I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor-Chapter 338: Cannes (4) - Edited
Chapter 338: Cannes (4)
Translator: Santos
It was intriguing. The conclusion reached by Kim So-hyang, the executive director of Netflix Korea, in response to the sudden proposal thrown out by PD Song Man-woo. Although it felt a bit out of the blue, it made sense. It wasn’t just about launching the 12-episode “The Beneficial Evil” in halves; it was about cutting the lengthy time it would take to launch in half.
*“Not bad. No, it might actually be a good idea.”*
The content market these days was like a battlefield. From public broadcasting stations to cable channels, including YouTube and various video platforms, along with the influx of OTTs. There was an overwhelming supply of content available for the public to consume, and the items on display were saturated.
So, in order to survive, the quality of the content was essential, but timing was also key.
Right now, PD Song Man-woo was setting that timing.
He planned to launch “The Beneficial Evil,” which totaled 12 episodes, in two parts: episodes 1-6 and 7-12. This meant that they would focus on filming and editing the first half intensely to launch it first, while concurrently rolling out the filming and editing for the remaining episodes. If this was a strategy, it was a solid one. Typically, episodes are released one at a time, or in batches of three, or all at once.
Given the overwhelming amount of content being produced everywhere, standing out was imperative.
Thus, splitting one part into two didn’t seem strange at all. At that moment, the plump Kim So-hyang suddenly felt curious. She asked PD Song Man-woo directly.
“By the way, PD-nim. I’m intrigued, but is there a specific reason you thought of such a plan?”
As a veteran in the industry, having worked on numerous hits, including the recent *Drifter*, PD Song Man-woo already had a calculated response.
“To be frank, it’s because of our protagonist.”
“The protagonist? Ah—Kang Woo-jin?”
“Yes. Of course, we can still launch all 12 episodes as originally planned. By that time, Woo-jin will be dropping a bomb somewhere, 100% guaranteed. Whether domestically or abroad. However—”
“However?”
“There’s always a timing for a project to hit its boost. In my opinion, the timing for ‘The Beneficial Evil’ needs to be as soon as possible.”
With a slightly serious expression, PD Song Man-woo spread his five fingers and folded them one by one.
“Woo-jin’s *Parasite*, the album collaboration with Miley Cara, and now this Cannes Film Festival. Plus, strangely enough, people from Hollywood are starting to mix in.”
“True, there were Hollywood folks who came to Bangkok recently, right? Whether it was because of Cara or not, they must have seen Woo-jin’s energy this time around.”
“I believe Woo-jin will make his move towards Hollywood by the end of this year or early next year. Even if Woo-jin doesn’t fight for it, just being invited to Cannes gives us an answer. All the big names in Hollywood are going to watch *The Leecher*, so they won't just overlook Kang Woo-jin.”
The plane shook slightly, and both Kim So-hyang and writer Choi Na-na nodded in acknowledgment. PD Song Man-woo continued.
“Whether it explodes at Cannes or not, Woo-jin’s stock is going to soar, including in Hollywood and overseas. If ‘The Beneficial Evil’ launches at that time, it’s only natural that it will attract more global attention than usual.”
In an instant, Kim So-hyang and writer Choi Na-na began to imagine. Kang Woo-jin, who was already attracting international interest, dropping global bombs nonchalantly, and launching *The Beneficial Evil* through Netflix to the whole world as interest surged.
“It’s a no-brainer. We also have ‘her’.”
Miley Cara was the bonus.
PD Song Man-woo lowered his voice.
“But the schedule for the 12 episodes of ‘The Beneficial Evil’ is too late.”
“Which is why we’re splitting it in half.”
“Is that going to be difficult?”
Kim So-hyang shook her head.
“No. The content and characters of each episode are unique, so it wouldn’t be a problem to open them in sets of six. After all, the overall story connects, so it won’t feel disjointed.”
She turned to writer Choi Na-na sitting beside her.
“What do you think, writer-nim?”
It was a situation where a huge decision was being made. Writer Choi Na-na flinched in surprise but quickly replied.
“Uh?? Ah! Yes! I’m okay if you both are!”
Smiling brightly, Kim So-hyang gave a thumbs up.
“I’m in too. It seems like we should take this chance.”
With a somewhat serious expression, she picked up her phone as if to check something.
“Um—of course, just because we decide doesn’t mean it’s done. As you know, since it’s a Netflix original and will be launched worldwide, we need to negotiate with the Netflix headquarters and various other places, but...”
“But?”
“It’s possible. Just leave that to me. It might be a bit more work, but it’s manageable.”
Then Kim So-hyang looked back at PD Song Man-woo.
Updat𝓮d from frёewebnoѵēl.com.
“Originally, ‘The Beneficial Evil’ was scheduled to open in the middle or late next year—but PD-nim, if we split it into parts of six, when do you think we could launch?”
As if he already knew the answer, PD Song Man-woo immediately replied.
“If we shoot and edit intensely, using any leftover time, and speed up the process compared to usual...”
