Chapter 381: Overwhelm (10)

Translator: Dreamscribe

‘World Disney Pictures’ boasts an enormous fandom, not just domestically but worldwide. Its scale is indescribable, regardless of age, gender, or nationality. This is because it has countless signature animated films and an overflow of wildly popular characters. Of course, these characters remain beloved even decades later.

These are the strengths and driving force of ‘World Disney Pictures’.

Thus, whenever a new animated film or sequel is released, fans from all over the world flock to it. Naturally, the same applies to live-action adaptations of animated films. In particular, the more popular the original animated film is, the more feverish the atmosphere becomes. And ‘Beast and the Beauty’ is one of the representative works of ‘World Disney Pictures’ that everyone worldwide knows, just hearing its title makes people recall its OST.

That 'Beast and the Beauty' suddenly.

-[-Ah, I’m not trollingㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I live in LA, and there’s a legit rumor going around that Disney is preparing a live-action version of ‘Beast and the Beauty’.]

It began to be mentioned on a Korean online community. It was the largest film-related community in Korea, with a substantial number of users. Of course, Kang Woojin’s works like ‘Drug Dealer’, ‘Island of the Missing’, and ‘Leech’ were also discussed and received plenty of feedback here.

Now, it was ‘Beast and the Beauty’ that was the hot topic.

In an instant, a massive number of users swarmed in.

-[What? Beast and the Beauty? For real? If this isn't a lie but true, I'm so excited???]

It was an unusual sign.

Meanwhile, in LA.

A massive studio complex, currently bustling with people coming and going. One of the ‘Big Five’ film companies, also a famous tourist attraction in LA, with a familiar round sculpture featuring its iconic logo displayed at the entrance.

-‘World Disney Pictures’

It was ‘World Disney Pictures’. Like other major film companies, the scale of ‘World Disney Pictures’ was so massive that it could rival a theme park. From warehouse-style stages for filming to outdoor shooting locations, it had facilities that could make other film companies envious. The difference, however, was the familiar characters scattered all around the premises of the studio.

Inside one of the large offices at ‘World Disney Pictures’.

A 0-shaped desk surrounded by numerous chairs, with multiple monitors and a large screen orderly arranged in front. At first glance, it might seem like an editing room, but seeing the foreigners filling the desk, it might be a meeting room disguised as a studio.

On the desks of dozens of foreign staff members lay tablets and scripts.

-‘Beast and the Beauty’

These individuals were the team in charge of the live-action adaptation of ‘Beast and the Beauty’ at ‘World Disney Pictures’. As they flipped through their tablets, they engaged in serious discussions. The screens of their tablets displayed Hollywood’s top actors and actresses, regardless of gender. Miley Cara’s face had just appeared moments ago.

“Has there been a response from Miley Cara's side?”

"No, not yet."

“Hmm- wasn’t she the actor we wanted the most? Did we hold back too much when we proposed the offer?”

“Not at all, we even told her she’s our top pick. She seemed interested during the meeting, but it looks like she’s taking more time to consider than expected.”

"If we don't hear from her by today, try following up once."

“Understood.”

Leaving aside the female actors who had not yet had pre-meetings, the conversation shifted to the male actors, whose pre-meetings had already concluded. The names of highly prominent actors were brought up, and the discussion became more intense.

“Alright, the pre-meetings with the male actors went smoothly, right? Did we receive confirmation from all of them?”

“Yes, we can proceed with auditions and tests for the ‘Beast’ role.”

“Is the OST for the vocal tests ready?”

“It’ll be ready soon.”

“If it’s difficult, can’t we use the OST from the original animated film?”

“That’s an option, but it’d be better to use the rearranged version if it’s completed.”

“Hmm, true. What about the piano piece?"

“That’ll take a bit more time.”

As various issues related to the auditions and tests were discussed, a hot actor’s face popped up on the ‘Beast and the Beauty’ team’s tablets.

“Kang Woojin. What are we going to do about him?”

A few days ago, Kang Woojin had already completed a pre-meeting with the team for ‘Beast and the Beauty’. However, right after the pre-meeting, ‘Columbia Studios’ announced Kang Woojin as a candidate for their movie ‘Pierrot’, creating a slightly awkward situation.

