Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 765: To Hollywood? (1)

Director Jeon Soo-Do had once been a hit drama PD, and his sister, Jeon Soo-Jung, a best-selling drama screenwriter.

Five years ago, both left their successful careers in television and entered the film industry together. Their debut film Bucket List followed the brief final days of a man with a terminal illness. It was immediately invited to the competition section at Cannes. Though the film earned critical acclaim, it unfortunately missed out on an award due to poor translation. Still, the siblings were hailed as genius directors in Korea.

A few years later, they released Inferno, a story about a firefighter haunted by the death of his best friend in a fire. He saves lives daily while wrestling with guilt, ultimately saving himself too. Inferno made it to both the Best Screenplay and Grand Prix shortlists, but again fell just short of winning.

With back-to-back near wins, the Jeon siblings were seen as future winners. Their next film Fireman (火人) finally broke through, earning them the Best Screenplay award at Cannes. Even if they couldn't see the future like I could, they knew how close they were to the top.

'But Hollywood? That part doesn't make sense.'

Still on the phone with Lee Yung-Jin, I asked again, "Yung-Jin. Are you absolutely sure? They told Yoo-Jin not Cannes... but Hollywood?"

-Yes. They're totally fired up about it.

Apparently, this time they had planned to draw on their experience from their drama days to make the film more mainstream and commercially viable. However, that was just their claim. Before the regression, their box office track record was dismal despite the accolades.

Still, I owed a lot to LT Entertainment's CEO Shin Jong-Ki. I had no choice but to show up, even if the meeting came out of nowhere.

"Sigh... Alright. Tell them I'm on my way."

-Yes, Mr. Jung. Oh, and Myung-Sik just arrived at the company. I'll have him wait with me in front of the apartment.

"Got it."

I hung up and immediately called Kim Soo-Myung. After all, the kids needed psychological care as soon as possible.

-Did you put someone on me? How did you know I was here?

Apparently, Kim Soo-Myung was at our company building to check on Ling Ling who was currently training in the underground recording studio.

"You didn't know? Hahaha. Then I'll be right there with the kids."

-Great. I'll be waiting.

***

Waiting out in front of DH Villa, where Jang So-Yeon lived, were Lee Yung-Jin, Do Ran-Hee, and Choi Dae-Gi, along with Jang So-Yeon's second younger brother, Jang Myung-Sik. Standing behind them was Kim Soo-Myung.

As soon as the car stopped, Jang So-Yeon, Jang Jun-Hyun, and Jang Yeon-Joo got out and ran into the arms of Jang Myung-Sik, who was waiting in his school uniform.

"Myung-Sik! Sob, sob..."

"Myung-Sik oppa~~!"

The four siblings embraced tightly, tears pouring freely.

"Hyung. You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay."

"Noona, you're not hurt, right? You're really okay?"

"I told you, I'm fine."

"Yeon-Joo too?"

"Yep! Oppa, I didn't get hurt at all!"

Though they were half-siblings, the years of parental neglect had bound them closer than most full-blooded siblings.

After a moment, Jang So-Yeon turned and looked at me. Tears welled in Jang So-Yeon's eyes, just like when she was a little girl at the orphanage. But compared to her past self, who used to flash that lonely smile at me while struggling with alcoholism, these tears were a thousand times better. Because now, they were tears of joy.

"So-Yeon, I already moved your things to unit 106. It's a three-bedroom, so take the master with Yeon-Joo, and Jun-Hyun and Myung-Sik can each take a room. Everything's been set up. As for your old stuff, we'll move it after we get the prosecutor's approval," I said.

Jang So-Yeon and the kids blinked in surprise.

"Oppa..."

"Hyung..."

"You're a family now. Families deserve a proper home."

Tears pooled in Jang So-Yeon's, Jang Jun-Hyun's, and Jang Myung-Sik's eyes. They all bowed their heads at once.

"Thank you, oppa. Really... I don't know what else to say."

"Thanks, hyung."

"Thank you, Yoon-Ho hyung."

"Thank you, Uncle Yoon-Ho~!!"

