I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor-Chapter 373: Overwhelmed (2) - Edited
Chapter 373: Overwhelmed (2)
Translator: Santos
Kang Woo-jin had traveled abroad quite frequently. He had been to Japan and LA, as well as France for the Cannes Film Festival. Each time, he made headlines, but there was always a clear theme. Japan for *The Strange Sacrifice of the Stranger*, filming for *Our Table*, working on a new album with Miley Cara, Cannes Film Festival, and so on.
Thus, whenever Kang Woo-jin went abroad, the domestic media and public buzzed with distinct keywords.
However, this time was different.
*“He left for LA without anyone knowing? ‘Kang Woo-jin’, could his long-rumored Hollywood debut be a reality?”*
There was no announcement from BW Entertainment, nor did Kang Woo-jin post anything on social media. Out of the blue, he boarded a plane to LA without a sound. The news broke when people at the airport spotted Woo-jin and shared their sightings on social media and community forums, igniting a buzz.
Perhaps that’s why?
*“Kang Woo-jin suddenly heads to LA! Is he in contact with a Hollywood film studio?”*
Woo-jin’s discreet departure for LA became an even hotter topic in the domestic media. Since it was done without any warning or prior announcements, the sudden nature of his trip fueled countless rumors and speculations.
*“The ‘Man of Cannes’, Kang Woo-jin, is finally expanding his reach into Hollywood? What could be the reason for his sudden trip to LA?”*
The media knew enough about Kang Woo-jin's year-end plans. He was expected to participate in festivals and events following the filming of *Evil that Benefits*. Of course, those schedules were accurate since they were indeed on his agenda.
But Woo-jin surprised everyone by heading to LA.
The timing also contributed to the buzz surrounding this incident.
It was just when “Kang Woo-jin’s Hollywood debut” had become a hot topic in the entertainment industry and among the public.
- *LOL, seeing Kang Woo-jin secretly go to LA makes it seem like his Hollywood debut is for real???*
- *Did he get a love call from a Hollywood project?*
- *Nah, he’s going to see Miley Cara.*
- *Oh... Cara? That could be it, LOL. Maybe she’s attending a Billboard party since her new album is a massive hit?*
- *It’s definitely a love call from Hollywood studios, the rumors are insane.*
- *But the timing... isn’t it a bit too close to year-end? LOL*
- *But honestly, at Kang Woo-jin’s level, he could easily land a supporting or minor role in Hollywood.*
- *Yeah, a supporting role might be a stretch, though. He has no experience.*
- *Regardless, the speculation is hilarious, LOL. He could’ve just gone to relax or something, LOL.*
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Whatever the case, Kang Woo-jin's secret trip to LA was heating up domestic media and public opinion.
- *Even if it’s just a minor role, a Hollywood debut would still be insane, yes!*
It was definitely juicy news.
At that moment.
Kang Woo-jin was, of course, on the plane.
To be precise, he was on his private jet.
This was the first time he was heading to LA on his private jet, and his team’s faces were filled with excitement.
“Awesome, awesome!”
“This is crazy, we have to document everything!”
“Of course! When else will we get to experience something like this?”
They were busy taking pictures with their phones, capturing everything from the interior of the jet to the views outside. Meanwhile, Woo-jin, with his poker face, remained calm. In that state, he was conversing with Choi Sung-geon, who was briefing him.
“About the films, *The Strange Sacrifice of the Stranger* and *The Leech*.”
Although he was explaining the current situation, Kang Woo-jin was subtly keeping tabs on everything. December had started, and both films were losing some momentum. However, that wasn’t unexpected. No matter how monstrous a film was, there were realistic limits, and new films were being released every week.
Choi Sung-geon first showed the performance of *The Leech* on his phone.
[South Korea's All-Time Box Office]
[All-Time Movie Rankings (Total)]
-1. *The Leech* / Total Audience: 22,311,417
22 million. While it was difficult to determine the final numbers, estimating *The Leech*’s final performance wasn’t out of the question considering the timing. But it was indeed 22 million. An unprecedented audience count in Korean history. Internally, Kang Woo-jin was quite amazed.
“Wow—22 million. It’s astounding.”
Unaware of this, Choi Sung-geon pulled his phone back. This time, he displayed the situation for *The Strange Sacrifice of the Stranger*. Its final performance had already made headlines in Japan.
