Keheningan pekat menyelimuti ruang rapat utama Columbia Studios. Meskipun banyak orang berkumpul, tak seorang pun membuka mulut. Itu karena eksekutif botak tersebut baru saja bertanya, "Apakah kalian semua siap menyerahkan 'Joker' milik Kang Woojin?"
Mereka adalah orang-orang yang sudah pernah merasakan 'Joker' ala Woojin.
'...Bagaimanapun caranya, kita harus mempertahankan Kang Woojin.'</p>
'Siapa yang sanggup melampaui 'Joker' saat ini? Rasanya bakal sulit.'</p>
Jika mereka belum pernah melihatnya, situasinya mungkin akan berbeda, tapi kini setelah mereka benar-benar terhanyut, mereka telah menjadi orang-orang yang tak bisa menerima apa pun selain 'Joker' versi Kang Woojin. Itu wajar saja. Jika Kang Woojin yang 'asli' tidak ada, aktor mana pun yang mereka casting nanti pada akhirnya hanya akan menjadi sebuah 'tiruan'.
Melihat semua orang diliputi rasa takut, eksekutif botak itu berpikir,
'Bagus, cara ini berhasil.'</p>
Sambil tersenyum tipis, ia melanjutkan perkataannya.
"Kenapa semua orang takut pada kegagalan lain tapi tidak berani mempertimbangkan kasus Kang Woojin? Jujur saja, adakah kegagalan yang lebih besar daripada dia tidak membintangi sekuelnya? Kehilangan dia adalah kegagalan yang tak terpulihkan."
"......"
"Mungkin kalau ini hanya satu film ini saja, tapi berapa kali lagi 'Joker' harus muncul? Satu hal yang pasti, 'Joker' versi Kang Woojin akan dicintai dengan penuh semangat. Baik itu karakter baik maupun jahat, ketika mereka dicintai, selalu ada reaksi keras saat sang aktor diganti. Seperti yang kalian tahu, kekuatan dari penjahat yang dicintai lebih besar daripada karakter lainnya."
Itu benar. Biasanya, penjahat adalah peran yang dimaksudkan untuk dibenci, tetapi jika kemampuan seorang aktor luar biasa, mereka akan menerima kebencian sekaligus pengakuan. Hal itu bahkan bisa berfungsi sebagai pilar yang menopang seluruh karya tersebut.
"Mari kita percayai 'Joker' kita. Tentu saja, taruhannya sangat tinggi untuk bertaruh pada sesuatu yang belum pasti, tapi sekarang dadu dari sinematik semesta ini telah dilempar, kita harus melihat hutannya, bukan hanya pohonnya."
Pada saat itu, beberapa orang mulai mengungkapkan apa yang telah mereka sembunyikan di dalam hati.
"Ya, kurasa begitu juga. Sejujurnya, aku tidak mengira 'Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain' akan gagal di ajang Academy Awards."
"Tidak mungkin Academy Awards tidak mengenali akting yang begitu fenomenal."
"Semakin besar risiko yang kita ambil, semakin besar pula imbalannya."
Eksekutif botak itu, perlahan mengangguk, kembali mengambil alih kendali.
"Kang Woojin terus menyebut-nyebut Academy Awards sejak Cannes dan Emmy. Berkat itu, efek riak dan pengaruhnya berada di luar kata-kata. Dan bahkan sekarang, pengaruh itu bertambah setiap hari. Aku setuju dengan Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok. Pada saat seperti ini, kita harus mengikuti arus agar apinya bisa menyala. Jika ini meledak, dampaknya akan melebihi ledakan nuklir."
Setelah menyelesaikan kata-katanya, eksekutif botak itu berhenti sejenak untuk menyelaraskan pernapasannya. Itu adalah saat untuk memberi waktu kepada semua orang untuk berpikir. Kemudian, ia membuka mulutnya lagi.
