Chapter 1174: Movie Star (2)

The set.

While the actor quietly gathered his emotions, the staff of Guardians 2 waited with their arms folded.

Every face showed the same uncertainty.

…Can he really pull it off?

They had all agreed to the casting.

When Wooju had arrived at the screen test in full makeup, he had looked exactly like the Fang they had imagined.

But their approval had been limited to his appearance. They still could not shake their doubts about Sunny as the main villain.

Everyone kept glancing at the face of the statue-like beauty.

“His look really is perfect.”

A costume department staffer sipping coffee in the distance watched the crouching actor and whispered to the head costume designer.

“Do you think he’ll actually be good?”

“Who knows? I’m just someone who sews clothes. But if John chose him out of all those actors, there must be a reason.”

The head designer’s answer spoke for everyone.

It was less that they trusted Wooju and more that they trusted the judgment of Academy Award-winning director John Edwards.

Even so, it was only natural for them to remain skeptical.

No matter what, he’s still the main villain…

In a superhero movie, the most important character was not the hero but the villain.

The villain determined the quality of the entire film.

—

“Kehehehe! I’ll destroy the Earth! I’ll conquer the world!”

—

There were villains like that.

—

“My entire family died because of your little game of heroes. Can you truly call yourselves heroes when you protect one person by taking another’s life? Now I will be the one to judge you.”

—

And there were villains like that.

There was no need to explain which kind made a movie feel more sophisticated.

The more carefully crafted the villain was, the more thrilling the conflicts and battles became, and the more deeply the audience became psychologically immersed.

Simply put, the villain determined how entertaining the movie would be.

That was why the superhero movie industry generally followed one unwritten rule.

—

Cast one of the industry’s finest actors as the main villain.

—

A brilliant actor could compensate for the flimsy scripts common to superhero movies and make the audience understand the villain’s story.

There had been criticism that famous actors were being consumed as disposable, one-time characters, but thus far, the formula had worked.

That was precisely why the staff still had doubts.

Sunny as the main villain…

They acknowledged that Sunny was an extraordinary singer.

But this was Hollywood.

Before Guardians 2, his acting career amounted to winning a rookie award for appearing in a famous Korean sitcom.

Had this been a Wonder Comics project, it was the kind of career that would have been cut from the initial candidate list by the producers above the director, regardless of how badly the director wanted him.

—

“Does he have an exceptional acting career in Asia? Is he a major actor everyone in the region knows?”

“No.”

“Even famous foreign actors struggle to adjust to the Hollywood system. Does he have any experience acting in Hollywood?”

“No.”

“Then why are we casting him?”

—

On a flowchart of Yes or No choices, his career would have automatically led to the final result: Rejected.

It was something that never would have happened with a thriving franchise.

Even if an actor showed potential, there was no reason to gamble by casting a rookie as the main villain.

But their current circumstances had made it possible.

First, there was the catastrophic failure of the first Guardians, a movie that had made critics leap to their feet in applause—no, collapse from orthostatic hypotension.

—

“This movie is like a cake. A cake built out of excrement. Watching a director who received a hundred-million-dollar budget spend two hours carefully constructing a cake out of excrement makes one realize just how bizarre the world can be.”

—

On top of that, Silver Screen’s financial situation was so dire after the spectacular failure of the four-hundred-million-dollar superhero blockbuster Phoenix: A New Beginning that people were openly discussing whether the entire franchise needed another reboot.

Even when the studio wanted to cast famous actors as villains, those actors were turning away and saying, “Silver Screen is a little… questionable these days.”

At the same time, the studio’s future now depended on Guardians 2.

—

“Please… Please let it succeed.”

—

That was why no one had been able to oppose Director John Edwards when he brought Sunny in, despite their doubts.

Sunny was an attention magnet who generated buzz regardless of whether the subject was fashion or music.

A superstar who had drawn seventeen million viewers to a livestream had descended upon their movie.

They did not know how good his acting would be, but in terms of publicity and drawing power, he was someone they could trust completely.

