related to .

Title: Those saying will catch lol

Content: The first one might… but after watching the final trailer, it’s a completely different movie ㄷ ㄷ

This is a site with many dedicated fans, so-called ‘hipsters’.

In the early days, they would have bombarded it with dislikes, saying it was just hype because of the appearance of a domestic actor, but now, with all sorts of trailers released, it’s different.

Those who immediately took the bait started a comment relay.

-Let’s show the dignity of K-stunts ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Let’s go ㅅㅅㅅㅅㅅ

└└I watched the trailer and it might actually surpass it;

└└└Please stop with the overreactions ㅡㅡ Don’t you know about Young-ppa Mang [a derogatory term for blindly supporting someone]?

-Killthorn 1’s production cost: 30 million / Gord’s: 15 million

└Hmm… smells like legend

└└The actors are different~ Hollywood’s popular star vs. a fleeting star from a back alley~

-The guy above should look at Park Gun’s domestic box office performance ㅋㅋ Does what he’s done so far look like nothing to you?

└ㄹㅇㅋㅋ He blew up with a bunch of nobodies and even went to Cannes

└└Info) Currently, Kim Ryul is a 0.5 tier in Chungmuro [Korean Hollywood], and Lee Jang-mi has become a well-known actress

└└└I’m looking forward to seeing what Godwin Raymond’s commercial film direction will be like. I heard his childhood dream was to make an action movie.

-The key is how much the director has unleashed Park Gun’s action potential, the opponent isn’t easy ㅇㅇ

On the other hand, critics were somewhat reserved.

Recently, all the Chungmuro films that were hyped as ambitious and highly anticipated sank.

Only a few famous directors maintained their pride by achieving good results. The rest failed to dominate even the domestic market, let alone overseas, and continued their box office slump.

In this environment, if they give a domestic actor’s overseas film a high score right away?

Of course, they’ll be criticized from all sides.

A film critic from a certain magazine, who gave an 8.5, replaced his review with a short comment.

Kim Jung-ik, Journalist

[You have to open the lid to know, you have to see the movie to know.]

And Park Gun’s fans and acquaintances… as always, they were biting their nails with half worry and half anticipation.

“Hey, what do you think?”

Seo Seung-ah, who came to Seocho-dong to visit a classmate while stopping by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, asked, pushing away several copies of poster she had.

“What do I think? I have to do a ‘회전문’ [revolving door – watching a movie repeatedly in theaters] until the 3rd viewing, or even the 5th if I have time.”

“…No, not that. What do you think about the box office? Gun seems so carefree. Even Seon-i seemed to have a confident look.”

A few days ago, they were invited by Park Gun and visited his family home for the first time in a while.

They greeted Park Yeol-ho and Han Young-joo, and the time flew by just talking about their trip to America while eating dinner.

What was a little surprising was that even Park Seon, who usually worries about his brother’s affairs, seemed relaxed.

‘Oh, this movie? It’s okay, it’s okay. Just talk to the people around hyung [older brother/male friend] and nuna [older sister/female friend]. It’s really fun, so tell them to come and see it.’

Even though they had a delicious dinner and received premiere tickets, they are always concerned about their friend’s work.

It was okay during because they had nothing to lose, but now it’s different. That eccentric director has done a lot of media play, and the world’s fans are eagerly waiting for the movie’s release.

Seo Seung-ah, who had been gulping down her Americano, said.

“Hey, Young-ho.”

“What.”

“Don’t you still know Seon-i? She’s a viewership rating radar, but only for her brother.”

“What are you talking about again?”

“Never mind, never mind. Just go to the premiere and see for yourself. I don’t want to explain it to a slowpoke.”

And finally, the next day.

The veiled special forces member revealed himself.

*

The movie theater in Yongsan where the premiere was held.

An enormous crowd gathered from midday at the largest multiplex in Korea, the same place where the premiere of was held.

Men who appeared to be reporters from the entertainment and film magazines pointed at each other in surprise.

“What, even Team Leader Kim came?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it. If you miss this, you’ll miss a big opportunity. I have to see if there’s anything to gain from the rumored feast.”

“Anyway, that hyena-like guy, hehe.”

The man with glasses, who winked at his colleague, checked his smartphone.

“Besides, it’s the world premiere. It’s a golden opportunity to suck up traffic.”

Surprisingly, was first released in Korea worldwide.

When the film industry grew remarkably and Korean filmmakers achieved good results on the international stage, blockbusters rushed to Korea.

But now it’s different. In a situation where it is said that you have to capture North America to lead the box office boom,

Shooting the first signal flare in Korea is respect and confidence for the actor.

Even if it is released in the lead actor’s home country, it can sweep the rest of the market.

“Choi Phillip!”

“Actress Lee Jang-mi! Please look this way!”

“Kim Ryul, it’s director Kim Ryul!”

At that time, there was a commotion on one side. The main characters of , the Roman Legion, and even the members of Four Queens appeared in a row.

Kim Ryul, another protagonist of Cannes, as well as Lee Jang-mi, who has steadily built her career, have a completely different status than two years ago.

Lee Jang-mi, who posed at the photo zone in front of the premiere, wiped away the sweat that was starting to form.

“Ha, I thought I was at a film festival. Why are there so many reporters at the premiere?”

That’s because Kim Ryul was being held back by officials over there and was being interviewed without even entering the photo zone.

Choi Phillip, who came as the representative of Roman ‘Big 5’, replied as if it was nothing.

