Chapter 63

Chapter 063

As a result, the movie Blue Sun, Red Moon began to soar at the box office, attracting an astonishing 1.5 million viewers within just one week of its theatrical release.

The planning team actively participated in marketing the movie Blue Moon, Red Sun together with an outsourced marketing company.

PD Baek Seonghan had not forgotten how I had once attracted attention on Section TV by having the actors wear their costumes from the movie during interviews.

So, he actively used costume promotions during the actors' stage greetings and other movie promotional events.

The response was much greater than expected.

Even though the time had not yet come when hanbok rental shops would appear around Gyeongbokgung or Changgyeonggung, people began visiting those palaces wearing hanbok for a short period of time.

And the movie Blue Sun, Red Moon surpassed ten million viewers just three months after its release.

“Do you remember what you said? When you cast Min Seongjae, you said this movie would reach eight million viewers, plus something more.”

“Yes, I remember.”

On the day Blue Sun, Red Moon surpassed ten million viewers, CEO Han Taeseong called me separately to his office and spoke to me.

“Actually, until it passed seven million, I couldn't believe what you said.”

“But... haha... who would have thought... ten million....”

A strange laugh still escaped from Han Taeseong's mouth as he became lost in his emotions.

“Have you calculated it? I mean your 0.1 percent share.”

“Of course.”

“I think it's enough to get a decent jeonse apartment.”

“A jeonse apartment?”

“Hahaha.”

“Instead of dancing for joy, you're being remarkably calm.”

“We have plenty of jackpots waiting to explode in the future.”

“So I shouldn't get carried away already.”

At my words, Han Taeseong's eyes suddenly lit up.

“Jackpots waiting to explode in the future?”

Instead of answering, I quietly smiled.

As May arrived, Escape from Fury also completed all of its filming.

Cha Seungjun and Kim Giman, who had been assigned to Escape from Fury, returned to Production Team 1 and joined Family Scandal again.

PD Baek Seonghan had been working on the pre-production process for Family Scandal while simultaneously preparing for Director Park Junbeom's movie release.

From May, when the production team returned, he accelerated the production of Family Scandal.

Unless it was a major film production company like Daeyoung Film Production, it was not easy for one movie company to produce more than two movies a year.

But including the movies it co-produced, Big Picture was effectively producing three movies a year.

Then July arrived.

The planning team once again found itself facing an enormous number of scripts in order to choose Big Picture's next project.

“We've done this once already, so the second time should be a piece of cake, right?”

When we saw the tremendous number of scripts piled up on the table, we all sighed almost at the same time.

Team Leader Kim Eunkyung gave us a small laugh.

“Come on, you have to listen until someone finishes speaking.”

“I know everyone is already overwhelmed because of the projects you're handling.”

“But we still have to do our jobs, so I'll give you a generous two months.”

“Two months from today, okay?”

The box-office rankings of movies from 2007 and 2008 were already stored in my head.

In 2007, there was no doubt that Family Scandal would achieve the highest box-office record.

The movies that would barely surpass five million viewers were already being produced by other movie companies.

The rest were mediocre movies that would barely reach their break-even point.

Since I had some time to spare, I continued reading scripts while recalling the movies that would become hits in 2008.

Let's see....

A thrilling story about a serial killer and a former detective....

Huh?

This is Director Kang Taekyung's movie I Am the Criminal!

Even while blockbuster movies were failing one after another, there were two low-budget movies that achieved record-breaking success.

They were Family Scandal in 2007 and I Am the Criminal in 2008.

A long time ago, before my regression, I had once read an interview with Director Kang in a movie magazine.

I remembered reading that even after completing his script, Director Kang had spent five difficult years unable to find a production company willing to make it.

Feeling as if I had won the lottery, I placed the script deep inside my drawer.

Honestly, after that, I didn't feel like reading any more scripts.

The other scripts would either be movies that would never get produced or failures that would barely even reach their break-even points anyway.

After that, I only skimmed through the scripts.

In fact, there wasn't much time left before Family Scandal began filming, so I was too busy taking care of related events and promotions to read them properly.

Family Scandal, which had originally been preparing to begin filming in early August, experienced the unprecedented situation of having its filming schedule moved forward by two weeks because of circumstances involving the male lead actor.

“My goodness, this is a first for me.”

“There are actors who ask to postpone filming, but this is the first time I've seen an actor ask us to move it forward....”

“Still, it's fortunate.”

“Except for the set, almost everything else is already prepared.”

PD Baek Seonghan joined the conversation between Cha Seungjun and Kim Giman.

“Actually, Gibak and Manager Choi worked really hard.”

“While I was busy wrapping up Blue Sun, Red Moon, the two of them had already almost finalized everything, from location scouting to casting the actors, before the other production staff even joined.”

“No, that's not true.”

“If you put it that way, I was also busy until the very end with Director Park's movie being invited to overseas film festivals.”

