Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 628 Officially Announces "Breaking the Tomb"! Industry Attention is High!

Kwon Hyun-hyuk's smile deepened; Tzuyu's thoughtfulness and initiative truly warmed his heart.

Especially after dealing with Sana Minatozaki's sharp tongue, this gentle and soothing touch is all the more precious.

"it is good."

His voice unconsciously softened.

"Of course, my schedule is a bit messed up right now, it would be great if you could come."

A soft reply came from the other end of the phone from Chou Tzu-yu: "Mmm."

However, Kwon Hyun-hyuk didn't forget to ask one more question.

"By the way, when are you planning to come?"

His gaze was fixed on the fleeting street scenes outside the car window, but his mind was racing with calculations.

Sana Minato could strike at any moment, finding an opening. If those two were to run into each other here, especially without warning...
Quan Xuanhe imagined that scene in his mind.

Actually, it's alright, not really a chaotic situation. Unless you bump into him and Sana Minatozaki doing aerobics, everything can be explained away.

On the other end of the phone, Chou Tzu-yu thought for a moment before speaking in a gentle voice.

"Hmm... if oppa is busy, then we can only go in the evening, right?"

"That's right."

"Remember to let me know before you come, cough cough."

Quan Xuanhe's words were hard not to overthink, and the rather awkward cough at the end naturally reminded her of the unpleasant scene from before.

"Oppa is scared."

The rest wasn't said, but the meaning was quite clear. Chou Tzu-yu wasn't angry; instead, she subtly curled the corners of her mouth, and one could imagine her embarrassed expression.

"It's nothing, but sometimes a surprise can turn into a shock."

Quan Xuanhe chuckled and said, "Speak your mind."

"Okay. I'll tell oppa before I get there, and oppa should be prepared too."

Tzuyu's voice remained calm and gentle, bringing a sense of peace to listeners.

"Okay," Quan Xuanhe said with a smile.

Even after the call ended, the soft voice of Chou Tzu-yu seemed to linger in my ears.

He then swiped through his phone's contacts, found Sana Minatozaki's name, and dialed it.

The phone was answered after only two rings, and Sana Minatozaki's slightly annoyed voice came from the other end:
"Oh? Weren't we busy people supposed to be reading scripts? We just hung up, why are you back again?"

“Sana,” Kwon Hyun-hyuk interrupted her, getting straight to the point, “Tzuyu is coming to visit the set too, understand?”

"Tzuyu just called too."

The person on the other end of the phone gasped.

"She'll be coming to see me later too."

He paused deliberately to give the other person time to react.

The static on the other end of the phone seemed to decrease instantly.

Sana Minato didn't reply immediately, but Kwon Hyun-hyuk could imagine her brows furrowing instantly, and the alertness that flashed in her eyes, which had originally held a hint of anger.

He continued, speaking steadily: "If the two of you hadn't greeted each other and bumped into each other one after the other..."

He didn't explicitly use the potentially explosive term "battleground," but the meaning was clear.

He added briefly, with a hint of advice: "It's not good to cause unnecessary misunderstandings, right? Everyone is very busy."

Sana Minatozaki remained silent for a few seconds. Clearly, the possibility of Tzuyu witnessing this was more effective than any threat from Kwon Hyun-hyuk, instantly extinguishing her anger at the prospect of settling scores.

"...Heh, Kwon Hyun-hyuk, you really know how to manage your time."

Sana Minato's slight dissatisfaction was still palpable at the end of her sentence.

What kind of nonsense is this? Even though she doesn't claim any official title, they're treating her like a piece of soft dough, trying to just dump her like that?

He had just agreed, but after a long conversation with Tzuyu, he changed his mind. Men, indeed. Ha.

"Alright, since Actor Kwon has spoken, how could I dare to interrupt your other important meetings?"

Sana Minatozaki pouted and spoke in a sarcastic tone.

"Then we'll talk about it later."

After saying that, as if afraid of going back on her word or hearing more unpleasant details, she hung up the phone decisively.

Pshaw, what kind of person is he?
Sana Minato muttered to herself, clearly dissatisfied with Kwon Hyun-hyuk's unfair treatment of everyone.