“It’s Yongsan. The theater is big, and they reduced the screen monopoly so as not to cause trouble for other movies. All the reporters who wanted to see it at the premiere flocked here.”

“Well… I came hoping to be of some help, but I almost didn’t have to.”

That’s right. It’s because the procession of former and current ‘Park Gun Division’ who came to help their colleague continued endlessly.

Seo Hee-do, Byun Hwi-seung, Kwon Yuri, Jo Hyun-ah… all the members who ate from the same pot gathered, creating an atmosphere like a regular awards ceremony, not a premiere.

Lee Jang-mi turned her head. Because of her cynical nature, these two got along quite well even though it was their first time meeting.

“What about the other Roman actors? You seemed to be on good terms, so I thought you’d come together…”

“Ah, those guys.”

Choi Phillip chuckled, as if recalling something.

“Jin Ji-yu, that idiot, mistook the date and scheduled a shoot for today. She said she couldn’t postpone it and was crying, so I told her I’d spoil the report.”

“…You’re really mean.”

“That’s the Roman average. If you’re thinking of changing companies, please refer to it well and come in.”

Whether Lee Jang-mi refused or not, Choi Phillip folded his fingers one by one.

“Shin Seung-i hyung couldn’t come because of filming either… he’ll probably watch it early tomorrow morning. Baek Ha-ni probably went to see it alone again, pretending to be a world star with a hat and mask, raising her eyes.”

At that time, the flash went off all at once as ‘Four Queens’ got out of the celebrity van over there.

Instead of Jin Ji-yu, the current leader Im Ah-hee brought reinforcements.

“I’ve never seen so many celebrities at a premiere. It’s almost half reporters and half celebrities.”

“If you include the officials, it’ll be about that much. Our Park Gun is quite popular. These days, I even get calls from PDs [Production Directors] I don’t know.”

It’s a completely different attitude from when he criticized other actors who were mentioned before coming to the premiere.

Choi Phillip glanced at his watch and gestured with his chin. It was almost time for the premiere to start.

“Let’s go in. Tell Director Kim to come on his own.”

“Wait a minute.”

“What again? We’ll be late if we don’t go now.”

“As a fellow actor, what do you think, Phillip-ssi [honorific]? Gun-i oppa’s [term of endearment for older brother/male friend] movie this time.”

Choi Phillip, who was about to move, turned around and looked at Lee Jang-mi.

For a brief moment, a smile crossed both of their lips.

“You know, why are you asking? That guy becomes a superhuman the more supporters he has.”

*

[Gord: Sentinel of Wrath]

The first scene of the movie starts with a huge book. Wind blows from somewhere, and as the pages turn, a familiar voice flows out.

—I came from a far place.

“······!”

The moment the low voice echoed, some audience members let out a silent exclamation.

There’s no time to admire.

In the pages… a production that looks like it came out of a gladiator movie from a dozen years ago unfolds in a trendy way.

Perhaps thinking about the viewers’ romance. An Asian man wearing shabby cargo pants and a stretched t-shirt runs with graphics that are half comic and half real.

Bullets fly, blood splatters, and the bursting blood and gunpowder smoke from the gun barrels scatter in a somewhat cartoonish way—

—In a homeland that has lost itself, not a homeland.

In an instant, it turns into reality.

And blackout.

In the darkened movie theater, the officials in the audience belatedly swallowed their breaths. They dominated the opening with just two lines of narration.

—Hey, what happened?

—Ken is dead! I saw it with my own eyes!

—What? Did the Jade gang do it?

What appeared next was a back alley in Detroit.

In that place where red spray paint was scribbled on half-collapsed plaster walls, an Asian child was sitting blankly, looking outside.

—I don’t know. He wasn’t shot, but there was some kind of hole in the back of his neck. Like he was hit by some kind of thin needle.

Along with the uneasy voices of the gang members, the shaking angle turns to the child.

The child, young Gord, is holding a long bamboo needle in his hand, staring at them expressionlessly.

And that night.

—Aaaagh, Kkeuaaaaak!

—Who is it? Turn on the light!

Tang, taaaang!

Kidnapping, gang, annihilation.

In a way that is unfriendly yet concise, the movie looks at Gord’s childhood.

Abandoned by his biological parents, adopted by his adoptive parents, and then kidnapped again… Instead of telling a long story, it only throws out key information.

Running time 2 hours and 7 minutes,

And the screen that has passed, this time the slums of the Philippines are captured by the camera.

—······.

The feeling is different from the Harlem in Detroit that filled the screen until just now.

Gwyn Raymond, the rising star of independent films, showed off his talent without regret.

Light, composition, and unique use of angles. The camera twists the angle at which it sees the subject, and the positions of those subjects are also arranged in a strange harmony.

As a result, viewers feel some unfamiliarity with the scenery of Southeast Asia that they have seen countless times.

As if being on the scene… the noise of the rotating ventilator and the sound of flying insects, and the muggy humidity.

In the front row, a movie reporter took off his hat and wiped away sweat.

The reactions of the other invited celebrities were not much different. Choi Phillip unfolded his arms, and Lee Jang-mi swallowed dry saliva.

Perhaps feeling something unusual in a few scenes. Kim Ryul is staring at the screen without even blinking.

Soon, the camera stops on a ragged man squatting down.

—Hey, let’s go together!

—Come on quickly! I’m leaving you behind!

In the faintly echoing voices of children,

The sentinel raised his head.

* * *