Chapter 250

“After seeing the latest video from the entertainment department.”

“I’m curious about this too.”

“At this point, half of the four lists have exploded.jpg”

“I was really curious about it.jpg”

“More frightening than having all the items on the list succeed is having them all fail.jpg”

“Just living off memes @mm_hungry0082”

“Jung Sunwoo’s list -> This is not it.”

“So brought in new candidates.”

“Vote”

“1. Jung Sunwoo’s (cursed) list”

“2. Jung Sunwoo’s (black) list”

“3. Jung Sunwoo’s (flop) list”

“”

“Will those who used to mock Jung Sunwoo’s list quiet down now?”

“Do that many people believe in Jung Sunwoo’s list? He said it was a rumor.”

“So many.”

“Every time Hong Gil-dong is mocked, Jung Sunwoo gets dragged out.”

“Just want to consume it as a mocking meme because it’s fun.”

“I’ve said this a hundred times in the community; if Jung Sunwoo’s list was really a list of blockbusters, of course, he would have shoved his actors into it first, you idiots.”

“Then you change your tune saying Jung Sunwoo made the list to promote Hong Gil-dong, kekeke. You just want to keep playing with it.”

“Did Doctor 25 Hours get overturned? Weren’t there articles lining up saying Han Gyeong-min joined after Im Joowon criticized it?”

“Looks like it was overturned. Completely dropped from the ibc lineup.”

“It wasn’t Im Joowon who criticized it, Jung Sunwoo rejected it, and Im Joowon said so himself on his SNS.”

“The timing of dropping out is like art.”

“Half of your four works have already exploded, isn’t it amazing to think that all the items in the list might fail?”

“That can’t be.”

“Spy is a movie that can’t fail with Director Lee Geum-hyeong and action star Park Hee-seung.”

“Hong Gil-dong was that kind of movie too.”

“Is it really not Jung Sunwoo’s blacklist?”

“Thought the nonsense was over, but here starts another. Jung Sunwoo is so hot right now.”

“I’m curious about Jung Sunwoo’s fortune; it seems like the whole world is watching me.”

“When is Salt opening?”

“Scheduled for Lunar New Year release. Post-production must be underway?”

“”

[Entertainment/Issue] Why Jung Sunwoo’s list might actually be a blacklist

[Entertainment/Issue] Reasons why it’s absurd to think Jung Sunwoo’s list is a blacklist

[Entertainment/Issue] It’s hilarious; it’s Schrdinger’s Jung Sunwoo’s list

***

“Please come in.”

Director Lee Chang-in, who looked even more worn out over the past few days, was escorted into the meeting room.

Following him was Do Hyeong-tae, the CEO, and a man who introduced himself as the head of investment at Pine Entertainment.

Director Lee Chang-in gazed at me and said,

“Team Manager Jeong, you look well. Its chaotic out there again.”

“Well, its not the first time.”

Especially since this chaos was stirred up by my own hands.

Just when it seemed to quiet down, the calls from journalists, investors, and production companies started pouring in again, which was a bit annoying.

“When Team Manager Jeong suggested publishing the casting confirmation article, I thought it would just be a flash in the pan and then quiet down. But do you know what people are calling my movie now?”

Director Lee Chang-in handed me his phone.

The screen showed comments from a YouTube video mentioning ‘Accomplice’.

“Accomplice, I’m so curious how I can wait until it opens?”

“Curious about the combination of Seo Ji-joon + Im Joowon, but the biggest curiosity is why Jung Sunwoo pushed his three actors so hard. Forget diversified investments; it’s all in”

“Did the screenplay come out that well?”

“This movie will definitely be a hit.jpg”

“This will be the stage”

“They call it ‘This will definitely be a hit.’ “

Director Lee Chang-in wiped his troubled face.

“I’m really feeling overwhelmed. I had a dream last night.”

“A dream?”