Just then, Jang Yeon-Joo suddenly wriggled free and sprinted toward me after giving her thanks. I quickly held out my arms in case she tripped, and she threw herself into my embrace.

"Whoa? Yeon-Joo, what is it?"

Looking up at me, Jang Yeon-Joo beamed. "Uncle! Don't you have a wish?"

"A wish?"

"Uh-huh! You made mine come true—living with unnie. So now I'll make yours come true!"

Sunlight hit Jang Yeon-Joo's clear shining eyes, making them sparkle.

Still holding Jang Yeon-Joo, I smiled softly. "Hmm~ how about... we all live happily ever after?"

Jang Yeon-Joo broke into a radiant smile soaked in sunlight. "Okay~!!!"

And at once, all the kids lit up with wide grins. "Okay!!"

The glow of happiness on their faces washed away the fatigue of the entire day. I then asked Kim Soo-Myung to begin preliminary counseling for the kids.

Kim Soo-Myung leaned in and whispered to me.

-Thanks to you, Mr. Jung, the kids' faces are already brighter. I'll start therapy and refer them to a specialist, but I don't think you have anything to worry about.

-Thank you.

-There's no need to thank me.

With that, Kim Soo-Myung led Jang So-Yeon and the kids toward their apartment.

Following close behind were Do Ran-Hee and Choi Dae-Gi, now in charge of supporting their family.

I immediately got into the car and called out to Lee Yung-Jin. "Did the directors say what the Hollywood project's called?"

"No. They haven't mentioned anything about the film yet."

"Really?"

Before my regression, they had never gone to Hollywood. So this was bothering me.

As I stepped on the accelerator and neared the company, Lee Yung-Jin cautiously offered, "Should I go pick up Yoo-Jin from Cheonho-dong?"

Yoo-Jin had stayed up all night drinking champagne at today's fashion show, and she was now out cold. She also had to go to the Hwaranjeon shoot in Gyeongju later.

I shook my head. "No, let her rest. I don't care how famous the directors are. If they want to meet a celebrity, they should set an appointment. Yoo-Jin's not some rookie."

No matter how globally hyped those directors were, my actor was precious to me. And unless a meeting had been arranged in advance, there was no reason to accommodate uninvited guests.

Lee Yung-Jin nodded. "Understood. I'll stay here and keep an eye on So-Yeon. Also, her phone's blowing up with CF and show requests. I need to filter through them."

"Thanks. And make sure to give special care to the kids' mental health."

"Don't worry. Mr. Kang just told me earlier that a celebrities' family is our family too and that we should take care of them.'"

Hoop Entertainment really was the kind of place worth working at.

"Alright. I'll leave things to you."

I left everything in Lee Yung-Jin's hands and drove down into the company's basement parking lot.

I couldn't help but wonder what kind of project these Cannes regulars were planning to bring to Hollywood.

***

As I stepped in to the main meeting room located on the sixth floor of Hoop Entertainment, I saw Shin Jong-Ki seated alongside Directors Jeon Soo-Do and Jeon Soo-Jung on one side, and on the other sat Kang Gam-Chan, Kang Ji-Yung, and Kim Gwan-Woo.

The atmosphere was warm and friendly—for now, that was. These were people who had been kept waiting for over an hour. No matter how friendly the smiles, I knew they weren't entirely genuine. So I started with an apology. Even though they had shown up without an appointment, both Shin Jong-Ki's status and the Jeon siblings' fame made them worthy of respect no matter where they went.

"I apologize. I had a lot to handle, so I'm running late."

Shin Jong-Ki welcomed me with a cheerful grin. "No worries. We dropped in without warning, after all. Oh, and you know who these two are, right? The genius sibling directors?"

When he gestured to his right, Jeon Soo-Do and Jeon Soo-Jung seated side by side raised their hands.

"You're the talent agent everyone's talking about lately, huh? I'm Jeon Soo-Do. You've heard of me, right?"

I bowed. "Yes, Mr. Jeon. I really enjoyed your drama Moon Halo back when you were still a PD."