*“‘The Strange Sacrifice of the Stranger’ has finally surpassed 23 million! It gracefully overcame numerous controversies and left a legendary mark.”*
*The Strange Sacrifice of the Stranger* had reached 23 million viewers. If Woo-jin had dropped his concept-driven facade, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to dance with joy. At that moment, Kang Woo-jin had made a monstrous mark on both the Korean and Japanese film industries. It was incredible for him to achieve this in just his second year, especially when he had little acting experience. With this, Kang Woo-jin stood atop both the Korean and Japanese cinema.
However, Choi Sung-geon was already thinking ahead.
“And regarding Hollywood...”
He quickly changed the topic. Kang Woo-jin had been waiting for this discussion.
“You know about Columbia Pictures, right? Director Ahn is already part of that team? Anyway, we scheduled a pre-meeting in LA within two days. The exact time is still being arranged. After that, they’d like the auditions or screen tests to happen in January. It seems a bit fast to me. What do you think?”
For Kang Woo-jin, it was perfectly fine if it happened right away.
“I have no problem with that.”
“Yeah, that’s the spirit, Woo-jin. As for the specifics, you’ll find out when we get to Columbia Pictures. You already have experience from ‘Last Kill 3,’ so you know that auditions in Hollywood are a bit different than in Korea, making predictions a bit tricky. For starters, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the script... Well, that’s for the audition; let’s approach the pre-meeting with a light heart.”
Auditions or screen tests in Hollywood usually happen after preliminary evaluations. In fact, it was common to cast actors based on a single line of dialogue. Conversely, it was just as easy to get cut even after giving it your all.
It was truly a mystery.
“And I received immediate feedback from World Disney Pictures. They haven’t mentioned anything about auditions or screen tests yet. Unlike Columbia Pictures, they haven’t even circulated the confirmation news about the live-action adaptation of *The Beast and the Beauty*. However, they would like to have the pre-meeting as soon as possible.”
Kang Woo-jin answered, appearing indifferent.
“Does that mean you’re planning to meet with World Disney Pictures after meeting with Columbia Pictures?”
“We have to arrange it that way, even if it’s a stretch. It’s not like we can hop over there again easily, so let’s maximize what we can handle during this LA trip.”
“That makes sense.”
“Hmm, since both are pre-meetings, they shouldn’t take too long.”
Soon, Choi Sung-geon was jotting down something in his diary regarding Kang Woo-jin’s schedules for December, and he smiled while shaking his head in disbelief.
“Ugh—December is going to be... absolutely non-stop. After heading to LA for film studio meetings, we’ll immediately return to Korea for various film festivals and events. You might be fine, but I need to prepare myself a bit.”
It was a schedule that surpassed hellish. Even with the grace of the space, it wouldn’t be easy, but Kang Woo-jin decided to mentally prepare for the worst. Nevertheless, Woo-jin didn’t feel uncomfortable.
“If we tackle things quickly, results will come sooner rather than later, hehehe.”
On the contrary, he felt quite energetic. Soon, he remembered something he had nearly forgotten.
“Ah—by the way, this is my first time going to the house in LA.”
Back to the present.
Though Kang Woo-jin had stepped away, the team for *Evil that Benefits* continued filming without skipping a beat. Recently, *Evil that Benefits* had been ramping up its pace furiously. The reason was simple.
“Okay, everyone! Standby!!”
*“[Issue Talk] ‘Kang Woo-jin’, with ‘Miley Cara’, boosts awareness all the way overseas for ‘Evil that Benefits’... Crank-up is just around the corner!”*
Filming for Part 1 was approaching its final stages. News had spread among the production team and actors, so it was no surprise that the media caught wind of it. As a result, PD Song Man-woo, who was skimming through the script in front of the monitor, was increasingly showing signs of fatigue under his eyes.
He could hardly remember the last time he had slept well.
PD Song Man-woo was currently juggling the filming schedule for *Evil that Benefits*, which corresponded to about six episodes, while simultaneously managing post-production editing during any spare time he could find. Naturally, the staff and actors were also investing a lot of time in the filming.
The reason Kang Woo-jin had stepped
away at this moment was simple.
He had already concentrated on shooting his scenes.
When you thought about it, it could be said that Kang Woo-jin’s filming portion for *Evil that Benefits* Part 1 was nearly done, barring some minor things like additional voice recordings. Meanwhile, the domestic media was throwing an issue party.