"Jika Kang Woojin mengangkat trofi di Academy Awards, menyusul Cannes dan Emmy—"
Bahkan saat ia berbicara, eksekutif botak itu merinding.
"Bisakah kalian membayangkan seberapa besar kekuatan yang akan diperoleh oleh 'Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain'? Pada saat yang sama, aktor terhebat di dunia akan lahir."
Hal itu bisa dibayangkan, namun tetap terasa mustahil dibayangkan seutuhnya. Gengsi Kang Woojin terus meningkat bahkan hingga sekarang, dan tak seorang pun tahu seberapa jauh ia akan berkembang pada saat itu nanti.
"Dunia akan meneriakkan nama 'Joker'. Tidakkah kalian semua ingin melihat pemandangan itu?"
Dua hari kemudian, tanggal 20, menjelang siang.
Di antara kompleks set besar di dalam Columbia Studios, tim untuk 'Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain' bergerak dengan sibuk. Mereka dijadwalkan untuk mengubah lokasi dua kali hari ini. Setengah hari untuk syuting di set, setengah hari untuk syuting di lokasi luar ruangan. Jadi tidak boleh ada gangguan pada jadwal hari itu.
"Para aktor bersiap!!"
"Akan segera kusampaikan!!!"
Lebih dari seratus staf asing bergerak dengan keselarasan yang sempurna, tangan dan kaki bekerja seirama. Sampai-sampai seluruh adegan tampak seperti satu mesin tunggal. Inilah kekuatan dan sistem Hollywood. Di Hollywood, mereka biasanya mengambil pendekatan yang panjang dan terperinci untuk praproduksi, yang membuat periode syuting aktual menjadi lebih singkat dari perkiraan.
Ada banyak karya yang durasinya lebih pendek daripada karya-karya di Korea, dan 'Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain' tidak terkecuali.
Kang Woojin, setelah menyelesaikan pemotretan poster untuk 'Beast and the Beauty', kembali melakukan syuting dua hari yang lalu. Oleh karena itu, adegan pertama hari ini juga merupakan potongan adegan Woojin, dan Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok sedang berdiskusi dengan para staf kunci mengenai papan cerita syuting.
Di antara mereka semua, seseorang sedang memerhatikan dengan tangan disilangkan.
"......"
Itu adalah Nora Foster, produser eksekutif di lokasi, dengan ekspresi tegas. Setelah mengamati lokasi sejenak, ia menghela napas dan menyibak rambutnya yang sedikit lebih panjang sebahu. Sebuah gestur kelegaan. Meskipun syuting sudah memasuki fase pertengahan menuju akhir, baik sutradara, staf, maupun para aktor tidak tampak terburu-buru.
Pada saat itu.
-♬♪
Ponsel Nora berdering. Ia melangkah sekitar dua langkah menjauh dan memeriksa ponselnya, sedikit terkejut. Peneleponnya adalah pihak Columbia Studios. Itu jelas merupakan hasil keputusan mengenai proposal Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok. Tak lama kemudian, Nora mendekatkan ponsel ke telinganya.
"Ya, ini aku."
Dari ujung sebelah sana terdengar suara seorang pria.
"Nora."
Mendengar suara itu, sepertinya itu adalah eksekutif botak dari Columbia Studios. Saat suaranya terdengar lagi, mata Nora sedikit melebar.
"Tunggu, sungguh?"
Setelah panggilan singkat, Nora menurunkan ponselnya. Namun, ekspresi terkejutnya masih belum hilang. Sulit untuk menebak apa artinya hanya dari wajahnya. Ia berdiri di sana dengan tatapan kosong selama puluhan detik.
'Apa yang sedang terjadi??'
Reaksi batinnya adalah ketidakpercayaan. Lalu tiba-tiba, Nora berbalik.
-Wus.