Jeon Soo-Do's face lit up. Moon Halo had been his breakout success as a PD, the first time he was truly recognized for his directing talent.

"Whoa~ That show ended nearly ten years ago. You're not even thirty and you watched that?"

"I was completely hooked on it at the time. The supporting characters were incredibly well-developed. Some of the best I've ever seen."

I replied with a smirk, pulling lines I remembered from his interviews before the regression. That warmed the room even further.

Then, his sister Jeon Soo-Jung turned her gaze to me. "Not bad. So you even dug up oppa's old shows, huh? What about mine? Ever read any of my scripts?"

"Of course. The Man by the River, The Child in the Raincoat, Stop Right There, Mr. Dong-Min..."

I began listing every show Jeon Soo-Jung had written during her screenwriter days. Only the first three had been commercially successful, but she took immense pride in every one of them. Before the regression, I had read an interview where she abruptly ended the session because the reporter skipped two of her lesser-known works. So I praised every single title, and her lips curved slightly into a smile.

"Which one did you like best?" Jeon Soo-Jung asked.

"They were all great, honestly."

"Tch. You're quite the silver tongue, aren't you?"

At that moment, Shin Jong-Ki laughed heartily. "Hahaha! I told you, Chief Jung's no ordinary guy. Now, now, let's sit and talk. We've all got schedules to keep."

I took my seat, preparing to steer the conversation. If I let them take the lead, I would soon find myself cornered.

"I heard you're considering Yoo-Jin for your next film. May I ask what kind of project it is?"

Shin Jong-Ki spoke on behalf of the directors. "Before that, have you heard that this is a project aimed at a Hollywood release?"

Shin Jong-Ki had just completed preparations for LT Global Pictures, which was planning to distribute Director James King's Forgotten War across the U.S. It seemed their second project would be the Jeon siblings' new film starring Yoo-Jin.

I nodded. "Yes, I've heard."

"Good. That makes things easier. Originally, the directors here were developing this script for Cannes, but they rewrote it to make it more commercially appealing for Hollywood. Yoo-Jin's looking for her film debut anyway, right? Take a look. Who knows? If it works, it could help our IPO. You've got a good eye for scripts, so check it out for us."

They were already here, so I had no choice but to review it.

"May I see the script file?" I asked,.

"Sure. Here."

Shin Jong-Ki handed over a tablet. The title read A Woman on Fire.

'A Woman on Fire?'

Suddenly, a memory of a project the two directors worked on surfaced from before the regression.

'Hwa-In (火人).'

That film told the story of a woman named Lee Hwa-In, who lost her child in a fire and was left with burns on her left arm. She wages a battle against the corporation responsible for her daughter's death.

Hwa-In earned Jeon Soo-Do and Jeon Soo-Jung the Best Screenplay award at Cannes. Despite the critical acclaim for its portrayal of the human spirit, Hwa-In only drew nine hundred thousand viewers in Korea. It was considered a box office flop. The reason was because Lee Hwa-In's life was so painfully real that it was uncomfortable to watch.

So I prayed A Woman on Fire was just a similar title, and not a reworked version of Hwa-In. However, I was right. A Woman on Fire was a remake of Hwa-In.

'If it's Hwa-In, just call it Man on Fire, not Woman! And don't act like this is an original idea. There are already films with this exact title in Korea and Italy!'

Worse yet, they had watered it down to make it Hollywood-friendly and the script was now far worse.

Even though it had flopped commercially, Hwa-In had one legendary scene: Lee Hwa-In, drenched in gasoline, holding a lighter in front of the corporation's headquarters during a press interview. It was the climax of her rage and grief.

In that scene, Lee Hwa-in lets out a gut-wrenching cry and delivers a powerful speech, sharply criticizing a society indifferent to personal dignity. That very scene earns rave reviews and an award at the Cannes Film Festival. Yet in the Hollywood version, A Woman on Fire, the final scene shows her storming into a corporate headquarters with a torch and setting the building on fire.

'No matter how much people love a cathartic moment, this is just straight-up terrorism.'