“Who would’ve thought that ‘Columbia Studios’ was also after him?”

“They must have handled it as secretly as we did.”

“We should have approached him a bit earlier.”

The faces of the gathered foreign staff were filled with concern.

“Do we push forward as is? Or should we exclude Kang Woojin from the ‘Beast’ role?”

“......It’s a tricky situation. There’s also the possibility that the schedules of the two projects might clash when production begins.”

"Can he handle two projects? While it might theoretically be possible, realistically, it’s rare in Hollywood to work on two films simultaneously. The actor’s stamina probably wouldn’t hold up.”

At this moment, a member of the casting-related CD Team joined the conversation.

“But Kang Woojin is famous for working on overlapping projects in Korea. In fact, ‘Leech’, which turned Cannes upside down, was filmed concurrently with other projects.”

"Oh- really?"

“However, the production systems in Korea and Hollywood are vastly different.”

“It’s tough.”

Among the foreigners, a man with a long face, exuding the aura of a decision-maker, spoke.

“Whether to proceed with him or exclude him, let’s take another look at the video from the pre-meeting.”

Soon, a few staff members moved, and before long, a video was displayed on the largest monitor among the several in front of them. A man with black hair and an indifferent expression appeared. It was Kang Woojin. Speaking fluent English with the foreigners, he suddenly stood up and moved. He sat down at a black piano and began to play calmly.

-♬♪

During the pre-meeting, the ‘Beast and the Beauty’ team had asked Woojin to play the piano, and Kang Woojin accepted their request without a moment’s hesitation. Soon, the sound of Woojin’s piano filled the meeting room. The piece he played was one of the hit OSTs released by ‘World Disney Pictures’.

It was an incredibly famous piece, but somehow,

“It feels completely different.”

“Right? It’s a performance infused with his own color.”

“Even now, it’s astonishing. Is he really an actor?”

When Kang Woojin played, it sounded so unique that the familiar tune felt like a completely different piece. The team listened to the piano performance for a few minutes until suddenly, the music stopped. The video was paused. Then, the long-faced foreigner clasped his hands together and spoke.

“It’s possible for projects to overlap. It happens often enough in Hollywood. Of course, the fact that the overlapping project is with ‘Columbia Studios’ is a bit concerning, but after hearing that performance, who could give up on Kang Woojin?”

“......”

“......”

The foreigners closed their mouths, and the atmosphere grew silent.

“We asked all the candidate actors for the ‘Beast’ role to play the piano, but the only one who captivated my ears was Kang Woojin. Isn’t it too much of a waste to give up on him over something like overlapping projects? We haven’t even heard his vocal abilities or seen his full acting yet. Most importantly-”

The long-faced foreigner spoke decisively.

“His piano performance had a unique color, as if the ‘Beast’ himself was the one playing.”

At this time.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Two large vans driving through downtown LA. In the front car, a familiar blonde woman was visible. With her legs crossed, she gazed out the window.

It was Miley Cara.

She was on her way to attend her next schedule, a year-end fashion show. However,

“......”

Cara’s face showed signs of concern. It wasn’t about the fashion show but something else.

'Should I really- give up on Beast and the Beauty.'

It was about the recent proposal she had received regarding ‘Beast and the Beauty’. Since then, Cara had been lost in thought. She considered what she had heard from the ‘Beast and the Beauty’ team, her current situation, and her growing ambition. After a long deliberation, she brushed her cascading blonde hair aside.

‘Kang Woojin has already been shortlisted for ‘Pierrot’. Even if he’s just a candidate, with his momentum, he’s likely to land the role. That means he’s already secured a project in Hollywood. Considering Joseph’s project as well, his schedule for next year is pretty much full.’

Conversely, Miley Cara, whose schedule was already packed with a new album and various other commitments, thought that if she accepted ‘Beast and the Beauty’, her schedule for next year would be completely consumed.

Furrowing her brows as if she had a headache, she sighed deeply.

Soon, at a hotel in downtown LA. That is, when she arrived at the fashion show venue, she grabbed her coat and got out of the van. The entrance was packed with hundreds of reporters and staff. Accompanied by her team and several foreign guards, she reached the stairs crowded with reporters.