After hanging up the phone, Quan Xuanhe closed his eyes to rest for a while before returning to reading the script.

These are all short breaks from work; the real work is still filming.
On the set of "Night Owl" in Gyeonggi Province.

The air in early summer was already a bit hot, but it got much cooler at night.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk, dressed in a faded Joseon-era cloth robe that signified Chun Kyung-soo's identity, sat quietly in a set set that resembled a simple acupuncture room, closing his eyes and adjusting his breathing.

The makeup deliberately emphasized the fatigue and emptiness around his eyes, which, combined with his slightly sunken shoulders and back, perfectly captured the image of a blind acupuncturist who had endured many hardships in life.

His image in this movie is very different from his previous ones.

This is his first period drama. To match the character's image, he even slightly darkened his skin to better fit the role.

His appearance in the film was quite sloppy, arguably the worst he's ever been in a movie, even worse than his role as a fool in "Innocence".

"Xuanhe, are you in good shape?" the assistant director's voice came through the earpiece.

Quan Xuanhe nodded slightly, without opening his eyes, and only raised his hand to make a gesture.

"Action!"

Kwon Hyun-hyuk was dressed in a faded coarse cloth hanbok, his back slightly hunched from long hours of focused acupuncture.

He plays a blind acupuncturist named Chun Kyung-soo, who sits beside his patient with his eyelids lowered, as if gazing at an invisible point in the void.

Those deep eyes that once captivated fans were now unfocused, replaced by a complete emptiness and a restrained perception.

Instead of instinctively turning his eyes to determine the location like most people would, he tilted his head extremely slightly toward the sound source—the patient's faint groan—his ears picking up the slightest disturbance in the airflow.

This precise grasp of "blindness" requires some thought.

The camera slowly pans up from a close-up of his hands to capture Quan Xuanhe's face. Beads of sweat roll down the curve of his forehead, slide across his temples, and disappear into the shadow of his coarse cloth collar.

His scenes are indeed nearing their end.

If all goes well, filming for "Night Owl" is expected to be completed by June, based on the current filming schedule.

At that time, the film "Night Owl," his first leading role in a movie, will have been successfully completed.

Every scene at this moment is a crucial moment that brings to a close the complex arc of Qian Jingxiu's life.

Kwon Heon-hyuk dared not relax in the slightest. The intensity of his scenes in "Night Owl" far exceeded that of "20th Century Girl". It was not only physically demanding, but also involved a lot of running, hiding, and action scenes.

More importantly, it requires a deep spiritual immersion in the character of a blind person burdened with a blood feud and living in extreme danger every day.

This kind of restrained yet explosive character development is extremely demanding.

"Cut! Great job! Xuanhe, you've done a great job." Director Ahn Tae-jin's voice rang out, filled with obvious praise.

He watched the footage playing on the monitor, especially the close-up shots of Kwon Seonhyuk's hands and facial expressions, and a rare satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

"Xuanhe," the director's voice held a hint of tired appreciation, "very good! Keep it up, get ready for the next take."

He was deeply impressed by Kwon Hyun-hyuk's professionalism and tenacity.

Although filming multiple projects simultaneously is not a good thing, Kwon Heonhyuk minimized the negative impact with his impeccable acting skills and never actually delayed the filming schedule due to scheduling conflicts.

That's very strong.

Kwon Heon-hyuk's greatest strength lies in his expressive eyes; this is his greatest asset.

But what is the movie "Night Owl"?
He was playing a blind man who couldn't see during the day, so Kwon Hyun-hyuk's eye acting skills were practically ruined. To play the role well, he couldn't just rely on his physical advantages; he had to be able to act with genuine skill and subtlety.

The moment the director yelled "cut," Kwon Hyun-hyuk snapped back to reality, blinking several times until his eyes welled up with tears.

He rubbed his sore temples, and his assistant immediately stepped forward to hand him eye drops and a wet towel.

"You must be incredibly busy lately." Choi Moo-sung, who plays one of the villains in the drama, walked over and patted him on the shoulder sincerely.