While the Cannes version was an impressive portrayal of a mother standing up to immense power to seek justice, the Hollywood version ended with a wildly inappropriate climax.

After reading the entire script, I took a breath and politely declined, doing my best not to offend Shin Jong-Ki or the directors. "As you said, the script is excellent. But I don't think it suits Yoo-Jin."

"Hmm? And why is that?"

"The theme is a critique of capitalism, isn't it? But Yoo-Jin doesn't have experience with this kind of dark comedy or fantasy, so I don't think she'd be able to express it well. From what I can see, this role would be better suited to a more seasoned actor."

It was a polite answer, but Jeon Soo-Do and Jeon Soo-Jung's faces tightened at the rejection. Even Shin Jong-Ki looked a little disappointed. A silence fell over the meeting room.

Then Jeon Soo-Do broke it. "With Jung Yoo-Jin's acting skills, she can handle any script. Think about her transformation in In the Name of God as the Manshin Wol-ah, or in Blue Sky. If she can do those, this is well within her range. Don't you think so?"

His tone was tinged with clear irritation, but I calmly replied. "I'm sorry. It's just that this kind of film is very different from the dramas and rom-coms Yoo-Jin specifically asked me to focus on."

"Hah. So you're saying you won't do my film?"

I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to cause more misunderstanding.

Jeon Soo-Jung furrowed her brows and pushed further. "Chief Jung, what are you trying to pull? Are you playing hard to get? If it's about the paycheck, don't worry. I'll make sure she's paid top dollar."

"It's not about that."

"Oh? Then it's even worse! Are you saying there's something wrong with my script? What exactly is the issue, huh?"

'Honestly? Everything.'

If this were still Hwa-In, I could at least acknowledge its artistic merit. But now, it was just a mess with its awkward attempt at mass appeal.

That's when Kang Ji-Yung stepped in. "Please understand, our talent agents can only recommend projects based on what the actors want. It's not that your script is bad..."

However, Jeon Soo-Jung scoffed and said, "So you're saying I just need to get Jung Yoo-Jin's direct approval, huh?"

"Ah, no. That's not what I meant..."

'Talk about twisting words.'

Just as I was about to tell them not to bother Yoo-Jin, who was currently passed out from exhaustion and champagne, Jeon Soo-Do stood up abruptly.

"My sister's right. We'll just talk to Jung Yoo-Jin directly. Let's go, Soo-Jung. There's no point in staying where we're not wanted."

"Yeah."

Planning to visit Yoo-Jin, they got up and started heading for the door.

At that moment, I quickly ran over to block them. "You can't do that."

Jeon Soo-Jung pointed a finger at me in disbelief. "Hey, Chief Jung. You're a talent agent, so act like one. Stop trying to be more than you are. You don't even know the first thing about film."

'I don't know the film? You've got to be kidding me.'

I had watched countless films and read even more scripts on behalf of actors who couldn't understand them. And more importantly, I was a returnee from the future. But I couldn't say any of that, so I tried to reason with them calmly.

Just then, Kang Gam-Chan, who had been quiet the whole time, spoke up. "Mr and Ms. Jeon, Yoo-Jin don't take on any projects that require overseas filming. We've informed most production companies. Perhaps you didn't hear?"

However, Jeon Soo-Do responded like a threat. "Hah... So you're okay burning bridges with us, Mr. Kang?"

Jeon Soo-Jung chimed in too, flaunting her connections and ties to the Suhyaejong line network. "Honestly, when Chief Jung offended Director Gong Hak-Do a while back, every Suhyaejong line was pissed off. We're only holding back because we're being civil. So don't push it. We'll talk to Yoo-Jin directly!"

As I was about to say none of that would change anything, Shin Jong-Ki scratched his head and muttered, "Huh... I didn't expect Chief Jung to turn this down..."

Everyone turned their heads toward Shin Jong-Ki.

Then, Shin Jong-Ki dropped a bombshell. "It can't be helped. Directors, let's cancel the investment in this film."

Shin Jong-Ki was siding with me over two Cannes-winning directors.