novelburst
Chapter 456
Chapter 456
Chapter 456: Speed ??of Light (8)
Translator: NovelBin
The filming of *Beauty and the Beast*, which started in the banquet hall set, finally wrapped late at night after moving through multiple sets. Over a hundred crew members were already hustling to prepare for the next day’s shoot. After saying goodbye to Director Bill Roettner, Woo-jin was heading back to his trailer with his team.
Currently, he was still wearing the skintight costume.
“Ugh… No matter how many times I wear this, I’ll never get used to it,” he grumbled internally. Outwardly, however, Woo-jin maintained his tough demeanor as he approached his trailer.
“Woo-jin!”
Someone called out, and when he looked, he saw his manager, Choi Sung-geon, waving at him. Sung-geon had been scarce lately due to handling various *Guest* business and meetings at the LA branch, so he hadn’t been able to stick around with Woo-jin much. Now, joining Woo-jin in the trailer, Sung-geon started speaking.
“Hollywood, Korea—heck, the whole world is going wild over *Piero* aiming for an Academy Award. I knew it would get attention, but I didn’t expect it to cause such a stir.”
“Is that so? Still, Columbia Studios hasn’t made an official announcement yet. Once they do, it’ll probably get even louder.”
“When’s that happening?”
“In a few days.”
“Alright. We should start preparing on our end too.”
As Woo-jin began changing out of his skintight costume, Sung-geon shifted the topic.
“I heard there’s a tentative wrap date for *Beauty and the Beast*?”
“Yes, early January, from what I’ve heard.”
“Early January, huh? Less than a month left. Feels like we just started filming, and time’s flown by like crazy. *Piero* is nearly done with editing, and *Beauty and the Beast* is close to wrapping up too.”
For a moment, Sung-geon shivered in excitement.
“It’s not long before these movies release worldwide. Isn’t that thrilling?”
“It’s… moderately exciting.” Woo-jin, who was equally excited, answered in his usual calm tone.
“Just ‘moderately’? Man, you’re about to take over Hollywood in just a few years, and you’re this calm. Still blows my mind every time—how are you so composed? Anyway, Jennifer Sermon from *Guest* reached out to say that, out of nowhere, Miley Cara contacted her.”
“…”
“Oh, and Chris Hartnett too. Both of them are interested in *Guest* and have scheduled meetings soon.” Sung-geon chuckled and playfully poked Woo-jin’s cheek as he kept his usual stoic expression.
“This was your doing, wasn’t it?”
“Who knows?”
“‘Who knows,’ my foot. Do you seriously think two of Hollywood’s top actors would just randomly decide to do *Guest*? If you hadn’t pulled some strings, would that even be happening?”
Yeah, I did pull some strings. Woo-jin answered with a chuckle internally but gave Sung-geon a simple, restrained response.
“I just recommended the script.”
“Same thing. What exactly did you say to them to get their attention so quickly, huh?”
Sung-geon pressed him with curiosity, but Woo-jin remained silent. Honestly, he hadn’t done much at all.
“I just gave a brief description and recommended it, that’s all,” Woo-jin thought to himself.
After that, it was Miley and Chris who took action. Then again, Woo-jin’s current influence was massive, so his involvement alone carried weight. Woo-jin decided to switch the topic.
“Director, when are you planning to make *Guest* public?”
“Oh? Right, we should get on that. But we don’t want it overlapping with *Piero*, so we’ll wait until Columbia makes their announcement first.”
Finished changing, Woo-jin put on his cap and exited the trailer, only to see a familiar blonde waiting right outside.
“Oh.”
It was Miley Cara, still dressed as Belle from *Beauty and the Beast*. Though they’d been filming at the same set all day, their scenes hadn’t overlapped, so they hadn’t had a chance to speak. Sensing the situation, Sung-geon gave a polite cough and stepped aside, leaving them alone. Woo-jin glanced at Miley and commented.
“You’re still in costume.”
With her hair tied in a single braid, Miley shrugged.
“I was talking to the director and lost track of time.”
“I see.”
“But—” Miley’s voice trailed off as she took a step closer to Woo-jin. Her perfume was subtle but noticeable, though Woo-jin kept his expression neutral as Miley scanned their surroundings and lowered her voice.
