I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 397

‘The Benevolent Evil’ is number 1 on US Netflix? Kang Woo-jin, looking at the foreign news article on Choi Sung-gun’s phone, was like,

“······”

On the outside, he maintained a cool demeanor, but inside, he was tilting his head in confusion. The reason was simple. How should he put it? It didn’t feel real, or he couldn’t quite grasp it.

‘It’s great that it’s number 1, but… how big of a deal is this??’

This experience was also a first for him. Choi Sung-gun, who was very excited, exclaimed.

“This is amazing, amazing!! ‘The Benevolent Evil’ is the first Korean work to hit number 1 in the US on Netflix Original!”

First? Then this is awesome. Only then did Kang Woo-jin feel a surge of excitement. Of course, only in his mind. If Choi Sung-gun wasn’t there, he would have jumped around with joy. But he suppressed the rising excitement as much as possible.

“Yes, I know.”

“Hahaha! I read some articles, and it seems like only the US has been announced yet, but either way, the US is the main market among 80 countries, so this is an incredible start! The word-of-mouth and influence in the US are enormous!”

“Have the other countries not been announced yet?”

“Uh, uh, not yet. They’ll be coming out soon. But since we hit number 1 on US Netflix! The rest are definitely worth anticipating!!”

Choi Sung-gun was giving an enthusiastic briefing. These days, he couldn’t stop smiling. Woo-jin responded to him in a low tone, maintaining his tough act.

“But it’s too early to be sure just because we hit number 1.”

“That’s right.”

Choi Sung-gun, who had put down his phone, nodded.

“Today we’re number 1, but tomorrow we could fall in the rankings. More than anything, it’s quite volatile, not a sure thing like movie ticket sales. The current number 1 on US Netflix needs to be maintained, and the buzz needs to keep spreading to become a massive hit. Still.”

Choi Sung-gun paused, then raised his phone again and shook it. His smile widened several times over.

“Even if we only stay number 1 for a single day, that itself is already insane. First of all, it’s the first Korean work to hit number 1 on US Netflix, and ‘The Benevolent Evil’ pushed out shows that have been in the top ranks for dozens of weeks. It broke that barrier! And it was a Korean work!”

As he explained, there were hit shows that were firmly entrenched at the top of the charts on Netflix in every country.

This phenomenon was especially severe on US Netflix. There were so many amazing and formidable works. Therefore, breaking the rankings on US Netflix was definitely not easy. It might be possible for a big-budget American series, but it was nearly impossible for a Korean drama to break this concrete ranking.

Because the recognition and interest were so low.

‘The Benevolent Evil’ had accomplished this impossible feat. So, even if it was only a one-day wonder, it was meaningful. It had raised the status and positive image of Korean dramas in the US. This was a huge step, even if it was short-lived. But if this phenomenon, this trend, lasted not just a day but several days or weeks, the world would be turned upside down.

But that was also extremely difficult.

Nevertheless, Choi Sung-gun with his ponytail was imagining a bright future for ‘The Benevolent Evil.’

“If it keeps going like this for just a week… wow, it’ll be more than a nuclear bomb. Your overseas recognition will also skyrocket several times over.”

Suddenly, he clapped his hands.

“Ah! That’s right! Your Instagram and ‘Kang Woo-jin’s Sub-Character’ channel might already be exploding!”

He hadn’t checked, but it was obvious. On the other hand, Kang Woo-jin maintained a firm expression while briefly lost in thought.

‘The Benevolent Evil’s grade is EX…’

Considering the results of ‘Night Flower’ and ‘Leech,’ which were SSS-grade, it was clear that the EX-grade ‘The Benevolent Evil’ would be dropping nuclear bombs on the world non-stop.

Kang Woo-jin barely stopped his lips from curving upwards.

‘Aish, dangerous, dangerous.’

At this point, Choi Sung-gun, who was practically dancing instead of Woo-jin, said,

“Anyway, number 1 in the US is great, but the rankings in other countries are also important. The total final ranking of all countries combined is even more so.”

It was then that Choi Sung-gun’s phone rang. The caller was Kim So-hyang, the general director in Korea.

“Yes, yes, this is me!”

As Choi Sung-gun immediately started the call, Woo-jin’s phone also vibrated. It was a call as well. This one was from Miley Cara. Kang Woo-jin put the phone to his ear.

“Hello.”

Soon, Cara’s voice, mixed with laughter, was heard from the other side of the phone.

“I’m watching ‘The Benevolent Evil,’ and the visuals are amazing. I like how I look too.”

“Is that so?”

“Did you hear the news? Congratulations on hitting number 1 on US Netflix.”

“Congratulations to you too.”

“That’s right, I should be congratulated too, right? I’ve been getting so many calls. And this isn’t just me saying it.”

Cara added with sincerity.

“Many of my colleagues around me are saying ‘The Benevolent Evil’ is really fun.”