I don't recognize the name, but if you mention Taek's father from Reply 1988, you should instantly recognize him.

On the set of "Night Owl," unlike the cast and crew of "20th Century Girl," who were all young and full of youthful energy, the crew of "Night Owl" was much more vibrant.

The atmosphere here is a bit more 'formal', the scenes being filmed are more profound, and the actors naturally become more serious and earnest when they discuss and talk.

Despite facing many senior actors with extensive experience, Kwon Heon-hyuk maintained a humble attitude, and his talent truly earned him recognition, resulting in a relatively harmonious relationship within the production team.

"It's alright, but we can't delay the film crew."

He watched as the crew busily changed the set, preparing for the next scene.

Perhaps it was because his character in the script of "Night Owl" already included a lot of nighttime scenes, which made the schedule adjustments on both sides quite compatible.

To put it bluntly, the goal of completing such a profound and challenging work was to win an award.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk genuinely wanted to try his luck at winning the Best Actor award with "Night Owl," and see if it was possible.

If possible, he would also like to try his luck at winning the title of the youngest Best Actor.

Director Jang Jae-hyun's Studio.

Jang Jae-hyun looked to be in good spirits, without the aloofness often seen in big-name directors; he seemed quite approachable, like a middle-aged man.

On the table in front of him lay a thick stack of the script for "Broken Tomb," its edges covered with numerous colorful labels—the marks of the script's polishing.

There was a knock at the door. Jang Jae-hyun got up, and Kwon Hyun-hyuk and his manager Park Jung-jung walked in. "Hyun-hyuk-ssi, you've worked hard, just finished filming 'Night Owl' and rushed over here again." Jang Jae-hyun greeted him with a smile, his gaze sweeping over him.

"How's the filming of 'Night Owl' going?"

"Yes, thank you for your concern, Director-nim. Everything went smoothly." Kwon Hyun-hyuk nodded humbly in response and sat down in the seat indicated by Jang Jae-hyun.

His gaze had fallen on the thick script; the copy that Park Jung-jung had given him earlier was now beside him.

Park Jung-jung, sitting to the side, spoke up at the opportune moment: "Director Jang, Hyunhyuk has been studying the character of Bong-gil recently and has some ideas for the new content."

"Ah, great!" Jang Jae-hyun's eyes lit up; this was exactly what he had been waiting for.

He pushed two printed storyboards and the newly added scenes in front of Kwon Hyun-hyuk.

"Xuanhe-xi, let's take a look at the two most crucial new scenes first: the flashback to his baseball career and the climax of the plot, the exorcism ritual."

He pointed to the baseball flashback.

“In this part, we will focus on creating a visual representation of that ‘invisible sense of oppression.’ Bong-gil felt that ‘eerie wind’ on the field, followed by the sudden onset of excruciating pain, the twisting sensation, and the doctor’s fruitless diagnosis… I understand that it is not just background information, but also a prelude to his future sensitivity to evil spirits.”

Kwon Hyun-hyuk pondered for a moment before replying, "Director, I think it can be internalized a bit more. The breakdown isn't about how loudly you shout, but about the difference between falling from the peak to the bottom of despair in an instant."

"The bewilderment, fear, and resentment of a gifted athlete who loses their athletic ability and doesn't even know 'where the enemy is'..."

"If the camera could capture his momentary blank look and the subsequent clenched teeth and bulging veins on his neck caused by the pain and anger, it might be more powerful than a pure scream."

"This also contrasts with his later ability to 'remain calm' during the ceremony, creating a painful sense of growth."

If "Night Owl" was his award-winning film, then "Breaking the Tomb" was the first film in which he starred that reached tens of millions of viewers. If it succeeds, it will be an almost undeniable crushing achievement among actors in their twenties.

Not to mention the 20s generation, the entire younger generation is undoubtedly in a dominant lead.

All of South Korean films with tens of millions of viewers are starring middle-aged actors from Chungmuro ​​(the Korean film industry), without exception.

This isn't just true in South Korea; it's the same all over the world, including Hollywood and domestically. The leading figures are all middle-aged; young guys shouldn't even get involved.