Ia berjalan dengan langkah cepat menuju lokasi syuting. Dilihat dari arahnya, ia menuju ke arah Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok yang sedang sangat sibuk. Setibanya di sana, Nora mencengkeram lengan bawah Sutradara Ahn.
"Sutradara."
Dengan ekspresi terkejut, Sutradara Ahn bertanya balik.
"Nora? Ada apa?"
"Berhasil."
"Maaf? Apa maksudmu?"
"Aku juga tidak menyangka ini benar-benar akan berhasil."
"......Jangan-jangan."
"Ya."
Nora, yang keterkejutannya kini bercampur dengan senyuman, menjawab Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok.
"Proposal Anda berhasil. Columbia Studios menghubungi saya untuk mengatakan bahwa mereka akan melanjutkan sesuai dengan jadwal yang Anda sarankan."
Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok menatap Nora sejenak, lalu perlahan mengepalkan tinjunya. Itu adalah gaya kepalan kemenangan versinya. Nora, yang tidak menyadari hal itu, menambahkan penjelasan. Kegembiraannya perlahan-lahan meningkat.
"Mereka bahkan mengatakan tidak akan ragu untuk mendukung pendanaan tambahan! Perusahaan produksi yang akan mengurus masalah dukungan itu, jadi sutradara, staf, dan para aktor cukup fokus saja pada proses syuting. Begitu pesannya."
Begitu pula, Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok tersenyum dengan kerutan di wajahnya.
"...Sepertinya kita akan disibukkan dengan pekerjaan, tapi ini jenis kesibukan yang penuh semangat."
Beberapa saat kemudian.
Setelah menerima kabar tersebut, Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok terlebih dahulu mengumpulkan para staf kunci. Produser Nora akan mengurus proses formalnya nanti, tetapi sebagai sutradara, ia merasa perlu memberikan informasi awal kepada staf dan berbagi apa yang akan terjadi selanjutnya.
"Pertama—'Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain' kita menargetkan ajang Academy Awards."
"Ooh!"
"Ya! Itu sangat mungkin terjadi!"
Beberapa staf kunci menyalakan semangat juang mereka saat mendengar penyebutan Academy Awards. Bagaimanapun juga, itu adalah panggung impian bagi siapa pun di industri perfilman Hollywood. Namun sebagian besar dari mereka terkejut oleh perkataan Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok selanjutnya.
"Tapi ajang yang kita tuju bukanlah tahun depan. Melainkan Academy Awards mendatang yang akan diadakan tahun depan."
"......Apa?"
Kebingungan mereka adalah hal yang wajar. Semua staf kunci di sini adalah para veteran dan tahu bahwa Academy Awards tahun depan akan diadakan pada bulan April, serta memahami seluruh prosesnya. Awalnya, semua orang mengira Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok sedang bercanda.
Tetapi.
"Ini adalah proposal yang saya ajukan kepada pihak perusahaan film."
Saat Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok mulai memberikan pengarahan dengan sungguh-sungguh, ekspresi semua orang langsung mengeras. Setengah dari mereka merasa kagum, separuhnya lagi diliputi keraguan. Bagaimanapun juga, sang sutradara veteran dengan tegas mengatakan semua hal yang harus ia katakan. Intinya adalah memenuhi syarat kualifikasi dengan melakukan penayangan perdana terlebih dahulu di Los Angeles, AS, dan kemudian menantang ajang Academy Awards bulan April.
*Tentu saja, masalahnya adalah.
"A-Apa itu bahkan mungkin?"
Jadwal waktunya sangat ketat hingga terasa tidak masuk akal. Namun Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok dengan tenang meyakinkan mereka, seolah menenangkan semuanya.
"Kita bisa melakukannya. Aku sudah melihat potensinya lewat 'Leech'. Tentu saja, aku akan butuh bantuan dari kalian semua."
Perlahan-lahan, Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok menjelaskan alasan mengapa ia membuat proposal semacam itu dan efek riaknya jika semuanya berjalan dengan baik. Untungnya, reaksi para staf kunci perlahan-lahan berubah menjadi pemahaman dan semangat juang.
