I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 449

The ‘Beast,’ Kang Woo-jin—or rather, ‘Haenyeo’ [Korean female diver] Kang Woo-jin—had a simple reason for wearing a full-body, skintight suit during the first scene of the first shoot of ‘Beauty and the Beast.’

‘Tsk! Even if it’s for CG, how can anyone get into character wearing something like this!’

Just as ‘Haenyeo’ Kang Woo-jin was internally complaining, most of the ‘Beast’s’ appearance had to be filmed with him wearing a special effects suit. Actually filming in the full ‘Beast’ makeup was only scheduled for a few times. Most of the time, Kang Woo-jin had to wear this suit.

‘Hey! Making team! Don’t film this, I said don’t film!’

It was a ridiculous outfit, gray with strange dots all over from head to toe, but it was all special clothing for CG. On top of that, something was stuffed inside the suit to make the ‘Beast’ look bigger. It was extremely uncomfortable and funny, but what could he do? It was all for the sake of the work’s perfection.

In fact, Kang Woo-jin was prepared for this situation.

He had done pre-preparations before the first shoot.

A few days ago, he had tried on this special outfit, and a week ago, he had done numerous shoots in a strange booth with cameras all around. It was for capturing expressions and facial movements for the near-perfect ‘Beast’ CG. After running a simulation, the ‘Beast’s’ face on the monitor followed Kang Woo-jin’s movements, which was amazing.

Even the subtle expressions.

To create such precise results, Woo-jin had to act in a skintight suit for more than half of the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ shoot, or maybe even more. It didn’t fit the image he had in mind, but he was enduring the embarrassment as much as possible for the sake of acting and the work.

‘I can’t believe Kara is laughing so freely. Ha-‘

Anyway, the foreign staff rushed onto the set. Since there was an NG [No Good, meaning a failed take], they had to set up again. Woo-jin, who was on the central staircase, awkwardly came down.

Kara was on the first floor.

‘Heup!’

She, who looked exactly like ‘Beauty Bella,’ was still trying hard to hold back her laughter while looking at Kang Woo-jin in his skintight suit. Woo-jin approached Kara among the dozens of staff members.

‘Are you going to keep laughing?’

It was a solemn tone, but inside he was shouting, ‘Stop laughing!’ Kara, who was wiping her tears, apologized.

‘I’m sorry. Why am I like this? It’s not like I’ve never seen that special outfit before, but when Woo-jin wears it, I can’t help but laugh.’

‘Then laugh it all out, get used to the funny sight.’

Kara, who was smiling, shook her head.

‘It’s not that it’s funny, it’s that it’s cute, that’s why I’m laughing.’

Cute? What part of my appearance is cute? Is her taste unique? It was hard for Kang Woo-jin to understand, and at that moment, he remembered what his mother had said in the past.

‘Woo-jin, whether it’s people or animals, being cute is the best. Once you start being cute, it’s over.’

At this point, director Bill Lautner, wearing black horn-rimmed glasses, approached. He was also smiling while looking at Kang Woo-jin.

‘It’s not bad to start off cheerfully, Woo-jin. It’s a relief that the special outfit suits you well.’

Woo-jin, who was staring at him blankly, didn’t particularly answer. He just grumbled inwardly, ‘Is this foreign old man making fun of me?’ Then, director Bill Lautner spoke to the two actors again, seriously.

‘The scene before the NG was amazing, let’s focus and go from the beginning again.’

‘Yes, director.’

‘Understood.’

The two actors answered and went back to their positions. Soon, director Bill Lautner, watching the back of skintight Kang Woo-jin awkwardly walking with the help of the staff.

-Swish.

He sat back in his seat where several monitors and key staff were gathered. Then he murmured.

‘…Just how much did that actor research the ‘Beast’?’

A low exclamation. The first scene of the first shoot. The scene itself was an NG, but the appearance of the two actors was excellent. Especially when the ‘Beast’ appeared, it was a masterpiece. At least, director Bill Lautner thought so. But other key staff members seemed to think the same, adding their opinions.

‘Even though he looks like that, every line and action he makes is the ‘Beast’.’

‘Right. Especially, did you see Woo-jin’s walk during the shoot? He lifted his heels, and in that state, he portrayed a heavy yet dignified presence. He must have researched the ‘Beast’s’ unique imposing walk.’

‘From his expressions to his facial movements, shoulders, arms, and hands. It’s like he’s tailored every part of his body to fit the ‘Beast’. The details are… I can’t wait to see the finished work.’

Director Bill Lautner, with his arms crossed.

‘It’s a misconception to think that you can just gloss over the performance or do it half-heartedly just because we’re adding CG. On the contrary, it requires several times more intense acting. If you do it carelessly, it’ll immediately look fake, but as expected, there’s no need to worry about Kang Woo-jin.’

He smiled slightly. He was very satisfied.

‘Even wearing that ridiculous outfit, he still reminds me of the ‘Beast’.’

The next morning. Around 9 AM.

In a place a little away from downtown LA, where the frequency of people and buildings was less than in the city center. In one of the 8-story buildings, a small film company called ‘A8 Media’ was located. It was called a small company, but in reality, it was more like a startup film company that had just started.