“I contacted the *Guest* team. We’ll probably have a meeting within a few days.”
“Yes, I heard.”
“For the record, it’s not entirely because of you. I just found the script interesting enough to set up a meeting.”
Woo-jin held her gaze for a moment and gave a small nod.
“I understand.”
Miley’s expression softened before she narrowed her eyes and corrected herself.
“Actually, let’s be honest—half of it is because of you.”
Woo-jin couldn’t help but smile a little. Come to think of it, Miley had managed to break his usual stoic façade twice now.
“Half of it, huh?”
“...Yes, so let’s have dinner together.”
“Dinner?”
“Yeah. We haven’t had a proper meal together since filming started.”
Had they really not? With his busy schedule, Woo-jin hadn’t noticed, but it did sound about right. Nodding casually, he agreed.
“Sure, let’s have dinner.”
Miley’s face brightened instantly, though she quickly cleared her throat to mask her excitement.
“Why am I so happy over just one dinner? So annoying,” she muttered to herself.
Later that evening, after work, Woo-jin relaxed in the van as it took him home. He started browsing through the internet, beginning with Korean news.
“Wow, it’s really blown up.”
Korea was in a frenzy. And what was the topic? The aftermath of Woo-jin’s interview had created a massive ripple effect.
> “[Hot Topic] Woo-jin’s *Piero: Birth of a Villain* aiming for the Oscars this April? Columbia remains silent.”
> “Woo-jin announces Oscar aspirations! Industry experts call it ‘impossible timing.’ Will we see Woo-jin at the Oscars this April?”
The Korean media was filled with news of Woo-jin, *Piero: Birth of a Villain*, and the Academy Awards. Since Woo-jin had already won Best Actor at the Emmys, the media frenzy only grew. Social media, forums, and YouTube were also buzzing with discussions about Woo-jin.
---
**Online Comments:**
- “Did Woo-jin get his interview mixed up? How’s he planning on getting to the Oscars in April?”
- “Looks like Woo-jin leaked it before Columbia even made an official statement, haha.”
- “Technically, it’s not impossible if he meets the requirements.”
- “What are the requirements?”
- “The film has to screen in LA for at least a week, apparently!”
- “But wouldn’t that mess with Columbia’s release schedule if they’re aiming for an Oscar nomination?”
- “If he actually makes it to the Oscars, that’ll be legendary—like god-tier status.”
- “Isn’t he risking backlash from the Oscars by being so open? They might not nominate him out of spite.”
- “If the film’s good, they’ll have to nominate him. Hollywood’s in chaos over this right now.”
---
Woo-jin’s name was on everyone’s lips, not only online but offline too. From casual conversations to discussions among industry insiders, actors, directors, and executives alike, the buzz around Woo-jin was huge in Korea, Japan, and, of course, Hollywood.
> *“CNM: Following Woo-jin’s bombshell announcement, the Oscars remain silent. Is *Piero: Birth of a Villain* truly aiming for the Academy Awards?”*
International news outlets churned out articles, while communities like Reddit were alive with all sorts of rumors and speculations. But since it was the end of the year, with award ceremonies, events, and parties everywhere, Woo-jin couldn’t stay in the spotlight alone.
Still busy with *Beauty and the Beast*, Woo-jin received several invitations to various award ceremonies. Reporters were always eager for interviews, but this time, Woo-jin chose to keep quiet.
---
A week passed.
It was now mid-December, the air filled with year-end and Christmas vibes. While on his way to the *Beauty and the Beast* set, Woo-jin received a call from Columbia Studios.
“Yes, understood,” he said briefly before hanging up. Sung-geon, who was with him, immediately asked.
“What did they say?”
Woo-jin replied calmly.
“They’ll make the announcement within an hour.”
Thirty minutes later, Columbia Studios made the official announcement worldwide through their social media channels.
> *“Hello, this is Columbia Studios. Today, we’re here to share an update on *Piero: Birth of a Villain*. Following Woo-jin’s recent interview, we can confirm that everything he said is true. *Piero: Birth of a Villain* will be competing at the Academy Awards this April. Therefore, the film will have a preliminary release in LA this coming February…”*
Exactly as Director Ahn Ga-bok had strategized with Columbia, the announcement swept through Hollywood like wildfire. The once speculative media outlets exploded with headlines, and the public was abuzz.