"Ya, persetanlah, mari kita coba!"
Terdengar seru? Kalau soal Academy Awards, usaha sebesar ini benar-benar sepadan!"
"Hahaha, kalau ini berjalan lancar, maka 'Joker' yang berjalan di karpet merah ajang Emmy juga akan berhasil masuk ke Academy Awards??"
"Pertama-tama, kita harus masuk nominasi!"
"Kalau itu 'Joker', bukankah menurut kalian dia akan memaksa masuk begitu saja?"
"Benar juga, haha."
Tampak semua orang sepakat. Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok melirik ke arah Nora. Wanita itu mengangguk. Diskusi yang
A heavy silence filled the main conference room of Columbia Studios. Although many people were gathered, no one opened their mouth. That was because the bald executive had just asked, “Are you all prepared to give up Kang Woojin’s ‘Joker’?”
They were already people who had experienced Woojin’s ‘Joker’.
'...We can't, no matter what else, we have to keep Kang Woojin.'
‘Who could possibly surpass the current ‘Joker’? It’d be hard.’
If they had never seen it, that would be different, but now that they had been thoroughly immersed, they had become people who couldn’t accept anything but Kang Woojin’s ‘Joker’. It wasn’t strange. If the ‘real’ Kang Woojin was gone, no matter which actor they cast later, it would be just an ‘imitation’ in the end.
Looking at everyone gripped with fear, the bald executive thought,
‘Good, it worked.’
With a faint smile, he continued speaking.
“Why is it that everyone is afraid of other failures but can’t bring themselves to consider Kang Woojin’s case? Honestly, is there any failure bigger than him not doing the sequel? Losing him would be an irrecoverable failure.”
“......”
“Maybe if it were just this one film, but how many more times does ‘Joker’ need to appear? One thing’s for sure, Kang Woojin’s ‘Joker’ will be passionately loved. Whether it’s a good or evil character, when they’re loved, there's always backlash when the actor is replaced, as you all know, the power of a beloved villain is greater than any other character.”
That was true. Usually, villains are roles meant to be hated, but if an actor’s skills are extraordinary, they receive both hatred and recognition. That can even serve as the pillar holding up the entire work.
“Let’s trust our ‘Joker’. Surely, the stakes are high to bet on something unclear, but now that the dice of the cinematic universe has been cast, we have to see the forest, not just the trees.”
At that moment, a few people began to reveal what they had been hiding inside.
“Yeah, I think so too. To be honest, I don’t think ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ will fail at the Academy Awards.”
“There’s no way the Academy Awards won’t recognize such phenomenal acting.”
“The more risk we take, the bigger the reward.”
The bald executive, slowly nodding, regained the lead.
“Kang Woojin has been mentioning the Academy Awards ever since Cannes and the Emmys. Thanks to that, his ripple effect and influence are beyond words. And even now, they’re growing daily. I agree with Director Ahn Ga-bok. At this timing, we have to push with the flow for the fire to even catch. If it blows up, it will be more than a nuclear explosion.”
After finishing his words, the bald executive paused briefly to align his breathing. It was a moment to give everyone time to think. Then, he opened his mouth again.
“If Kang Woojin lifts the trophy at the Academy Awards, following Cannes and the Emmys-”
Even as he spoke, the bald executive got goosebumps.
“Can you even imagine how much power ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ would gain? At the same time, the greatest actor in the world would be born.”
It was imaginable but still unimaginable. Kang Woojin’s prestige was still growing even now, and no one knew just how much more he would grow by then.
“The world will cry out for ‘Joker’. Don’t you all want to see that scene?”
Two days later, on the 20th, late morning.
Among the massive set complexes inside Columbia Studios, the team for ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ was moving busily. They were scheduled to change locations twice today. Half a day for set filming, half a day for outdoor location filming. So there couldn’t be any disruptions to the day’s schedule.
