I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 467

The ‘Academy Awards,’ or Oscars, the most prestigious award in the world, were just a few months away. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the organization behind the awards ceremony, was making significant moves.

There had been some initial feelers, but this time it was a proper official move.

The list of submissions that had passed the executive committee’s review and met all the necessary conditions was finalized and distributed to thousands of members who served as judges. These members were located not only in the United States but all over the world. Now, the names of the movies that had illuminated Hollywood that year, as well as the actors, staff, and directors who had passionately worked on them, would be mentioned countless times.

In addition to directors, actors, and key staff, a huge number of influential figures were included, and among them, of course:

– Clown: Birth of a Villain/ Columbia Studios/>

‘Clown,’ which Columbia Studios had staked its reputation on and marked the beginning of its ‘Cinematic Universe,’ was also in the mix.

Simply put, there was no turning back now.

From now on, there would be a rather complex process, but to put it simply, after the evaluations of thousands of members were completed, the final nominated works would be announced to the world in late March or early April. At the same time, the final nominated works would be redistributed to the members, and the winners would be decided from there.

The works and names would be grandly announced at the ‘Academy Awards’ ceremony, which would take place before the end of April.

Of course, everything from the entire process to the nominated works is kept confidential, but since the ‘Academy Awards’ shake up Hollywood so much, some information inevitably leaks. This first judging move was no exception. Although ‘AMPAS,’ the executive body, did not announce it separately, their movements were reported in the Hollywood media.

『CNM/[Exclusive] ‘Academy Awards’ Moves, ‘AMPAS’ Distributes Works to Members to Decide This Year’s ‘Academy Awards’ Nominees!』

Of course, rumors had already been circulating offline before the media got involved. Among the numerous figures in Hollywood, including film companies, production companies, directors, actors, and key staff, the ‘Academy Awards’ became a hot topic.

“I heard the Oscar submissions have been distributed to the members. There are so many great works this year, it’ll be interesting to watch.”

“Haha, that’s right. There were many box office hits, but there were also quite a few that went for artistic merit. But aren’t you curious about what will happen to ‘Clown’ or Kang Woo-jin?”

“Yeah, the quality of the work aside, it’s probably the most talked-about piece.”

“Since the pre-release, the reviews on various sites seem to be mostly favorable—I wonder how the members around the world will see it?”

“Especially Kang Woo-jin, who openly declared he was aiming for the ‘Academy Awards.’ His results will probably be the most focused on.”

As expected, there was a lot of talk about ‘Clown: Birth of a Villain,’ which had gathered a tremendous amount of attention. Even more talked about was Kang Woo-jin. ‘Clown’ had already been pre-released for over a week, and Woo-jin’s villain performance was receiving rave reviews from various sites, media, and the public. However, this momentary trend alone was not enough to secure a nomination for the ‘Academy Awards.’

“Kang Woo-jin—it’s true that he’s achieved miracles from Cannes to the Emmys, but the lineup of works and actors this year is significantly stronger than last year.”

“This year was a year when many actors who could be called great actors were active, both directors and actors.”

“It’s going to be about that, whether to uphold the long-standing tradition or to give strength to a rookie who has created a new wave.”

“Hmm… but if we’re talking about ‘rookies,’ Kang Woo-jin isn’t the only one, is he?”

“Well, that’s true.”

Moreover, there were many veteran actors who dominated Hollywood, and there were also many new actors who had suddenly gained popularity. The 17th passed with this atmosphere, and the 18th dawned, even more intense.

The time was morning.

Kang Woo-jin could be found at ‘Columbia Studios.’

“······”

He had his hat pulled down low and wore a padded jacket due to the cold weather. It was a comfortable outfit, but his expression was deeply solemn. However, inside, he was quite excited.

‘Academy Awards members? The fact that the work has been distributed to them means that the evaluation has begun, right?? If I get dropped in the first round, it’s just over.’

Kang Woo-jin had also been informed of the ‘Academy Awards’ process. Although he was pretending to be calm on the outside, it was only natural to be nervous, as ‘Clown’ and his performance were on the line.

‘Well, if I get dropped, I can just say it can’t be helped and move on—but it’s kind of embarrassing, isn’t it??!’

Given what he had done so far, this was also a matter of pride. In any case, a large group, including Kang Woo-jin, director Ahn Ga-bok, Nora Foster, Columbia film executives, some actors including Chris, and key staff, had gathered in a large conference room at ‘Columbia Studios.’ Currently, they were talking about the ‘Academy Awards.’

