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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Greenwing VS Shadowman
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Today, Dad was the first one home. The family ate the curry he'd made for the first time in a while, full of big chunks of potato and meat, and talked about what had happened on the movie set.
Lee Minjun was disappointed he couldn't be there for his son's first-ever movie shoot, so he kept asking questions.
"How was the shoot?"
"It was fun!"
"I bet the director praised you and you did a great job, Seojun?"
"Yep!"
After the filming was over, Director Ryan had briefly stopped by the tent and patted Seojun's head, telling him he'd done well. Seojun giggled.
"I took pictures, too. Let's look at them later while we eat strawberries."
After dinner, the three of them ate dessert while watching the photos and videos Seo Eunhye had taken on the television.
The very first photo was of Seojun sitting in a chair, shaking hands with Ryan Will, who was sitting on the floor. The picture with the massive Ryan made Seojun look even smaller.
Seojun paused from eating his strawberry and said.
"That's the director!"
"He's huge."
"Nara said he's over 190 cm tall."
"Wow… He looks like he would've been a great athlete."
Next was a photo of Seojun in his new clothes with Melissa and Baron. Then a picture of Seojun talking with Ryan Will in front of the green screen. And then.
"She said I can't leak this one. But since it was Seojun's first time filming, she let me take one from far away."
It was a picture of Seojun acting.
Unlike the video Director Ryan Will had shown him—saying that actors must always monitor their performance after a shoot—his mom's video, taken from a distance, looked different.
It was strange seeing himself from so far away. Sitting on the floor, getting up, stretching out both arms. It felt like someone else was inside his body, moving it.
Lee Minjun also clapped as he watched the faint but sharp sound of Melissa's voice and the sight of Seojun disappearing into the green screen. Melissa's acting, in particular, was so poignant it tugged at the heartstrings of a father like him.
"That actress, Melissa, she's incredible."
"I thought so too. It's hard to believe she's been unknown until now."
"What about me?"
Seojun, seeing his parents praise only Melissa, whipped his head around to look at them and asked. Seeing their son's pouting face, his mom and dad's eyes widened before they broke into bright smiles.
"You were great too, Seojun!"
"You got an OK on the first take! You did so well!"
Seojun giggled, "Ehehe," and took a bite of a perfectly ripe, red strawberry.
"So when does it come out?"
"They said they have to film a bit more and do post-production work like CG… Nara said it'll be released in late March or early April."
"We have to see it in a theater."
As Lee Minjun checked the calendar, filled with anticipation for his son's first movie, Seo Eunhye hesitated for a moment before pouring cold water on his excitement.
"But since it was an audition-slash-shoot, I'm not sure if they'll actually use the scene Seojun was in."
Seojun, who had been happily eating strawberries beside them, was also dealt a huge shock. *What? I worked so hard on that, I suffered all day trying not to smile!*
"Why?!"
"Yeah. Why? You said he got an OK, didn't you?"
Seojun and Lee Minjun both questioned Seo Eunhye.
"Apparently, with movies, they don't use everything they film. A lot of scenes get edited out. They cut unnecessary parts, and the movie has to be a reasonable length."
That was probably why videos titled "[OO Movie Deleted Scenes]" or "[OO Movie Director's Cut]" always popped up online.
Nara had told her this in advance, saying she didn't want them to get their hopes up only to be disappointed by the movie. At Eunhye's words, Seojun flopped onto the carpet.
"But I worked so hard!"
Like his zombie doll, Seojun rolled back and forth on the carpet. *I really, really worked hard!* Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun watched him and chuckled softly.
* * *
Two men in suits were walking somewhere. Each held a sleek PinePad in his hand.
"Shadowman…"
Marine Company, owner of countless hero characters. Vice President Richard Bowen tapped his PinePad. Phelan, who was in charge of the film division, one of Marine Company's many departments, shrugged.
"It can't be helped. If we replaced the actor for Redbone, all hell would break loose."
"Yes. That's true."
Redbone was a superhero movie that Marine Company had produced with an enormous budget. Of course, the profits it generated were just as massive.
To carry over the popularity from the first film, they had cast the same lead actors for the sequel. They poured in an even larger budget than the first, procured more manpower and the latest equipment. On top of that, they were planning a simultaneous global release with a colossal promotional campaign.
With all that support, the filming of *Redbone 2* was nearing its midpoint when…
"Damn paparazzi."
Richard Bowen furrowed his brow.
The lead actor of Redbone had gotten into an accident while being chased by paparazzi. Fortunately, his life wasn't in danger, but it would take time for him to recover enough to act again.
A huge hole had been blown in the schedule that had been planned exclusively for *Redbone 2*.
At this rate, the equipment and crew would just be bleeding money without being used.
Richard Bowen and Phelan had no choice but to slot two rookie directors' films into that schedule.
It was fine if they just broke even on the money, or even took a loss. They decided to use this as a test for the next generation of Marine Company directors they had been keeping an eye on.