“Actors standby!!”
“I’ll relay it right away!!!”
More than a hundred foreign staff members moved in perfect sync, hand and foot. To the point that the entire scene looked like a single machine. This was Hollywood’s strength and system. In Hollywood, they usually take a long and detailed approach to pre-production, which makes the actual filming period shorter than expected.
There were many works shorter than those in Korea, and ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ was no exception.
Kang Woojin, having finished the poster shoot for ‘Beast and the Beauty’, returned to filming two days ago. Accordingly, today’s first scene was also Woojin’s cut, and Director Ahn Ga-bok was in a discussion with the key staff about the shooting storyboard.
Among all of them, someone was watching with arms crossed.
“......”
It was Nora Foster, the executive producer of the site, with a stern impression. After observing the site for a moment, she exhaled and brushed back her slightly longer-than-bob-length hair. A gesture of relief. Though filming had already entered the mid-to-late phase, neither the director, the staff, nor the actors looked rushed.
At that moment.
-♬♪
Nora’s phone rang. She stepped about two paces away and checked her phone, slightly surprised. The caller was Columbia Studios. It was clearly the result regarding Director Ahn Ga-bok’s proposal. Soon, Nora held the phone to her ear.
“Yes, it’s me.”
From the other end came a man’s voice.
“Nora.”
Hearing the voice, it seemed to be the bald executive from Columbia Studios. As his voice came through again, Nora’s eyes widened slightly.
“Wait, really?”
After a brief call, Nora lowered her phone. But her surprised expression remained. It was hard to tell what it meant just from her face. She stood there blankly for several dozen seconds.
‘What is going on??’
Her internal reaction was one of disbelief. Then suddenly, Nora spun around.
-Swish.
She strode swiftly toward the filming site. Judging by the direction, it was toward the very busy Director Ahn Ga-bok. Soon reaching him, Nora grabbed Director Ahn’s forearm.
“Director.”
With a surprised expression, Director Ahn asked back.
“Nora? What’s going on?”
“It worked.”
“Sorry? What are you talking about?”
“I didn’t think this would actually work either.”
"......Could it be."
"Yes."
Nora, her surprise now mixed with a smile, replied to Director Ahn Ga-bok.
“Your proposal worked. Columbia Studios contacted me to say they’ll proceed according to the schedule you suggested.”
Director Ahn Ga-bok looked at Nora for a moment, then quietly clenched his fist. It was his version of a fighting pose. Nora, unaware of this, added an explanation. Her excitement slowly rising.
“They even said they wouldn’t hold back on supporting the additional funding! That the production company will take care of the support, so the director, staff, and actors should just focus on the shoot. That’s the message.”
Likewise, Director Ahn Ga-bok smiled a wrinkled smile.
“...Looks like we’re going to get busy, but it’ll be a passionate kind of busy.”
A little while later.
Having received the news, Director Ahn Ga-bok first gathered the key staff members. Producer Nora would proceed with the formal process later, but as the director, he felt he needed to give the staff a heads-up and share what was to come.
“First- our ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ is aiming for the Academy Awards.”
“Ooh!”
“Yeah! It’s totally possible!”
Several key staff members ignited their fighting spirit at the mention of the Academy Awards. After all, it’s the dream stage for anyone in Hollywood. But most of them were caught off guard by Director Ahn Ga-bok’s next words.
“But the one we’re aiming for isn’t the year after next. It’s this coming Academy Awards to be held next year.”
“......What?”
Their confusion was natural. All the key staff here were veterans and knew that next year’s Academy Awards would be held in April, and they understood the entire process. At first, everyone thought Director Ahn Ga-bok was joking.
But.
“Here’s the proposal I made to the film company.”