“Miley!”

A man’s voice called out from behind. She turned around to see a Hollywood actor with curly brown hair, someone she was quite friendly with, waving at her. Thanks to him, the guards around Cara created some space, and the smiling actor approached her and suddenly whispered.

“You got an offer for ‘Beast and the Beauty’, right? So did I. But how did Kang Woojin end up shortlisted for the ‘Beast’ role? You’re kind of close to him, aren’t you?”

For a moment, Cara’s blue eyes widened.

“Wait, what did you just say?”

In ‘Beast and the Beauty’, the main roles are the ‘Beast’ and ‘Belle' the Beauty. Among these, the role of ‘Belle' was one of the most popular female characters in the history of ‘World Disney Pictures’. In the original animated movie, ‘Belle' was a stunning blonde with an eccentric charm.

This eccentric charm was one of the reasons Miley Cara was offered the role as the top candidate.

Of course, her acting skills, popularity, vocal abilities, and musical talent were undoubtedly factors as well. Globally, there are few superstars who balance careers as both actors and singers, and even among them, Miley Cara was considered top-tier. Including Cara, there were five candidates for the role of ‘Belle'. Similarly, there were five candidates for the role of ‘Beast’, including Kang Woojin.

While the male actors had already completed their pre-meetings, the female actors, including Cara, had only received offers; no pre-meetings had been held yet. According to the order of the process, the male lead’s audition and screen test would likely come first.

Although ‘World Disney Pictures’ was eagerly pursuing Cara for the role, she was leaning more toward declining the offer for various reasons.

But that thought had just been shaken.

‘Kang Woojin? Kang Woojin landed the role of the Beast?’

It was due to a comment made by the Hollywood actor with curly brown hair, someone Cara was quite friendly with, at the fashion show venue. Soon, Cara stopped abruptly on the staircase crowded with hundreds of reporters. Her blue eyes widened, and she looked at the smiling Hollywood actor beside her with a surprisingly serious gaze.

Noticing something strange, the actor asked again.

“What? What’s wrong? Has it been so long since we met that you’re stunned by how handsome I am?”

Although he joked, Miley Cara’s serious expression didn’t waver.

“......Wait, move quickly.”

“Huh? Oh, okay.”

Suddenly, Cara grabbed the actor’s arm and quickly climbed the stairs. The actor, confused about what was happening, simply let her lead him. A few minutes later, the two managed to get away from the hundreds of reporters and entered the lobby of the building where the fashion show was being held. Although there was still a large crowd here, there were far fewer reporters.

After scanning her surroundings, Cara quickly turned her head and spoke to the actor again, lowering her voice as much as possible.

“Kang Woojin? Did you say Kang Woojin earlier?”

The actor scratched his curly brown hair as he answered.

“Ah- yeah, I did. You didn’t know? Oh no.”

He looked slightly flustered. And understandably so, it seemed like he might have carelessly let slip a secret. In reality, the male and female candidates who had been offered or confirmed for roles in ‘Beast and the Beauty’ were supposed to remain confidential. However, rumors and chatter often circulated among the actors themselves. Naturally, this applied only to those who had received offers or were confirmed as candidates.

Miley Cara also had a rough idea of the Hollywood actresses, other than herself, who had received offers.

But this was the first time she had heard of Kang Woojin.

There hadn’t been much information sharing yet between the candidates for the roles of ‘Beast’ and ‘Belle’. Additionally, the casting process hadn’t progressed very far, which was also a factor. In any case, it wasn’t uncommon for rumors to spread among actors in Hollywood. That’s why the actor in front of Cara had brought it up so casually.

“Just pretend you didn’t hear that. I only asked because I thought you were pretty close to Kang Woojin.”

“I already heard it. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it to myself. But are you sure Kang Woojin is a candidate for the ‘Beast’ role?”

“I’m not sure about the results of the pre-meetings, but I know for sure that both he and I were offered the role.”

Miley Cara spaced out momentarily and muttered to herself, though inwardly.

‘If this is true, it’s going to shake things up. Hollywood. No, the entire world, several times more than it already is.’