*“‘Hollywood Debut’ Director Ahn Ga-bok arrives in LA and joins ‘Columbia Pictures’... What kind of work will he show?”*
The buzz surrounding Director Ahn Ga-bok, who had settled into Hollywood after the Busan International Film Festival, remained strong, and public excitement was growing day by day. The chaos from when he made his bombshell announcement hadn’t died down, and the fact that he was actually heading to Hollywood drove people even more wild.
- *He may be a veteran, but Director Ahn Ga-bok is going to make waves in Hollywood!*
- *It’s becoming grand... The first Korean director to step into Hollywood...*
This content is taken from freёnovelkiss.com.
- *Crazy, LOL. Columbia Pictures??!! A Korean director making a blockbuster in Hollywood!! My heart is racing!!*
- *Since Director Ahn is making a film in Hollywood, he might bring along a Korean actor! Kang Woo-jin seems likely, LOL.*
- *I’m seriously bursting with national pride! Ahn Ga-bok!! Conquer Hollywood!!—Are Hollywood stars going to be directed by Director Ahn Ga-bok??! I’m already dying from excitement, LOL. Of course, it’d be great if a Korean actor is included... but that seems like a dream...*
In addition, the team for *Evil that Benefits* was continuously promoting and marketing due to the involvement of Miley Cara.
*“Netflix releases three behind-the-scenes shots from the Bangkok filming featuring Miley Cara/ Photos.”*
However, this issue was not limited to Korea. As Miley Cara’s new album activities were coming to an end, she mentioned *Evil that Benefits* on her social media, while Kang Woo-jin frequently uploaded photos from the *Evil that Benefits* set, contributing to the buzz.
The overseas fans were clamoring to know when *Evil that Benefits* would be launching.
*“Before even the launch, ‘Evil that Benefits’ is spreading across global SNS, isn’t it going to cause a real explosion?”*
With the year-end approaching, both the Korean and Japanese public’s anticipation was intensifying. There were so many issues floating around that it felt as if a gigantic firework of headlines was exploding right in front of their eyes.
December was set to be nothing short of spectacular.
At this moment, Kang Woo-jin, currently on a plane, was facing his second year-end in this jungle-like entertainment industry. As December rolled around, he would be entering his third year.
*“[Planning] ‘Entering the Third Year,’ after stepping into the world in the second year, what path will Kang Woo-jin take next year?”*
In any case, the end-of-year entertainment scene in both Korea and Japan was no different from a hellish train ride.
No, it was probably the same in any industry.
And so, several hours passed.
When Woo-jin arrived at Los Angeles International Airport, it was early morning. Just past 7 AM, Kang Woo-jin made his appearance at the arrival hall of the massive LA airport, bustling with people of various races. Despite the early hour, there was a huge crowd. However, unlike Korea or Japan, Woo-jin’s arrival didn’t cause a commotion.
Of course, there were some foreigners who glanced at Kang Woo-jin and his team as they entered the arrival hall.
The atmosphere of Woo-jin’s team was distinctly different.
But there was no overt reaction beyond that, and Kang Woo-jin didn’t feel disappointed.
*“It’s the same as ever here.”*
After several experiences, he had adapted to this. America, Hollywood, was vast. In this place, Kang Woo-jin was no different from an unknown rookie. At that moment, Choi Sung-geon, who was next to him, gently patted Woo-jin’s shoulder.
“It’s a bit disappointing. I was slightly expecting more. Well, it’s still quiet for now, but let’s make sure to create a ruckus once we get started next year.”
With his concept intact, Woo-jin responded calmly.
“I’m comfortable with the current situation.”
“Haha, is that so?”
Just minutes after Woo-jin arrived at the airport, about ten more people joined their group. They were staff members from BW Entertainment’s overseas branch, waiting for them in LA, along with several hefty security guards. The number of people had increased significantly as Woo-jin moved.
“Hey? That guy—”
Some whispers began to circulate.
“Isn’t he that actor? The one who appeared in Cara’s music video.”
“Yeah, I think that’s him!”
Among the crowd gathered in the arrival hall, foreigners started pointing at Kang Woo-jin.
“I saw that guy in an article!”
“In an article? He must be a famous person!”
The flow began to spread.
“Oh—he’s the actor from Cara’s music video, right?”
“Hmm? Really? Where??”
“Over there, the guy in the hat in that group!”
Dozens of foreigners pulled out their phones and started snapping pictures of Kang Woo-jin.
“What’s going on??”
“I don’t know, but everyone’s taking pictures of that guy!”
“He must be famous!”
This was Kang Woo-jin’s first experience in LA.