“Hahaha.”

The staff turned at the sound of someone’s delighted laughter.

An executive from Silver Screen headquarters was gazing at Sunny with enough affection to drip honey.

The staff laughed inwardly.

He looks ready to kiss him on the spot.

It was understandable.

Sound of the Sun was hauling Silver Screen’s finances back from the abyss after Phoenix: A New Beginning had driven them into the ground.

The movie was projected to surpass seven hundred million dollars at the worldwide box office.

Moreover, unlike most blockbusters, it had been produced on the relatively modest budget of fifty million dollars. Its success was more than enough to delight a headquarters executive.

“I can hardly wait. If Sunny appears in the post-credits scene, it should generate tremendous buzz.”

Using the global superstar in the post-credits scene had also been headquarters’ idea.

“…And that will lead directly to the success of Guardians 2. A perfect plan! Isn’t it magnificent?”

I’m not so sure.

He seems a little too optimistic.

The staff agreed politely while shaking their heads inwardly.

There had been superhero movies that became major talking points, but had anyone ever seen a post-credits scene itself become a sensation?

A post-credits scene was exactly what its name suggested: something light to enjoy afterward, like opening a fortune cookie after a meal.

There’s no way a post-credits scene will become a major issue.

They thought the idea made no sense, but it was a headquarters decision, and Director John Edwards, who held production authority, was also in favor of it. The staff therefore remained quiet and followed along.

Meanwhile, Director John Edwards sipped his coffee while watching the monitor.

“He’ll do well.”

Looking at the broad back of the male actor, he spoke to the assistant director.

“You know the saying that directors who make good horror movies are also good at action and thrillers, right?”

“Yes.”

“To evoke fear in people, you need an exceptional grasp of suspense. Anyone capable of handling the most difficult task of provoking human emotion can distinguish themselves in other genres as well.”

Director John Edwards continued.

“Comedy is similar. Actors who are good at comedy often show extraordinary timing in serious drama too. Just like horror, acting that can make someone laugh is among the most difficult kinds of acting.”

As he spoke, the director’s gaze settled on the actor.

Having worked in Hollywood for many years, he could feel the rhythm of a set.

The actor’s tense breathing was gradually becoming calm.

It meant he had entered the role.

He’s ready.

Director John Edwards smiled and raised his megaphone.

“Ready—action!”

The shot they were filming would appear for roughly three to five seconds at the end of the one-minute post-credits scene.

—

[Large-scale wolf attacks are occurring near Yellowstone National Park.]

[At this moment, tremendous chaos has erupted in New York City…]

[Inexplicable anomalies are occurring across the world. Animals have escaped from zoos, and…]

—

The reports would overlap, showing the global chaos erupting around the planet.

At the very end, Fang, who had been staring at the bodies of dead animals, would rise and look into the camera.

His expression would show that he had resolved to take revenge.

Slowly—

The staff held their breath as Fang began to rise.

His back radiated such a feral presence that he truly looked like a beast lifting itself from the ground.

Though no one stood nearby, the wolf slowly turned his head as though his keen senses had detected someone watching him.

“……”

The staff’s pupils widened.

They could already imagine how audiences in theaters would react.

They’re going to flinch.

His savage gaze stared defiantly into the camera, as if he had noticed the audience hiding in the darkness and watching him.

His eyes were glacially cold.

As though foreshadowing everything that was about to happen.

But then…

“Ah…”

When Wooju completed the turn, everyone on the set opened their mouths.

Tap.

Tap.

Tears were falling from the face he had finally revealed.

A tear slipped from one eye.

He was rationally suppressing his emotions, yet the feelings he could not fully contain flowed down one cheek.

It was the kind of expression that would make watching audiences feel inexplicably guilty, as though they themselves had done something wrong.

“……”

Wooju continued to stare into the camera for nearly ten seconds.

Only when the assistant director tapped his shoulder did Director John Edwards come to his senses and raise the megaphone.

“Cut!”

The acting had been so perfect that he had even forgotten to call cut.