“So it's practically like Gibak did everything by himself.”

Production Manager Choi Seonhwa raised her thumb toward me.

“Well then, let's just say I did everything myself.”

“Haha.”

I awkwardly joked around because I felt embarrassed.

And so, on July 15, Family Scandal officially began filming.

My extremely busy daily life gradually began to regain some breathing room.

Once I had some free time again, I turned my attention back to the scripts piled up on my desk.

‘Ah.... I really don't want to read these....’

Thinking that, I picked up one of the scripts.

On the cover was the title Timeless, along with the name of a writer called Jo Aram.

Since I had never heard of the writer before, my expectations immediately dropped.

Still, I quietly opened the first page of the script.

The script was about a protagonist who traveled from the future to the past in order to save his beloved.

It was a cliché premise that seemed like something I had seen in a Hollywood movie before.

But the actual story was much more touching and grand than I had expected.

Maybe it was because I was a regressor, which made me become more immersed in the story.

But I began to wonder if this could perhaps become a science-fiction movie containing a distinctly Korean emotional sensibility, even in the Korean movie market where science fiction still did not work.

‘A science-fiction fantasy with Korean emotions....’

This was the first time.

Since last year, I had read countless scripts.

But this was the first time I had become interested in a script other than the movies whose future success I already knew about.

However, in the future I remembered, Timeless had never been made into a movie.

But if it were me now....

Maybe it could be possible.

That thought suddenly occurred to me.

I knew this movie would never be made in the future.

But precisely because I knew the future, perhaps I was the only person who could make this movie.

Not the future I already knew.

But the future I chose....

The project I chose....

A story that would eventually disappear if I didn't choose it....

Perhaps this was an opportunity to truly test Min Gibak's abilities as a planner.

But....

Would the project I chose also be recognized by Team Leader Kim Eunkyung and the others?

In an instant, the joy and anticipation I had felt moments ago disappeared like a dream.

A fear of failure began to wash over me like the shadows of dusk spreading across the ground.

That's right.

There was no need to abandon the easy path and take an uncertain road where I might fail.

But....

Something was strange.

One part of my heart kept trembling.

‘Min Gibak, get a grip.’

‘This isn't an opportunity for the regressor Min Gibak.’

‘This is an opportunity to test my abilities as a planner.’

The two months Team Leader Kim Eunkyung had given us passed in the blink of an eye.

Just like a year ago, each of us selected five projects that we thought had the potential to become box-office hits and stood before Team Leader Kim Eunkyung.

After Oh Sangmin and Joo Hanyeong finished their presentations, it was finally my turn.

“I Am the Criminal has a minor feeling that makes it closer to an independent film than a commercial movie.”

“However, it is based on a true story and has a highly polished script.”

“Furthermore, it is the feature-film debut of Director Kim Taekyung, who attracted a great deal of attention last year for his stylish visuals at the Seoul Independent Film Festival and various short-film festivals in Korea and abroad.”

I explained Director Kang Taekyung's I Am the Criminal along with the other three projects I had selected.

“And the final project I chose is....”

I paused for a moment to catch my breath.

This was a project I had chosen solely because of my own thoughts and determination, not because of the information about the future that I possessed.

What kind of evaluation would the others give this project?

“The SF fantasy Timeless.”

At that moment, Oh Sangmin and Joo Hanyeong quickly turned their eyes toward me.

Their gazes were filled with doubt.

I briefly explained why I had chosen the Timeless script.

“A Korean-style SF movie....”

“Interesting....”

Team Leader Kim Eunkyung muttered as if talking to herself after hearing my explanation.

Then she raised the corners of her lips in a strange smile.

It was difficult to tell whether she genuinely found it interesting or whether she simply found it ridiculous.

After thinking for a moment, Team Leader Kim Eunkyung spoke.

“Everyone worked hard reading the scripts and preparing despite being busy.”

“But I don't know whether the scripts themselves were disappointing or whether your judgment was lacking.”

“Among the projects you chose this time, there aren't many that have caught my attention.”

The atmosphere in the meeting room immediately became heavy.

“Hmm....”

Kim Eunkyung fell into thought once again before speaking.

“For now, from the five projects each of you selected, let's choose and submit only one top pick.”

It seemed that Kim Eunkyung's 고민 had now shifted to the team members.

Everyone had a deeply troubled expression on their faces.

In the end, Joo Hanyeong chose the romantic comedy Hello, Fool.

Oh Sangmin chose the horror movie That Island.

Now only my choice remained.

‘Damn it....’

I had expected us to choose five projects like last time.

If that had happened, I had planned to somehow push both I Am the Criminal and Timeless through.

But now....

I had to choose between I Am the Criminal, which would become a huge hit in 2009, and Timeless, which I had chosen solely according to my own judgment.

My head was so complicated that it felt like it was about to explode.

I made my decision.

“I will submit Timeless.”