Or rather, not just the film industry, but all industries are pretty much the same: young people should take their time and work their way up, while the middle-aged generation becomes the backbone.

After thinking for a moment, Jang Jae-hyun nodded slightly and quickly made notes on the storyboard.

"Very good, the understanding of the layers of emotion is very accurate."

After the script was mostly discussed, the topic inevitably turned to the release schedule.

Jang Jae-hyun suppressed his excitement and his expression turned serious: "Hyuk-ssi, I have to be honest, we must concentrate on filming and not break it up too much."

The production team is in the early stages of preparation, with filming scheduled for October and lasting for five months, meaning it will take until March of the following year.

However, Kwon Heonhyuk also has the second season of "DP," which was decided long ago, and it is scheduled to be filmed this year and brought to the screen in two or three years.

The two might collide.

"The scheduling issue can be overcome." There was no hesitation in his tone.

Upon hearing this, Park Jung-jung immediately followed up tacitly, demonstrating his coordination skills as a top-notch manager.

“That’s right, Director. The wrap-up work on ‘Night Owl’ on Xuanhe’s side will be completed this month as planned. ‘Dark Glory’ is already in production and will not delay the start of ‘Breaking the Tomb’.”

He paused for a moment, then continued with the deployment with a clear mind.

"As for the second season of DP, Netflix is ​​also a deep partner of ours, and their production cycle is relatively more flexible."

"The core is to ensure the five-month window of opportunity for 'Breaking the Tomb'."

Jang Jae-hyun's expression finally relaxed; he saw the determination and responsibility of this young top star before him.

He was well aware of Quan Xuanhe's current commercial value and influence in the industry. The fact that he was so attentive to "Breaking the Tomb," a film that was not a traditional commercial blockbuster and had a certain degree of experimentation, and was willing to coordinate a difficult release schedule, showed his great sincerity and confidence in the project.

"Great! I'm relieved that Xuanhe has such determination and plans."

With this, the script discussion for the "Breaking the Tomb" project came to a successful conclusion, and the script issue was finally settled.

In Kwon Hyun-hyuk's entertainment chessboard, another heavyweight piece has been steadily placed.

With the final details of the script finalized, another closely parallel major event also quietly came to a close.

The establishment of Quan Xuanhe's personal investment company and his actual investment in "Breaking the Tomb".

Park Jung-jung pushed a neatly bound equity agreement and investment confirmation letter in front of Kwon Seon-hyuk.

His expression was a mixture of relief at completing the task and deep contemplation about the future.

"The dust has settled." Park Jung-jung's voice was lower than usual, carrying the caution that comes with dealing with a sensitive matter.

"The investment company's framework has been established and officially registered. The equity structure is as you stated: you hold 70% in the name of your mother, Ms. Park Joon-yong."

This would reduce Kwon Heonhyuk's direct public connection with Sixth Sense.

Quan Xuanhe took the document, his gaze sweeping over the key clauses.

Using his status as a mother can effectively avoid unnecessary media attention and excessive external interpretation that might result from "Kwon Heon-hyuk personally investing heavily in the film".

It's rare for celebrities to become major investors in film and television projects in Chungmuro, and mishandling this could easily lead to trouble.

Try to keep a low profile.

Park Jung-jung then produced another document.

"Regarding the Tomb Raider project, Sixth Sense has signed a formal capital increase and share expansion agreement with Showbox and the production company represented by Luo Changmin. We hold a 20% share of the total investment in the project."

"20% is enough."

The major South Korean film companies have almost monopolized the entire industry, so it's already quite an achievement that Kwon Heonhyuk was able to snatch a piece of the pie from the jaws of defeat.

This share is considered to be at the level that top male celebrities can get. If Pomu hadn't fallen into an investment crisis, he wouldn't have been able to get any share at all.

The return on this share may not be as much as Kwon Heonhyuk would get from taking on more endorsements, but at least it's a start, a hard-won start, and a ticket to the game.

The following morning at 9 a.m., the South Korean entertainment media outlet Soompi published a report.