『Guardians 2: Special Blu-ray Commentary』

[John Edwards / Director]

The most difficult casting decision in this movie was choosing the actor who would play Fang.

Images of Fang from the comics appeared.

The director’s voice played over the various versions of the character.

[John Edwards / Director]

He had to be both feral and gentle, and he also needed an appearance capable of convincing audiences at a glance. We couldn’t explain every detail of Fang’s story during a runtime of just over two hours.

[Stanley Wilson / Casting Director]

One day, John was watching SNL, and he suddenly said it. He saw Wooju playing Bunnyman and said, “Stan, that’s him. Our Fang is right there.” At first, I laughed it off too.

[John Edwards / Director]

I managed to recruit Sunny at the SNL after-party that night. I launched a very enthusiastic courtship campaign.

And so Wooju was cast.

Footage showed Wooju standing nervously in front of a green screen.

[John Edwards / Director]

To be honest, even after the screen test, the rest of the staff remained skeptical. Sunny was obviously a world-famous superstar, but the overall reaction was still, “A rookie actor as the villain?” (Loud laughter)

[Percy Isaacson / Screenwriter]

Honestly, we kept saying that we trusted the director’s judgment, but we didn’t really believe it. Not until “that day.”

The screenwriter looked into the camera and nodded.

Behind-the-scenes footage played of Wooju standing before the camera in full makeup to film the post-credits scene.

[Percy Isaacson / Screenwriter]

That day, everyone knew. If this post-credits scene played in theaters, something enormous was going to happen.

“Cut!”

The moment the director gave the cut signal, tears began pouring down my face.

They were no longer tears I had held back until they escaped from only one eye. Now they spilled from both eyes at once.

“Ah…”

I couldn’t wipe them with the sleeves of my costume, so I tilted my head back.

Manager Jongwan quickly approached with Mingi and held out some tissues.

“Wooju, here.”

“Thank you.”

Even as I gently dabbed around my eyes with the tissues to keep the makeup from smearing, the tears would not stop.

Mingi patted me on the shoulder.

“Hey, are you okay? You must’ve gotten too immersed.”

“I made a mistake.”

“You made a mistake…? That was perfect.”

He sounded baffled, and I answered with my eyes closed.

“Not with the acting. Something else. It’s complicated to explain…”

Strictly speaking, I had chosen the wrong material to act with.

To immerse myself in the emotion, I had imagined the people precious to me getting hurt, but it was difficult to escape the image afterward.

Not merely getting hurt, either.

I had imagined losing them forever.

Drip.

Drip.

I had drawn upon personal experience to seize the emotion quickly, but it seemed to have been a poor decision.

Now I understood why Jiho had warned me to be careful with method acting.

Perhaps because I had immersed myself so deeply, even though the scene had lasted only about ten seconds, I still felt as though I were struggling inside the emotion.

“Whew.”

I took a deep breath, calmed my reddened eyes, and smiled.

Then I spoke to Mingi, who was watching me with concern.

“After filming is over, I think I should reconsider my acting method a little.”

“Yeah.”

“But we’re not finished yet, so… I’ll continue like this for now.”

Just as I finished speaking and finally returned to my usual state—

“Sunny.”

Director John Edwards beckoned to me with a serious expression.

“Come here.”

“Yes.”

The director gestured for me to sit beside him.

As I took the chair next to his and looked at the monitor, the other staff members gathered around us.

“Watch.”

The monitor, surrounded by complicated numbers, showed me standing in front of the green screen.

The actor on camera slowly rose and stared coldly into the lens for a moment.

Then, when he fully turned, a tear flowed from one eye.

“……”

I stared blankly without realizing it.

The shot had come out well.

The person on the screen did not look like me.

He truly looked like Fang.

“Sunny, do you know what this means?”

“No…?”

“It means a Christmas miracle has finally come to our movie too.”

The staff erupted into cheers.

“You were incredible!”

“Wow, the way you immersed yourself in that instant… It was amazing!”