“After shooting the film, we were having an internal screening, and Team Manager Jeong, you looked so unhappy. You suddenly said the movie was going to flop, to take out

 Seo Ji-joon, Im Joowon, and even Jeong Jae-i, and shoot the movie anew.”

“Thats a crazy dream.”

“But it really flopped. The theaters pulled it out just three days after the release, and even in my dream, I felt my blood dry up. It was so shocking, I even remember the final audience count. It was one hundred and fifty thousand.”

“Hey, even if it flops, it wouldnt go that bad.”

CEO Do Hyeong-tae tried to console.

But Director Lee Chang-ins eyes were fixed only on me.

“I woke up, and the pillow was all wet. I’m relieved it was just a dream, but thinking it might not be just a dream suddenly made it hard to breathe. Wow, I thought, so this is what a panic attack feels like.”

“Hey, you are…”

“My hands are still shaking.”

Director Lee Chang-in held up his thick hands.

His fingertips were literally trembling.

“Thats why I came all the way to Team Manager Jeong’s company. I felt like talking over the phone wouldn’t work, and I thought maybe seeing you in person might calm me down.”

Clasping his hands together like praying, Director Lee Chang-in asked,

“Team Manager Jeong. This Accomplice, it wont fail…”

“It wont fail. Absolutely.”

I cut him off.

It will be remembered even twenty years from now,

because the reaction was enormous.

“This movie wont fail.”

“That confidence,”

“If I wasnt confident, I wouldnt have put three of my actors in it. Still not calmed down? If Director wants, should I even bet money? Oh, I already bet the company’s money. W&U will invest too.”

Director Lee Chang-ins face slowly cleared of its gloomy energy.

The wrinkles on his forehead smoothed out, and his shoulders, previously tense with anxiety, relaxed.

“This calms me down.”

“Yeah, try to think positive.”

CEO Do Hyeong-tae, smiling like a Buddha, patted Director Lee Chang-ins shoulder.

“This might just be the stroke of luck of a lifetime for you. Thanks to Director Jung, we don’t even need marketing. People will naturally count down to the premiere date. You can even use the marketing budget for the production costs.

There will never be a shortage of production funds for ‘Accomplices.'”

The investment team leader from Pine Entertainment interrupted.

In fact, investors are clamoring to offer more if there’s a shortage. Ever since Director Jungs list became a hot topic again, weve been receiving continuous new investment inquiries. On the other hand…”

The investment team leader looked intently at me.

“The mood among the investors on the ‘Salt’ side has become suddenly, yes, quite tumultuous. Not only the investors, but even our employees are feeling unsettled. To others, this might just be a rumor, something to laugh off.

It felt as though the gaze was burning into my skin.

“We dont think so. As you know, Director Jung, theres a high level of trust in your discernment among the investment side.”

As the investment team leader spoke each word deliberately, he finally brought up the main issue, having followed Director Lee Chang-in all this way.

When the Jung Sunwoo list first leaked, we held back our questions, but this time, we just cant help but ask.

I quietly sipped my coffee.

The list thats currently circulating online, the blacklist, does it actually have any credibility?

I took another sip.

I initially contacted the PR team about this, and they said there is no official statement, no comment on any questions.

Suddenly.

I recalled the head of World Art Pictures, who had been stressing about losing his hair over the ‘Hong Gil-dong’ project, and I inadvertently looked at the investment team leader’s hair.

Thankfully, it still looked plentiful.

Weve invested 18 billion in ‘Salt.'”

Really?

Yes?

No, I misspoke.

……

……

I remained silent, and the life seemed to drain from the investment team leaders eyes.

Director Lee Chang-in and Representative Do Hyeong-tae sat across the river, blinking, as if watching a fire burn on the opposite bank.

The investment team leader finally asked, his lips quivering.

In your view, Director Jung, do you think ‘Salt’ is doomed?

Thats a difficult question for me. How could I casually predict whether a movie that hasnt even been released yet will succeed or fail?

I heard you were also betting money on ‘Accomplices’… It hasnt even started filming yet.