He answered right away.
“Fastest would be by the end of this year, and at the latest, early next year for the editing of episodes 1-6.”
---
Back in Cannes, France. Around lunchtime.
Kang Woo-jin, who entered Cannes amid hundreds of thousands of tourists, had just arrived at the hotel. It was a five-star hotel located near the Palais des Festivals, which was the venue for the Cannes Film Festival, complete with a swimming pool and expansive terrace gardens. Naturally, the hotel’s white-themed interior was bustling with people.
“...”
The spacious lobby was particularly noisy. Various languages mixed together, and the diversity of races among the crowd was evident.
They were all individuals officially invited to the Cannes Film Festival.
From Hollywood to renowned filmmakers from all over the world, it was clear that other hotels were no different. All of them wore excited or enthusiastic expressions. Naturally, it made sense as there were only six hours left until the film festival began.
It was already past 1 PM, and the opening of the Cannes Film Festival was set for 7 PM sharp.
From that moment on, many celebrities would stroll down the red carpet laid out in front of the Palais des Festivals. It wouldn’t be surprising if nearly 5,000 officially invited journalists were already taking their positions around the red carpet.
“I noticed earlier that there were tons of reporters around the Palais des Festivals.”
“That’s for sure. They said Cannes invited more than twice as many as last year.”
Of course, reporters who hadn’t been invited and various broadcasting stations from different countries would also be stationed outside.
There would likely be close to 10,000 reporters.
One commonality among all the individuals here, including the reporters, was that they were all dressed similarly for the Cannes Film Festival. Men in black tuxedos and women in dresses. The same applied to the reporters, and this unified attire heightened the grandeur of the Cannes Film Festival.
At that moment, Kang Woo-jin was also getting ready.
“Oppa!! Woo-jin oppa!! The tuxedo has arrived!!”
“Ah—there are still six hours left! Oppa! As soon as you put on the tuxedo, we’ll do your hair!!”
He was busy preparing for the Cannes Film Festival. The location was his room. Along with Kang Woo-jin, the stylist team led by Han Ye-jeong was bustling around. After all, Woo-jin had to walk the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival.
“Oppa, you absolutely have to rock the red carpet today!!”
“You can crush the Hollywood stars! I saw the actors in the lobby, and they’re not that impressive!”
“You were just bouncing around in excitement downstairs earlier, right?”
“Ah! Ye-jeong sunbae! That’s a secret!”
Everyone was in a frenzy. Choi Seong-gun, who was seated on one side of the room, was busy on a call. However, Kang Woo-jin, who had just received his tuxedo, appeared unfazed.
“Uh, I’ll change and come out.”
No, it was an act. He was pretending. Entering the closet, which also served as a fitting space.
*Clack.*
As soon as the door closed, he swept his black hair back. He exhaled softly. A wave of intense anxiety escaped from him.
*‘...This is going to drive me crazy. Calm down, heart.’*
He was genuinely trembling. It all began when he arrived at Nice Airport. Then there was the sight of the Palais des Festivals where the Cannes Film Festival would take place, followed by the hundreds of thousands of viewers gathering for Cannes. The clincher was when he stepped into this hotel. Actors he had only seen in Hollywood movies and imposing foreigners were all around.
It was a global festival, not just a domestic one.
Who wouldn’t feel nervous?
Especially since Kang Woo-jin was only in his second year in the industry. Though
he had adapted quickly due to the rapid pace of his career, Cannes in France felt unreal no matter how he looked at it. Walking among hundreds of thousands was on a completely different level than the Blue Dragon Awards.
But what could he do?
*‘Ah, screw it, I don’t care. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!’*
Whether it was a dream or a different world, he had decided to go for it without hesitation. Kang Woo-jin took a slow, deep breath to calm his racing heart. He began to put on his tuxedo. After he was sufficiently dressed, the waiting stylists rushed in. They were needed for adjusting everything from the bow tie to the fit of the tuxedo.
Meanwhile, Han Ye-jeong, who stood in front of Woo-jin, asked,
“Oppa, aren’t you nervous?”
*‘I feel like I might die.’* But with a tone of calmness, Kang Woo-jin responded.
“Not particularly.”
“To be honest, I thought you would show some vulnerability at Cannes since this is, after all, Cannes. But I was wrong. You seem like you could handle the universe.”
*No, no, the universe doesn’t make sense, does it? Well, maybe it does? If there’s a space where I could go, I could go to the universe or a black hole.*
*‘Ah—thinking back, I guess I can quickly calm down in these situations because I have tons of experience in alternate dimensions.’*
As the stylists clung to Woo-jin, working on his hair and makeup, Choi Seong-gun, who had been sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, finished his call and stood up. He held a tablet in his hand and stood before Woo-jin to show it to him.
“These are the judges for this year’s Cannes Film Festival.”
On the tablet screen were the names of ten foreign individuals. They were all prominent figures in the film industry from various countries. These judges would watch the 20 films in the *Competition Section* and select the award-winning works.