“This might actually generate a lot of buzz just from the post-credits scene. It’s more than enough to make people curious…”

I answered the people showering me with praise with a dazed, “Uh… thank you.”

Then I asked the director.

“Don’t we need to film more?”

“More than this?”

The director laughed heartily and slapped me on the back.

“That’s a relief. I got too immersed…”

I had no desire to imagine something like that again for the sake of another take.

Acting was important, but I did not think it was healthy to bury myself in such a whirlpool of emotions for a performance.

At the same time, the change in everyone’s reactions made me smile slightly.

“Sunny!”

“Sunny, what you just did…”

When I had first entered the set, everyone had seemed to watch me from behind an invisible wall.

Now, after filming the post-credits scene, it felt as though that wall had collapsed.

It was not the kind of wall that separated friends.

Rather, it felt as though they were welcoming me as a true member of the family making this movie.

“All right, that’s it for filming today!”

Director John Edwards dismissed the staff and winked at me.

“And Sunny, I’ll see you in the meeting.”

“Yep.”

I changed out of the costume under a barrage of praise from the makeup team, who chattered about how wonderful today’s performance had been, and then joined everyone in the conference room.

Director John Edwards, seated with the screenwriters, spoke.

“You probably struggled quite a bit while acting today. You had to perform without knowing the full context of the situation. I assume you drew on some personal experience as well.”

“Yes… It was a little emotionally overwhelming.”

“Fortunately, your role is extremely important. And because it is important, we’ll do everything we can to help your performance.”

The director held out a tablet.

“Normally, actors receive only the portions of the script related to their own scenes. But because your character runs through the heart of the story, you’ll need to understand the entire movie. Which means what you have here is…”

He grinned.

“The complete screenplay.”

“!”

“However, for security reasons, you can only read it in this room. You’ll receive the detailed scripts for your scenes separately.”

“Thank you. I’ll read it carefully.”

“Whenever you have a question, ask any of the screenwriters here.”

I immediately took the script and began reading it attentively.

Whenever I became curious about the character’s emotional arc or the nature of a conflict, I asked questions and listened to the answers.

Over the course of four full hours, I was able to discuss with the screenwriters how we would construct Fang as the main villain and what direction I should take with my performance.

“Now all that remains is principal photography.”

The head screenwriter shook my hand.

“I look forward to working with you, Sunny.”

“Likewise.”

“Oh, and I heard you were nominated for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes. I hope everything goes well.”

After shaking hands, we parted ways.

As we left the studio, Mingi asked me,

“Want to stop somewhere on the way back? Aren’t you hungry?”

“No. I want to go back quickly today. I miss the others.”

For some reason, I felt an unusually strong urge to see the younger members.

I did not know why.

I simply did.

We drove straight back to the hotel, and the moment we arrived, I ran to the suite and opened the door.

The youngest, who had been munching on snacks, came scampering over.

“Wooju!”

“Jiho.”

“Wooju, today was seriously so exhausting!”

“Was it?”

Before I could even speak, the youngest began telling me every last detail of what had happened on the set of Secret Agent 3.

While he talked, the other members came out as well.

“You’re back?”

“Wooju.”

I called everyone together.

“Everybody, come here for a second.”

“?”

“Let me hug you.”

“??”

The underlings approached with confused expressions, and we embraced in a huddle like a colony of penguins, enjoying one another’s warmth for a while.

I smiled weakly.

“Today was a little difficult for me.”

“It was?”

At the word difficult, all the younger members looked at me with concern.

Biju’s eyes grew watery as he asked, “Why? What happened?” while Junghyun gazed at me calmly.

Ri Hyuk asked,

“How difficult was it?”

“About ten seconds…”

The underlings stared at me blankly.

I spoke seriously.

“It was only ten seconds, but it was extremely difficult.”

“……”

“I’m serious.”

“……”

The others began dispersing with indifferent expressions.

“No, guys, I’m telling you, those ten seconds were really hard!”

“Sure, sure.”

“Just come eat, Wooju.”

I felt wronged.