As Director Ahn Ga-bok sincerely began his briefing, everyone’s expressions hardened immediately. Half of them were awed, the other half filled with doubt. Regardless, the veteran director firmly said everything he had to. The core was to meet the qualification by premiering first in Los Angeles, USA, and then to challenge the April Academy Awards.
The issue, of course, was.
“I-Is that even possible?”
The timeline was absurdly tight. But Director Ahn Ga-bok calmly reassured them, as if soothing everyone.
“We can do it. I already saw the potential with ‘Leech’. Of course, I’ll need help from everyone.”
Slowly, Director Ahn Ga-bok explained why he had made such a proposal and the ripple effects if it went well. Fortunately, the reactions of the key staff gradually shifted to understanding and fighting spirit.
“Yeah, screw it, let’s give it a shot!”
“Sounds fun? If it’s the Academy Awards, this level of effort is totally worth it!”
“Hahaha, if this goes well, then the ‘Joker’ who walked the red carpet at the Emmys will make it to the Academy Awards too??”
“First, we have to get nominated!”
“If it’s ‘Joker’, don’t you think he’ll just force his way in?”
“That’s true, haha.”
It seemed everyone was on board. Director Ahn Ga-bok glanced at Nora. She nodded. The “realistic” discussions that followed would be her responsibility. Soon after, the surrounding area became loud and bustling, and Director Ahn quietly exhaled.
‘From now on, it’s a race against time.’
To make things run according to the plan he proposed to Columbia Studios, there wasn’t even a second to rest from this moment forward. At that moment, the actors began entering the set. Among them, Nora spotted Kang Woojin, now in full makeup as “Henry Gordon”, his expression indifferent.
‘Kang Woojin-’
Nora murmured inwardly with a deep smile.
‘For that massive Columbia Studios to bet everything on this actor’s ‘Joker’?'
It came from the heart.
‘No, at this point, it’s not just a bet. It’s all-in.’
Afterwards.
With the Academy Awards path now confirmed for ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’, the pace naturally picked up. The filming schedule was sure to change. Though the crank-up was already set for sometime in September, even saving a single day would be helpful.
This was only possible thanks to the agreement of the key staff and the actors, including Kang Woojin.
Of course, the one fighting hardest, practically putting his life on the line, would be Director Ahn Ga-bok, but without help from others, that struggle would be in vain. Surprisingly, the actors’ responses were full of excitement. Chris, who had grown quite close to Woojin, grabbed Kang Woojin’s shoulder and said,
“Woojin! So you’re finally conquering the Academy Awards too? Hold up, then I need to win something too, right??”
The other actors reacted similarly.
Naturally, this move was designated as top secret. They would maintain strict confidentiality until the release. And with something of this scale, even a minor rumor could ruin everything.
Kang Woojin felt a bit nervous, but he didn’t show it.
Part of it was him putting on a tough front, but he also figured it was better not to have high expectations at times like this.
‘Still, aiming for the Academy Awards next April... that’s crazy fast.’
Whatever the case, Woojin had to focus on his scenes and performance several times more than usual. The first shoot for ‘Beast and the Beauty’ was coming up soon.
He had to finish as many of his own scenes as possible beforehand.
And so, Kang Woojin pushed forward with filming for ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’. One day passed, then two. Everyone’s motivation was so high that minutes, hours, and entire days flew by without anyone realizing it.
Meanwhile, the ‘Beast and the Beauty’ side, which had now arrived at its first filming day, was also busy.
『CNM / The controversial and much-talked-about live-action project ‘Beast and the Beauty’ confirms first shoot on September 1!』
『LA TIME / Only one week left until the first shoot of ‘Beast and the Beauty’ by World Disney Pictures. What kind of synergy will Kang Woojin and Miley Cara bring?』
As the first filming news and promotions spread beyond Hollywood, the production entered its final preparation stage.
Komentar Chapter (0)
Login buat ikut berkomentar.
Belum ada komentar di chapter ini. Jadi yang pertama!