That’s why the sign was cleaner than the others.

The interior of ‘A8 Media,’ which occupied a corner of the 4th floor, felt cramped. There were about 10 employees. However, it seemed that they had already produced a work that had achieved some success, as movie posters produced by ‘A8 Media’ were hung on the walls of the office where the employees worked.

There was also a meeting room, and currently, five foreigners were in the middle of a conversation in this meeting room.

Three foreign men in suits. On the opposite side, a foreign woman with dark brown bobbed hair and a white shirt, who looked to be in her mid-40s, and a man with freckles on his face. This man looked a bit younger.

Transparent files or tablets were placed in front of everyone.

‘Okay, I understand for now.’

As if the conversation had ended, the three foreign men in suits stood up.

‘We’ll contact you after reviewing it.’

The brown-haired woman shook hands with all three men.

‘Please take care of us.’

The three men in suits left the meeting room. Soon, one of the three, a chubby man, chuckled to himself, recalling the previous meeting.

‘Wow. I heard they were remaking a movie from Kang Woo-jin’s debut film, so I thought there would be some connection to him, but there was none at all.’

‘I know, I was honestly expecting to hear a bit about Kang Woo-jin’s casting. But as expected, it was a bust. A wasted trip.’

‘Not only is there no connection, but it seemed like Kang Woo-jin didn’t know anything about this project? Well, I heard that Kang Woo-jin’s schedule is fully booked until the year after next with ‘Columbia Studios,’ Disney, and ‘Universal Movies’.’

‘I heard that too. With that kind of power, he wouldn’t bother with such a small project. Even if it’s related to his past.’

The chubby man, who had gotten off the elevator, continued.

‘Even if it’s Kang Woo-jin’s debut film that’s shaking up Hollywood, if it’s a Korean short film and he’s not involved at all, would anyone invest in such a project?’

The others strongly agreed.

‘Impossible. And the film company is new. It’s bound to fail. Even if they do make it, it’ll flop.’

Meanwhile, inside the meeting room of ‘A8 Media’.

The bobbed-haired woman and the freckled man were still in the meeting room where the three men had just left. The atmosphere was gloomy.

‘…’

‘…’

The freckled man opened his mouth with difficulty, as if the air was heavy.

‘I- It’ll be difficult, right?’

In fact, the meeting just now was about investment. Since it was the lifeline of film production, the three men were very important figures. But it seemed to have gone wrong, as the bobbed-haired woman sighed deeply.

‘It’s not easy, as expected.’

‘But they said they’d contact us, so maybe again.’

‘We’ll probably never see their faces again.’

‘…CEO.’

The bobbed-haired woman was the CEO of the new film company ‘A8 Media’. Being a CEO was just being the owner of a small shop in LA, where a huge number of film companies were gathered. Her name was Jennifer Thurman. She was from ‘Universal Movies’ and had made a decent hit with the movie she produced after bravely going independent.

So, it seemed like she had hit the jackpot, but her next project was a downhill slide.

Currently, she was on the edge of a cliff.

Jennifer Thurman, leaning back in her chair, looked at the two overlapping covers among the piles of papers on her desk. One was labeled ‘Guest,’ and the other was.

-‘Detective Agency’.

It was ‘Detective Agency’. It was the ‘Detective Agency’ that was Kang Woo-jin’s debut film. Jennifer Thurman had attended the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’ [a Korean short film festival] in Korea in the past. She felt potential after watching the short film ‘Detective Agency’. A few months later, she bought the rights to ‘Detective Agency’ and attempted a remake.

Of course, it was a feature film, not a short film, and it was tailored to Hollywood’s taste.

This was briefly known in Korea, but at that time, Kang Woo-jin was not as globally famous as he is now, so it was quickly buried. Anyway, ‘Guest,’ the Hollywood remake of ‘Detective Agency,’ was adrift, and it had been a year already.

‘Hoo- I never thought things would get this twisted.’

It had progressed to the pre-production stage once, but it was fiercely overturned. Well, now that Kang Woo-jin was a hit in Hollywood, she thought there was hope. In fact, the number of meetings had increased significantly compared to the past. But Jennifer Thurman’s firm expression did not ease.

‘They’re all just testing the waters, looking for Kang Woo-jin. They’re not even thinking about looking at the work itself.’

Well, even if it’s ‘Guest,’ a remake of Kang Woo-jin’s ‘Detective Agency,’ it’s a new work since it’s been adapted. If Woo-jin isn’t the lead, the movie ‘Guest’ is just another trashy script in a new film company.

Even mid-sized film companies often fail to secure investments, so there was no way a new film company would get any.

At this point, the freckled man cautiously chimed in.

‘CEO, I think it’s better to turn our attention to other scenarios besides ‘Guest’ now. We’ve had other scenarios besides ‘Guest’ from the beginning, haven’t we?’

‘…That’s right. But- sigh, yes. It was my greed.’

The reason she had been holding onto ‘Guest’ for over a year despite the impending failure was Jennifer Thurman’s greed. The scenario was well-written and interesting enough. It might create a new wave in horror or occult films.