[Exclusive] Kwon Heon-hyuk confirmed to join the film "The Tomb Raider"! He will be working alongside Choi Min-sik! His first foray into the thriller/suspense genre!
The article cites an anonymous source from the production company.

"Kwon Heon-hyuk has completed the final script discussion with director Jang Jae-hyun and has finally joined the project, with a total investment of 17 billion won."

Originally, only 13 billion won was planned to be invested, but with the addition of Kwon Heon-hyuk, the total investment increased to 17 billion won, and the level of importance attached to the project also increased.

After the news spread, the media and industry insiders from various production and entertainment companies unanimously positioned the "Breaking the Tomb" project as "one of the most anticipated film projects of 2023".

Veteran film critic Kim Cheol-soo wrote an article analyzing Kwon Heon-hyuk's intention in choosing "The Tomb Breaker".

Breaking out of the comfort zone of romance/commercial films and tackling darker, more demanding subjects that test the depth of acting skills is a key step for the film to win awards at major film festivals.

You see, up to this point, no one thought this would be a blockbuster commercial film, or that it would achieve much commercial success.

After this news was released, what followed was nothing more than the production company of "Breaking the Tomb" receiving a large number of self-recommendations from actors.

Especially the female lead in this movie, who only has one red flower.

Originally, this project was looking for second-tier actresses, and we never thought we could find a first-tier actress. But as soon as the news of Kwon Heon-hyuk's casting came out, it was immediately snapped up!
This is a collaboration with Kwon Heon-hyuk!

This is not a contrast, nor does it mean that Choi Min-sik is not good.

Rather, it's because Choi Min-sik's film record in recent years hasn't been very impressive, so he's not the kind of desirable partner one might imagine.

These days, the number of big-name actors is no longer the absolute factor in box office success; ultimately, it all comes down to how good the movie is!

The production company's phone was ringing off the hook, with some calls even going directly to Kwon Heon-hyuk.

"Xuanhe."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk looked at the incoming call.

It's Kim Go-eun.

"Ah, Ko Eun-no-na."

Kim Go-eun's voice came from the other end of the phone: "Seonhyuk, I just saw the news that you've confirmed your participation in 'The Lost Tomb'... This is troublesome."

She paused, her tone revealing helplessness.

"The production team had already made initial contact with me about the female lead, but now that the news has come out, I've heard that the production company has suddenly received a lot of self-recommendations from talent agencies."

Quan Xuanhe was flipping through the manuscript of "Night Owl" when he heard this and paused: "Are you under a lot of pressure?"

"Of course." Kim Go-eun's voice carried a wry smile.

"Park Shin-hye, Kim Tae-ri, and um, Jung Eun-ji and Lee Som, wow... the competition for the lead role is absolutely fierce."

Quan Xuanhe recalled her hesitant attitude when she called him earlier, and now it finally became clear: "So when you contacted me before, you were worried that my joining the company would affect Noona losing her role?"

"Hmm, you're putting a lot of pressure on me," Kim Go-eun said helplessly.

She didn't say she came because she heard the news. She already thought the script was about right and was in talks, but the news that Quan Xuanhe would be starring in it completely disrupted her plans.

This is too.
"Your influence has grown tremendously lately."

After a brief moment of thought, Quan Xuanhe readily agreed.

He understood what Kim Go-eun meant.

"It's okay, I'll talk to the production company, don't worry, Nuna."

It's best to stick to the original trajectory of a film project to avoid the butterfly effect of flapping its wings too much and ruining its success.

Besides, Kwon Hyun-hyuk isn't familiar with the people Kim Go-eun mentioned. He and Kim Go-eun work in the same company and are close, so he'll just let things be as they are.

Hearing this, Kim Go-eun was not surprised and relieved. "Wow, our Xuanhe is at the peak of his popularity right now!"

"Keep it low-key, keep it low-key, just keep it to yourself."

Quan Xuanhe chatted for a couple of minutes with a smile, then hung up the phone.

This is what's called a chain reaction; even Kim Go-eun, whose fate was originally sealed, will be affected.

(End of this chapter)