Marine Company sent out offers to two promising directors.
One was Ryan Will.
He was a short film director who had sharply tackled social issues like racial discrimination. Not only were his directing skills excellent, but he had a particularly good eye for actors. The actors he cast came alive in his films, and that vitality always left a deep impression on audiences.
"I was curious to see what would happen if that casting ability was used to select an actor for a Marine character."
"The actors in *Shadowman* are almost all unknown. Looking at their portfolio pictures, well… I'm not sure they fit."
On the PinePad screen, Ryan Will's resume and the resumes and portfolios of the actors he'd cast for *Shadowman* were swiped through with a flick of Phelan's finger.
An actor who was talented but lacked charm. An extra who had appeared for just a moment.
Phelan's expression wasn't great, either. What had Director Ryan Will seen in these actors?
Paying no mind to Phelan's words, Richard Bowen just kept tapping his finger on Ryan Will's resume on his own PinePad. He spoke in an annoyed tone.
"I didn't like the choice of *Shadowman* in the first place."
"True. *Shadowman* isn't popular, after all."
Phelan nodded.
Redbone was one of the most popular characters among Marine Company's comics. That's why it was made into a movie and became a global hit.
In contrast, *Shadowman*… honestly, if he hadn't heard about it from Ryan Will, he wouldn't have even known the character existed.
Phelan shook his head as he scanned the portfolio. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't see it. He couldn't imagine what kind of movie would come from this combination of Director Ryan Will and these actors.
"What about Sarah Rothe?"
Richard shook his head and looked at the new resume that popped up. Phelan opened the Sarah Rothe folder on his PinePad.
The other director. Sarah Rothe.
She was a director who had swept the grand prizes at short film festivals with her action scenes that harmonized with beautiful visuals and music.
In particular, her action sequences, which synced perfectly with the music, were often reviewed as being reminiscent of a rhythm game.
She was the perfect director for a superhero movie, where thrilling action scenes are a key feature. This, too, was her first feature-length commercial film.
"The actors Sarah Rothe cast are fairly well-known. They're also well-regarded for their acting skills. I'm curious to see how Sarah Rothe's *Greenwing* turns out."
Greenwing.
A character known for incredible speed, he was one of the more popular heroes in the Marine Company lineup. The company had recommended him, and Sarah Rothe had agreed at once. They were looking forward to the world of speed she would create.
The two men arrived in front of a large door. Phelan grasped the handle. The heavy door slowly swung open, revealing the sound of a murmuring crowd. A large screen was set up in the center, with people seated before it.
It was an internal screening of the rough cuts of the films at Marine Company.
Richard and Phelan took their seats. Soon, a host came up, explained the two films and their directors, and then left the stage.
The conference room darkened. The Marine Company logo appeared on the screen, followed by the image of two superheroes facing each other.
[Greenwing VS Shadowman]
"If nothing else, we've got our marketing slogan."
There was no doubt a showdown like this would pique the public's interest.
"We will now begin the screening of Director Ryan Will's *Shadowman*."
Applause followed the host's words, and the screen that Ryan had seen dozens of times appeared.
Ryan, sitting in his seat, was a Marine Company employee, yet he couldn't focus on his own film being shown to an audience for the first time. His mind was elsewhere.
Ryan's dream was to make a hero movie. Justice that vanquished the world's evil.
With no one to invest in him, he started by making short films. Short films that starkly exposed social issues like racial discrimination and the wealth gap.
Then, finally, an opportunity came. An offer from Marine Company.
[*Shadowman*]
It was Ryan Will's first feature-length hero movie.
The protagonist, Mac, was an alien child who crash-landed on Earth. The alien who crashed with him died quickly, and the baby, unable to even walk, grew up in an orphanage before entering society.
Society was cold to an orphan, but thanks to the acquaintances who loved him, he came to love this country, this world. One day, a necklace fell into Mac's hands.
Aliens invaded Earth in search of that necklace. With the necklace around his neck, Mac used his powers to protect the planet. However, during his battle with the aliens, some people went missing.
And among those who disappeared was one of Shadowman's future adversaries.
*That's William.*
Ryan Will wanted to make *Shadowman* into a series, but that wasn't up to him. He had debated whether to include this scene as foreshadowing, but in the end, he decided to keep it. Because for Ryan's superhero, Shadowman, the only adversary was 'William.'
Ryan pictured a young boy. A boy with black hair and black eyes stood with a cold expression, staring at the black-masked Shadowman.
Before filming, his image of 'William' had been a white boy with black hair, but after seeing Jun, he could only picture a grown-up version of Jun.
*This movie has to succeed for me to make the next one.*
But even the rational Ryan couldn't help but be optimistic about this film's success.
"Uwaaahhh."
Because the vice president, Richard Bowen, a man who would dance precariously on the line between legal and illegal for the company's profit, was sobbing like a child who had lost his mother.
#
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