‘But that’s just my thought.’

Jennifer Thurman, who had swept back her brown bobbed hair, got up from her chair with difficulty.

‘Let’s look for more investors… and select other scenarios. If we go any further, we’ll all really die.’

The freckled man, feeling sorry for the CEO, asked.

‘…CEO, you were against it- but just in case, how about sending the ‘Guest’ scenario to Kang Woo-jin? It’s a remake of his debut work, so wouldn’t he be interested?’

‘There’s only one reason why I was against it. It’s because there’s no possibility that he’ll be interested in ‘Guest’. He’s working with three of the ‘Big Five’ Hollywood film companies, and according to rumors, his schedule is full until the year after next.’

‘B-But still.’

‘More than anything, if we just look at the situation, it’ll look like we’re begging Kang Woo-jin. We have to do anything to survive, but we shouldn’t do anything that harms the other party, right?’

The freckled male employee shut his mouth at the right argument, and CEO Jennifer Thurman murmured quietly, touching the ‘Guest’ scenario on the desk. Her expression was filled with sadness.

‘It’s a shame, but this work will have to be buried in my memory.’

Two days later, September 4th.

A van was driving on the road. Inside, Kang Woo-jin, wearing a hat pulled down low, Choi Sung-gun, and the team members were visible. Woo-jin was on his way to ‘spt Studio’ for the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ shoot, which was about an hour away. It had already been four days since Woo-jin had been shooting two projects, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’.

But Kang Woo-jin was fine, and what was interesting was.

-Flap.

Kang Woo-jin, with a strong poker face, was reading a scenario. The cover had these words on it.

-‘Guest’

While reading the scenario, Woo-jin asked in a low voice.

‘Is this the Hollywood remake of ‘Detective Agency’?’

The answer was, as always, from Choi Sung-gun with his ponytail.

‘That’s right, the title is ‘Guest’. Remember? I told you about it once before. It was a short film that was sold to Hollywood unusually.’

‘Yes. I remember.’

‘That’s it. But you don’t have to focus on it, just read it like a book whenever you have free time. It’s just for you to check as the original lead.’

‘Director Shin Dong-chun sent the scenario?’

‘Yeah. Director Shin doesn’t have any other intentions, he just feels that since you led ‘Detective Agency,’ it’s polite to send the remake scenario. I talked to him on the phone, and he emphasized that he had no intention of asking you to pay attention to it.’

Woo-jin, who nodded slowly, turned his gaze back to the ‘Guest’ scenario. More precisely, to the swirling black square next to the scenario.

At this time, Choi Sung-gun added an explanation.

‘But from what I heard, the situation isn’t good.’

‘Not good?’

‘Well, it’s obvious. The one who bought ‘Detective Agency’ is a new Hollywood film company, and at that time, Director Shin was also a rookie, so he just handed it over because a Korean short film was being bought by Hollywood. After that, it was roughly adapted for a year, and it was almost completed and pre-produced, but it was overturned.’

‘So, they haven’t been able to get any investment until now?’

‘Director Shin has given up halfway. He said it’s probably going to be hard to produce.’

As soon as he heard the story, Kang Woo-jin moved his index finger without showing it. He had entered the subspace. Before he knew it, his surroundings were all dark subspace. Woo-jin, who immediately released his concept, moved to the white square without delay.

The newly added work was visible.

-[14/Scenario (Title: Guest), S Grade]

-[*This is a very high-quality movie scenario. 100% reading is possible.]

Kang Woo-jin was surprised.

‘Oh- S grade? This is quite a hit, isn’t it?’

No, quite a hit? Woo-jin thought that his senses had dulled because he had been dealing with SSS-grade or EX-grade things lately. When he thought about it, a single S-grade was a big deal. It wasn’t a nuclear-bomb-level mega-hit, but considering the background was Hollywood, it was a hit beyond a big deal.

‘I’ll do the reading (experience) after reading the scenario, since I might get some ability.’

However.

‘Anyway, it’s impossible for me to do this.’

That was the reality. He had three Hollywood projects in progress and many more booked. On top of that, Woo-jin’s other schedules in Korea, Japan, and Hollywood were not easy. It would definitely increase several times as the days went by.

No matter how much he thought about it, it was impossible.

‘I don’t think I can do it, this project. Well, there are plenty of actors in Hollywood.’

He stroked his chin as he briefly thought of top Hollywood actors other than Chris.

‘Hmm- but it’s a bit of a waste. Just throwing away an S-grade, and it’s a remake of ‘Detective Agency’.’

While thinking, Woo-jin suddenly seemed to have thought of something and shouted ‘Exit’ and returned to reality. Inside the van, Choi Sung-gun was still talking to Kang Woo-jin.

‘It’s a shame, but what can you do? There are thousands, no, more than tens of thousands of works that disappear like that in Hollywood. You just have to read it comfortably.’

Woo-jin, who quickly returned to his solemn face, proposed to Choi Sung-gun in a low tone.

‘How about the CEO making the main investment in this ‘Guest’?’