‘Colleagues’ clearly meant top Hollywood actors.

Back to the present.

Around noon on the 4th, a day after ‘The Benevolent Evil’ was officially launched. As expected, Korea was plastered with ‘The Benevolent Evil’ everywhere.

It was explosive.

『[Issue Pick] Kang Woo-jin’s ‘The Benevolent Evil’ finally revealed, hits number 1 on Korean Netflix as soon as it’s released!』

『SNS and various communities are buzzing about ‘The Benevolent Evil’… “Is ‘The Benevolent Evil’ really fun?” Rave reviews』

『‘Not at all inferior to Hollywood productions,’ critics also praise ‘The Benevolent Evil’』

Many articles were flooding in, but especially now.

『‘The Benevolent Evil’ makes a splash! Number 1 on US Netflix… First Korean drama!』

They were busy spreading news from overseas rather than domestic news.

『[Issue Check] First Korean drama! ‘The Benevolent Evil’ causing a sensation at number 1 on US Netflix』

『How fun is ‘The Benevolent Evil’? Number 1 in the US after Korea!』

『Kang Woo-jin’s action acting has resonated with the world, ‘The Benevolent Evil’ is the first Korean work to hit number 1 on US Netflix』

Number 1 in Korea, number 1 in the US. Already two countries where it hit number 1. But ‘The Benevolent Evil’ was available in 80 countries. That meant there were still many countries to be announced.

Then, new news was added.

『‘The Benevolent Evil’ hits number 1 on Japanese Netflix after Korea and the US』

『Japan also gives ‘The Benevolent Evil’ a thumbs up! Following ‘Night Flower’ and ‘Leech,’ ‘The Benevolent Evil’ also shows signs of success』

Japan also joined the number 1 parade. Around this time, the domestic public opinion was… no, in fact, the domestic public had been in an uproar from the moment ‘The Benevolent Evil’ was launched.

-Wtf hahahahahahaha ‘The Benevolent Evil’ is so fun hahahahahaha

-Honestly… I didn’t expect anything but ‘The Benevolent Evil’ is seriously so well-made

-I thought it was boring

-Agreed hahahaha Kang Woo-jin’s action was insane!!!

-Info: The action Kang Woo-jin showed in ‘The Benevolent Evil’ includes a lot of CQC [Close Quarters Combat], and that CQC is a technique that even Hollywood finds difficult

-No way;;; Kang Woo-jin is so cool;;;;;

-I was on the edge of my seat during the long take scene

-Kang Woo-jin and Miley Cara’s chemistry is crazy hahahaha Cara’s screen time is more than I thought, I have to watch it again!

-Long take + Kang Woo-jin’s action is chilling

-It was just so-so, don’t overreact. It’ll probably fall from number 1 in the US tomorrow

-‘The Benevolent Evil’ is insane… I’m watching it now and it’s like watching a Hollywood movie…

-Action, directing, acting, everything is perfect hahahaha A legendary work has come out

-Woah… is it real that it hit number 1 on US Netflix?? That’s so amazing hahahahahaha

-Watch ‘The Benevolent Evil’ 10 times, it’s seriously eye candy

·

·

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Numerous communities, various social media, blogs, cafes, YouTube, etc. No matter where you went on the internet, you only saw talk about ‘The Benevolent Evil.’ It was beyond heated, the flames were soaring. What was interesting was.

『‘The Benevolent Evil’ opens up the possibility of global success, overseas netizens are also flocking to it/Photo』

The current explosive reaction was happening not only in Korea but also in various overseas communities. Of course, there were plenty of excited and positive reviews.

The trend was good.

The word-of-mouth, which had great power, began to spread like a typhoon. Therefore, everyone involved in ‘The Benevolent Evil,’ from Netflix Korea to PD [Production Director] Song Man-woo and writer Choi Na-na, were extremely busy.

Meanwhile, the momentum of ‘The Benevolent Evil’ grew even stronger.

『Top stars’ SNS posts are appearing one after another, certifying they watched ‘The Benevolent Evil’/Photo』

『[Issue Talk] The intense phenomenon of ‘The Benevolent Evil’ has hit Korea and the world like a typhoon!』

This was the situation just one day after ‘The Benevolent Evil’ was released. Of course, this was just the beginning.

From the morning of the 5th, a day later.

-Wow!! ‘The Benevolent Evil’ is also number 1 in Hong Kong!!

By the 6th, several new number 1s were being announced to the world.

『‘The Benevolent Evil’ also hits number 1 on Netflix in Mexico, France, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong! Number 2 in the UK and Switzerland』

‘The Benevolent Evil’ was creating something huge.

『[Feature] ‘The Benevolent Evil’ shocks the world, 3 days after release, maintains number 1 in several countries including Korea and the US』

It was creating an enormous trend.