“They’ve already been taking pictures in front of the Palais des Festivals, and it’s crazy. They’ve done numerous interviews, and many mentioned *The Leecher*. Check it out.”
He pulled out his phone and read the notes he had taken.
“*The Leech* is highly anticipated. It’s the only Korean film, and Director Ahn Gabok is an excellent director, etc. It might just be lip service, but nonetheless, the judges’ reactions are positive.”
He then flipped through the tablet screen.
“Next is the screening schedule for the *Competition Section* at this Cannes Film Festival.”
In a way, this was the most crucial aspect.
“The formal screening starts tomorrow, October 1st.”
Every film invited to the Cannes Film Festival would be screened at theaters across Cannes. Among them, the 20 films in the *Competition Section*, referred to as the main section, would only be shown in the largest theater in the Palais des Festivals, the Lumière Theatre. It had nearly 3,000 seats.
The screening schedule was simple.
The 20 films would be divided over ten days, with two films screened each day. The timings were set for the morning and afternoon.
In other words, two films would be shown on October 1st, and two more on the 2nd, and so on. The choice of which films to watch was up to the individuals participating in the festival. However, the official judges were required to see all the films. After ten days of screenings at the Cannes Film Festival, the ten judges would make their final decisions on the last day.
That would lead to the awards at the closing ceremony.
Regardless of what happened, Choi Seong-gun pointed to the tablet with his finger.
“*The Leech* is on the second day. October 2nd. The times are 9 AM and 7 PM.”
At that moment.
*Brrrrr, brrrrr.*
Kang Woo-jin’s phone, which was placed on the table, rang, and Choi Seong-gun, lowering the tablet, picked up the phone and handed it to Woo-jin. The caller was a superstar currently in Cannes.
“Who is it?”
“Miley Cara.”
As Woo-jin answered, pressing the phone to his ear.
“Yes, it’s me.”
On the other end, he could hear Miley Cara’s voice mixed with laughter.
“Where are you right now?”
---
A few hours later.
The expansive venue of the Palais des Festivals.
In front of this place, which would grandly host the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival, it felt like it was on the verge of exploding. Hundreds of gathered reporters and Cannes officials filled the entrance, followed by the long and wide red carpet laid out ahead, flanked by thousands of reporters and broadcasting teams on either side, all covered by tens of thousands of tourists.
It was 7:10 PM, and the red carpet parade had already begun.
“Hey!! Natalie!! Natalie!!!”
“Natalie!!!”
“Look this way!! Please look this way!!”
“Wave your hand! Please wave your hand!!!”
Just looking at the thousands of reporters dressed in tuxedos was a sight to behold. Their cheers never ceased. The camera shutters clicked endlessly.
*Pop-pop-pop!*
The sound of cameras was so relentless it felt like morning instead of afternoon. Tripods were a given, and many reporters were even on small ladders. The broadcasting teams used everything from small cranes to drones to capture the scenes. Mixed with the screams and cheers of the tourists, it was deafening.
Was this the World Cup?
On the other hand, the prominent directors and actors from various countries strolling down the red carpet showed no signs of tension.
“Swinton!!! Swinton!”
“Eric!!! Hey! Eric!! Say hello!!”
“Annie~!! Annie!!!”
They waved to the reporters or chatted with them, exuding ease. It was a scene where their experience was palpable. Most notably, when a Hollywood superstar appeared, the madness here erupted like never before.
After about ten minutes had passed.
It was nearing 7:30 PM when dozens of major stars passed down the red carpet.
*Eeeek!*
Among the many vans and limousines that came to a stop in sequence, a white limousine stopped at the end of the red carpet. Here too, a diverse group of reporters dressed in tuxedos filled the space.
*Pop-pop-pop!*
The reporters went wild with flashes even before anyone got out of the white limousine.
Soon.
*Clack.*
A burly guard opened the back door of the limousine. Inside, a blonde woman stepped out, wearing a sleek black-toned dress that revealed her chest and back. As soon as the nearby hundreds of reporters saw her, they burst into excited cries.
“It’s Miley!!!”
“Oh!! Miley Cara!!”
“Miley!! Miley!! This way!”
“Hey hey!! Miley!!”
She was an internationally recognized star, so it was only natural. She waved at the reporters with her trademark faint smile, and they clicked their shutters frantically.
Then.
*Whoosh.*
Another figure stepped out from behind Miley Cara from the white limousine. With neatly slicked-back black hair and a perfectly fitted all-black tuxedo, the man exuded a casual indifference. As he stepped out, he calmly surveyed the frenzy around him.
*“...”*
The hundreds of reporters tilted their heads in confusion. Who is this? But for now, they pressed their shutters relentlessly, blinded by the onslaught of flashes. Soon, Miley Cara naturally linked arms with the man. Then she whispered,
“Woo-jin, you look like you’ve been to Cannes a hundred times, even though it’s your first time?”
At that moment, a monster appeared at Cannes.