……

……

Everyone blinked silently.

The silence stretched on.

Very, very long.

***

Did you hear about the chaos around ‘Salt’ because of Jung Sunwoo?

A reporter arrived late to the dinner and set down his laptop bag as he spoke.

The tongs frying the squid paused.

Why?

It seems the investors are getting jittery because of some new rumors. So, the distribution company asked the director to at least show them the edited parts, but the director went ballistic.

Really?

He turned the editing room upside down, it was a mess.

The distribution company must be baffled too. Just rushing to the director for a preview because of some internet rumor? Of course, the director would be furious.

That neighborhood tends to take Jung Sunwoos word seriously. I heard it even boosts their investment evaluations if theres positive feedback about him.

Another reporter nibbled on a plump squid leg and chimed in.

But we talked about this before, right? The Jung Sunwoo list, that its actually a flop list.

I said that, and you all ignored it.

No, it just doesnt make sense logically. People are just entertained by whats circulating online.

Listen.

Suddenly.

The previously pensive reporter picked up his spoon.

The spy script went to Seo Jijoon first, right?

Right.

There was a rumor that Jung Sunwoo said it would be a hit as soon as he saw the spy script, remember?

Yes. So we thought the Jung Sunwoo list wasnt entirely a rumor.

Do you know where that rumor started? It came from W&U.

……

A strange silence made a full round over the table.

Suddenly Seo Jijoon says he has an overseas schedule, and then that rumor spread in the entertainment circles. And then immediately after

Peter Pan snapped it up.

And then Jung Sunwoo just dusted off his hands and walked away. And then with ‘Doctor 25 Hours’ too, it was about to be a huge disaster, but Jung Sunwoo threw in some info and they just scrapped it and ended it.

So youre saying, from the beginning, it was all blacklisted?

Im about to dig into that now.

The reporter grinned.

Wait and see. Im going to hit it big with a special feature on Jung Sunwoo.

Man, dont get your hopes up.

 Does that even make sense?

If you had that kind of talent, you shouldnt be sticking around here. You should go to the US. If a movie hits the jackpot there, youre talking billions in revenue. Go there and invest, and youll make a fortune.

Another reporter chuckled as he mixed a fresh glass of soju and beer.

So Jung Sunwoo is such a genius director that everything he touches turns into a blockbuster? Okay, I get that. Or maybe hes an acting genius who wins every acting award? I can understand that too. There are geniuses in the world.

……

But your story means Jung Sunwoo not only picks the hits but also magically avoids the flops. How does that make sense? Do you know how many variables there are in whether a film succeeds or fails?

……Well.

Breaking the brief silence,

The reporter, determined to write the Jung Sunwoo special feature, smirked meaningfully.

Maybe theres such a thing as a genius intuition after all.

***

-So, was Jeong Jae-yi just shoehorned into ‘Accomplices’?

I heard the production company held auditions, but if both leads are from W&U, the auditions were probably just a formality.

It kind of reminds me of Lee Song-ha from before.

It does seem like shoehorning, given the circumstances, but I dont think Jung Sunwoo would push an actor who cant act and lower the movie’s quality. He chose all the leads himself.

Has Jeong Jae-yi acted anywhere else before?

If he acts well and Jung Sunwoo really pushes him, he could blow up like Lee Song-ha did.

Tsk, Lee Song-ha clicked her tongue and put down her phone.

“Hello, Ms. Song-ha. Im a fan.”

……

A man suddenly appeared.

Lee Song-ha glanced at the women’s restroom sign and then back at the man standing awkwardly outside the entrance.

His demeanor of looking around as if being chased, the greedy gaze that seemed to appraise not a person but an object. He was clearly not just an ordinary fan.

Lee Song-ha moved on without a word.

It wasnt her first time dealing with unwelcome visitors in a restricted studio or having such unpleasant encounters.

Team Leader Jung Sunwoo is currently distracted with another newcomer, isnt he?

Lee Song-ha stopped dead in her tracks.

—————

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