“Whew—it’s a relief. It felt like we pushed it a bit hastily, so it would have been a headache if ‘AMPAS’ had raised any issues, but ‘Clown’ was passed on to the members without any problems.”

“Even though it wasn’t passed through the usual route, the ‘Academy Awards’ also has eyes and ears. It would have been hard to just ignore ‘Clown,’ which has caused such a stir in Hollywood.”

“Hahaha, anyway, we’ve got one less thing to worry about.”

They were about to move on to another topic. The pre-release of ‘Clown,’ which was currently heating up Hollywood, its performance, online and offline reactions, industry evaluations, and so on. Still, since all the pre-release screenings for two weeks were sold out and the reviews were still overwhelmingly positive, the atmosphere here was quite bright.

Soon, the flow of conversation shifted to Kang Woo-jin.

A bald executive spoke to him.

“Mr. Kang Woo-jin, you look serious—are you perhaps worried? That the ‘Academy Awards’ members might give you a low score?”

Of course, who would be okay in this situation? He wasn’t worried like crazy, but Woo-jin was still nervous, but he shook his head more nonchalantly than ever.

“No, not at all. I’m just listening to the conversation normally.”

“Hahaha. I see, sometimes I get confused when I look at your face. Well, you’re an actor who captivated hundreds of audience members who had gathered to criticize you, so you have nothing to worry about.”

Recently, Kang Woo-jin’s image had drastically changed after the pre-release of ‘Clown.’ Whether it was the media or public opinion. It wasn’t that people didn’t still dislike Kang Woo-jin or leave negative comments, but compared to the past, Woo-jin’s fans had increased significantly, and the trend had changed.

“As you all have seen, the famous community sites are already praising ‘Joker.’ They say it’s been a long time since a proper villain was created.”

“It’s even to the point where cosplaying ‘Joker’ is becoming a trend. And it’s still just a pre-release!”

“Ah, I saw that too.”

While the Columbia executives and key staff were talking for a while, producer Nora, who had picked up a tablet, quickly changed the subject.

“The schedule isn’t completely over yet, but honestly, judging by the atmosphere so far, the pre-release of ‘Clown’ can be considered a success.”

Almost everyone nodded. Nora continued.

“On top of that, thanks to the media, news, and various mass media outlets, the promotional marketing is at its peak. If we add the power of the ‘Academy Awards’ in the future, it will grow several times over.”

Soon, Nora’s gaze landed on the calm Kang Woo-jin.

“Of course, Mr. Kang Woo-jin’s issue-making power is also a big help.”

It was no exaggeration to say that his influence accounted for almost half of it. This was also something everyone acknowledged.

“Therefore, we were able to save quite a lot of time for promotion. Honestly, if I had my way, I would like to push for a worldwide release as it is, but—”

Nora Foster, who omitted the words ‘Academy Awards,’ said.

“The official worldwide release of ‘Clown’ has been confirmed to start on May 30th, starting with the United States, and the remaining 40 countries will also be released around the same time.”

She announced the conclusion as if to inform everyone and then fixed her gaze on Kang Woo-jin again.

“The Korean release of ‘Clown’ is on May 31st.”

After that.

Hollywood was boiling like a furnace due to the pre-release of ‘Clown: Birth of a Villain’ and the first official move of the ‘Academy Awards.’ It was bustling everywhere. In the case of ‘Clown,’ the rave reviews increased every day. From the audience who had seen the movie to experts other than critics, they were all praising ‘Joker.’

Korea was in a festive mood.

『Pre-release 2-week schedule completely sold out! Famous overseas review sites rave about ‘Clown’!』

『[Overseas Topic] Hollywood Falls for Kang Woo-jin’s ‘Joker,’ Increasingly Submerged by Kang Woo-jin/Photo』

Thanks to this, ‘Clown’ achieved something that no other famous Hollywood movie had done. The entire pre-release schedule was sold out, and a movie that was not officially released rose to the number one keyword in various communities and social media.

This time again, Kang Woo-jin was the reason.

-I haven’t seen Kang Woo-jin’s Clown, but it’s clear that he’s been achieving miracles quite often.

-Honestly, he’s already changed a lot of Hollywood.

-That’s right, this is proof that his influence is unique. Hollywood has to accept his existence.

He was easily producing another first.

That’s how a week of things exploding quickly passed.

It was already the 24th.

Kang Woo-jin, who was in a van, checked the media atmosphere while moving.

‘Hmm—the pre-release schedule is over, but thankfully the media is hyping it up, so it’s still a mess.’