Public opinion was split—some found it innovative and thrilling, while
others were shocked or even dismissive. Given how rare this approach was in Hollywood’s history, the controversy was understandable. Columbia Studios, however, seemed unfazed, releasing new posters and teaser trailers for *Piero: Birth of a Villain*. Meanwhile, Woo-jin shared a photo from the *Piero* set on his social media with a simple caption: “Please support us.”
As Hollywood and the world buzzed with anticipation for *Piero: Birth of a Villain*, other projects continued moving forward as well.
---
“Hello, Miley Cara.”
“Nice to meet you.”
At the office of A8 Media, *Guest* producer Jennifer Sermon and her team welcomed none other than Hollywood’s top-tier actress, Miley Cara.
“Whew—just seeing Miley Cara in front of me is nerve-wracking.”
“Oh? Really? I enjoyed reading the script,” Miley replied casually, exuding confidence.
This meeting was only an initial discussion, but Jennifer Sermon was visibly tense about meeting such a big star. Miley, in contrast, seemed completely at ease. While many decisions remained, Jennifer’s primary concern was Miley Cara’s fee. If Miley agreed to join *Guest*, Jennifer would bend over backward to make it happen, but if the fee was too high, it would be impossible.
Fortunately, however…
“Hmm—it’s not bad,” Miley said, reacting positively to the proposed terms. While nothing was confirmed yet, her interest was promising, and Jennifer felt a surge of relief.
“Even if the budget goes up a bit, it’s still within range.”
Though Jennifer’s offer was substantial, likely accounting for over half of *Guest*’s entire production budget, this kind of arrangement was common in Hollywood.
After wrapping up the meeting with Miley, Jennifer glanced at her schedule.
“Alright, next up.”
With renewed confidence, she headed into her next meeting. About three hours later, the next top Hollywood actor entered her office.
“Hey, nice to meet you!”
“Welcome, Chris.”
It was Chris Hartnett.
Meanwhile, over at Universal Movies, one of Hollywood’s “Big Five,” a new project was being finalized. Attending the meeting were industry giants like Joseph Felton and Hollywood legend Danny Landis. The project? *John Persona*, Woo-jin’s third confirmed Hollywood film.
“Let’s finish up the year before diving into this,” Felton suggested.
“Agreed. We’ll start full force in January.”
“Alright, let’s set the first script reading for January.”
The first table read for *John Persona* was set for a few weeks into January.
---
Time passed quickly, a day, two days, and a week, with countless projects keeping Woo-jin busy. Finally, late one night, Woo-jin arrived home in LA after a full day of filming.
“Ugh… I’m dead,” he muttered as he slumped down, breaking character entirely. Checking his phone, he noticed the date.
- [2022/ 12/ 31]
- [PM 11:55]
With only five minutes left until the new year, his phone was flooded with messages—texts, notifications, DMs, and calls, all from people wishing him well as the year ended. Scanning the messages, Woo-jin muttered to himself.
“Another year older, huh?”
The numbers on his phone’s display ticked forward.
- [2023/ 1/ 1]
Woo-jin was officially entering his fourth year as an actor.
---
Two days later, on January 3, 2023.
The chaotic year-end had passed, and the new year dawned, though it was hardly calm anywhere, from Korea to Hollywood. Early that morning, Woo-jin boarded a van to work. Although the new year had begun, his face remained as stoic as ever.
“…”
Staring out the window, Woo-jin felt his heart race a little.
“Wow, how did I already make it to my fourth year as an actor?”
As he briefly recalled his early days in the industry, his phone suddenly vibrated, breaking his reverie. He checked the caller ID. It was Director Ahn Ga-bok. Surprised, Woo-jin cleared his throat before answering.
“Yes, Director.”
Speaking in Korean, he heard Ahn Ga-bok’s familiar, aged voice on the other end.
“It’s done. The editing for *Piero: Birth of a Villain* is complete.”
The ammunition was loaded and ready to fire.