Meanwhile, in LA.

In downtown LA in the afternoon. In the meantime, at the huge film studio ‘Columbia Studios.’ Kang Woo-jin could be found in a medium-sized meeting room inside ‘Columbia Studios,’ where many tourists still visit.

“······”

He was sitting in the center of a U-shaped table. He was looking out the window in front of him. His expression was stiff, and his attire was also somewhat formal, wearing a blazer. However, his inner self was currently extremely excited.

‘Wow, crazy. How many countries did ‘The Benevolent Evil’ hit number 1 in? Was it 20??’

Kang Woo-jin in LA was also checking the news of ‘The Benevolent Evil,’ which had caused a global typhoon, every moment. With each passing day, his eyes widened, but Kang Woo-jin also sensed that this was not the end.

But he had to stay calm.

‘No, don’t let your lips curve up.’

Choi Sung-gun and the overseas branch staff of BW Entertainment, who were sitting around him, were the ones who were going crazy instead of Kang Woo-jin. They had been continuously monitoring since morning and were still talking excitedly about ‘The Benevolent Evil.’ The deep smiles on their faces were a bonus.

It was natural since they were achieving new records and legends every day.

It was then.

-Swoosh.

The closed glass door opened, and foreigners entered the meeting room. They were familiar faces. The general producer of ‘Pierrot,’ executives of ‘Columbia Studios.’ At the end, director Ahn Ga-bok with his wrinkled face was also seen.

The core production team of the movie ‘Pierrot.’

Soon, more than a dozen people were sitting facing each other in the meeting room. 5 people on Kang Woo-jin’s side, 7 on the opposite side. The reason for the gathering of the two camps was simple.

The first meeting after the audition.

In other words.

‘Whew, I’m a little nervous.’

Kang Woo-jin was sitting at the first negotiation table as the confirmed actor for the role of ‘Henry Gordon’ in ‘Pierrot,’ not as a candidate actor. Therefore, Woo-jin felt a slight tension. Well, he had been to many meetings like this, but it was his first experience in Hollywood, so it was a natural phenomenon.

The initial conversations of the meeting were simple greetings.

How have you been, or impressions of the last audition, the current buzz about ‘The Benevolent Evil’ in the US, etc. Of course, Woo-jin also spoke with director Ahn Ga-bok in Korean.

“‘The Benevolent Evil’ has been a huge hit. I enjoyed watching it.”

“Thank you.”

“It seems like almost everyone here has seen it, the buzz is unusual. It’s my rusty intuition, but I don’t think the momentum of ‘The Benevolent Evil’ will be short-lived.”

“I think so too.”

“It looks like it’s going to cause a real stir.”

About 10 minutes passed like that.

At this point.

“Mr. Kang Woo-jin.”

Among the foreigners across the table, the female producer of ‘Pierrot’ with a strong presence suddenly put on a serious expression.

“Today, we plan to decide on several things regarding your role as ‘Henry Gordon.’ But before that, there are two things we need to convey. Of course, both of these are very important things related to ‘Pierrot.’ We have decided on you and want you, but after hearing them, you have the right to refuse the role.”

Refuse? That’s nonsense? Kang Woo-jin, seeing her suddenly creating a heavy atmosphere, closed his mouth for now. He was thinking, ‘What’s she going to say to make it so serious? Let’s hear it first.’ Then, the general producer made eye contact with director Ahn Ga-bok and the surrounding executives before speaking again.

“First, the first thing. The fact that Mr. Kang Woo-jin has been confirmed for the role of ‘Henry Gordon’ was actually supposed to be announced together with the other cast members once they were decided. That’s the usual picture, our company and other film companies proceed similarly. We were estimating about a month later.”

“······”

“But I think we need to make a change. The global attention, including Hollywood’s, on your ‘The Benevolent Evil’ is huge.”

The producer, making eye contact with Kang Woo-jin, put strength into her voice.

“The announcement will be made with Mr. Kang Woo-jin alone, the announcement stage will not be small, and the timing will be moved up to 3 days from now. Is that okay? If it’s too rushed and burdensome.”

“No.”

Woo-jin shook his head indifferently and replied in a low tone in English.

“I don’t mind doing it right now.”

At this time.

A new post was just uploaded on the official SNS of ‘Columbia Studios.’

-[Hello. This is ‘Columbia Studios.’ We have something to tell you about the movie ‘Pierrot,’ which is currently in passionate production. In fact, our ‘Columbia Studios’ has been preparing a large-scale project for several years, and the direction of that project has recently been finalized.]

The feeling was that they had put a lot of effort into it. It was natural.

It was the moment when ‘Columbia Studios’ first revealed the ultra-large project that they had been secretly working on for years.

[‘Pierrot’ will be the movie that announces the beginning of that huge project.]

Because it was the moment they first revealed the ‘Cinematic Universe.’