The two-week pre-release schedule for ‘Clown’ ended yesterday. However, the results that Woo-jin’s ‘Joker’ had achieved during that short period were enormous. Even though it was only two weeks, ‘Joker’ was spreading to numerous countries, including Hollywood, Korea, and Japan. Whether it was social media, communities, or YouTube, ‘Joker’ could be seen everywhere.

‘Wow, if it’s this much now, it’s going to be insane when it’s released worldwide??’

However, Kang Woo-jin couldn’t just focus on ‘Clown.’ He had more than one character to handle right now.

Exactly two days later, on the morning of the 26th.

Tomorrow, the 27th, was the first day of filming for ‘John Persona,’ but Woo-jin was currently in a large hall of a 5-star hotel in LA. He was dressed somewhat formally. A navy blazer and a black coat. His black hair was neatly swept back. He entered the stage set up at the front of the hall.

-Swish.

On the stage, there was a long table, and behind it, a large first poster of ‘The Beast and the Beauty’ was hung. A poster showing the ‘Beast’ playing the piano and ‘Beauty Bella’ dancing. In other words, this place was related to ‘The Beast and the Beauty.’

To be precise, it was a character introduction and production presentation-like event that ‘World Disney Pictures’ held for each of its works.

Therefore, at the long table.

“Hello, I’m Bill Lottner, the director of ‘The Beast and the Beauty.’”

Director Bill Lottner, who was half-bald, took the first seat, and Kang Woo-jin sat next to him. In the third seat, with full makeup and her blonde hair braided in a single braid like ‘Beauty Bella’.

“I’m Miley Cara, and I play ‘Beauty Bella.’”

Cara was there. Of course, Maria Armas and all the main and supporting actors of ‘The Beast and the Beauty’ were gathered. And of course, the entire hall they were looking at was filled with.

-Flash! Flash! Flash!

Hundreds of foreign reporters were gathered, still frantically pressing their shutters. There were easily over 200 people. This was after ‘World Disney Pictures’ had already filtered them. Because ‘The Beast and the Beauty’ had been a mess from the start, and with the addition of Kang Woo-jin’s issues and the recent dating rumors between Woo-jin and Cara, a large number of reporters had gathered.

The overall atmosphere of the event was.

“Since ‘The Beast and the Beauty’ has such a strong original work, we have adapted it to the extent that we do not harm the original as much as possible in the live-action adaptation······”

A feeling of introducing ‘The Beast and the Beauty’ and the actors other than Kang Woo-jin and Cara boasting about their respective characters. Of course, there was a script provided by Disney, and the actors also added their own free thoughts. For reference, Kang Woo-jin’s comments were short and simple.

“The most difficult thing during the filming of ‘Beast’ was wearing the special costume.”

When the event, which lasted about an hour, was nearing its end, it was time to take questions from the reporters who had participated in the event. The method was to have the director take turns pointing at the reporters who raised their hands. As the director spoke into the hand microphone.

-Swish.

About a dozen reporters raised their hands. However, the reaction was lukewarm. The questions were also ordinary.

“Director, ‘The Beast and the Beauty’ had to face public criticism regarding the live-action adaptation even before production. If the work is released, will it be able to quell those controversies?”

“Of course. I am confident that everyone, from the fans of the original work, will be able to fully enjoy ‘The Beast and the Beauty.’”

After Director Bill Lottner’s confident answer, the microphone was passed to Kang Woo-jin. Soon, Woo-jin, who had a calm face, was startled inside.

‘Wow—crazy!’

The reason was simple.

Almost all of the 200 reporters who had gathered had raised their hands. It was explosive compared to just before. Some of the reporters even stood up from their seats and some were even screaming. Among them, Kang Woo-jin chose a male reporter with noticeable sagging jowls in the middle of the third row.

As soon as the reporter was chosen, he immediately shouted.

“Mr. Kang Woo-jin!! Are ‘Beast’ and ‘Beauty Bella’ not in love in real life?! You and Miley have not given any clear confirmation after the dating rumors broke! The atmosphere has already changed to just colleagues and a misunderstanding, but the public still wants a clear answer! Is it not true after all?”

Kang Woo-jin, who was looking at the reporter with an indifferent face, glanced at Cara, who was sitting next to him. She was also looking at Woo-jin, so their eyes met. The eye contact lasted about 3 seconds. Then, Kang Woo-jin spoke into the hand microphone and answered simply. It was in a very calm and low tone of English.

“No, we are dating.”

Miley Cara’s blue eyes widened.