READ NOVEL ONLINE Episode 137
Episode 137
I had heard that “Escape” had recently entered the OTT market.
However, I didn’t expect it to achieve such good results.
I thought everyone who wanted to see the movie had already gone to the theaters.
It was natural since it had already surpassed 10 million viewers.
Although overseas rights and VOD sales were better than expected, there were limitations.
Even if VOD sales were good, when converted to audience numbers, it would only amount to 1-2 million.
Moreover, Netflix’s reluctance to purchase the rights to “Escape” was another reason why we couldn’t expect much from overseas sales.
So “Escape” first sold its rights to nearby East Asian countries before entering Netflix a bit later.
However, even in this case, we couldn’t expect large profits.
This was because it wasn’t a method of paying running guarantees based on the number of streams.
It was a contract that transferred the copyright for a lump sum.
So I didn’t pay much attention when I heard the news about “Escape” being on Netflix.
I just hoped it would be an opportunity for those who hadn’t seen the film yet to easily access it.
‘But to rank first in viewing hours for the first week of September…’
It was surprising.
Even more surprising was that “Escape” maintained the same performance in the non-English language film category throughout September.
Four consecutive weeks at number one worldwide.
It was a record I never expected.
Of course, this wasn’t as popular as “Dalgona Game,” which once swept the world.
But it was amazing that “Escape” was being mentioned all over the world.
It felt especially meaningful because “Escape” was a film about the stories of independence activists Yun Bong-gil and Kim Sang-ok.
[The text then includes a series of online comments about “Escape” and Lee Si-joon, discussing the film’s popularity, the actors’ performances, and anticipation for Si-joon’s next project, “Toema Hwan Ya Dam”.]
Above all, I was happy that thanks to the popularity of “Escape,” expectations for “Toema Hwan Ya Dam” had increased.
I chose a global OTT among various options because I wanted to properly introduce Korean culture to the world.
This was why the current response was all the more pleasing.
As expectations for my work increased, many people would watch “Toema Hwan Ya Dam.”
It seemed that Netflix had also read the response to “Escape.”
Soon after, they showed new movements, and I received this news from Cindy.
“Is that true?”
“That’s what I’m saying. Netflix wants to buy the rights to our work.”
“I thought they said they weren’t interested before…”
“It seems that the success of
“The response has been pretty good. Anyway, I’m glad things are working out well.”
“That’s right. I might gain a lot of overseas fans thanks to you, Si-joon.”
“I think there’s already no one in all of Asia who doesn’t know your name, senior.”
“We should expand to Europe now. And make a debut in America too. Our drama… I hope it becomes very popular!”
Fortunately, as Cindy hoped, “Let’s Live Together, Princess” received a good response on Netflix.
It ranked first in global viewing time for non-English dramas on Netflix for a month.
It was an unexpected popularity even for Netflix, which had hurriedly bought the rights to “Let’s Live Together, Princess”.
The drama was especially huge all across Asia.
Cindy’s name was already known, and there was originally high demand for the romantic comedy genre in the region.
Even considering all this, its popularity was still intense.
‘It might be difficult for it to become popular in America or Europe as senior Cindy wishes.’
However, that’s not to say there was no response at all from America or Europe.
The reactions to “Let’s Live Together, Princess” from these countries were mostly favorable as well.
It seemed to have gained its own cult following.
Among them, there was great interest in the Korean traditional clothing that appeared occasionally in “Let’s Live Together, Princess”.
It made me think that if we had known this would happen, we should have included more scenes from the Korean Empire.
With “Escape” and now “Let’s Live Together, Princess” both drawing responses, expectations for “Toema Hwan Ya Dam” reached their peak.
[Global interest in ‘Toema Hwan Ya Dam’ amplifies! When will the service start?]
[Lee Si-joon! Will he make waves again? Already anticipating the production of ‘Toema Hwan Ya Dam’…]
[Wait for it, Netflix! The bold ambitions of ‘Toema Hwan Ya Dam’!]
[Will ‘Toema Hwan Ya Dam’ continue the K-drama wave? Pressure multiplied!]
[Even Lee Si-joon can’t succeed forever…. Concerns about excessive expectations for ‘Toema Hwan Ya Dam’]
[‘Toema Hwan Ya Dam’ shaking… Is this okay? Filming Part 2 amid concerns]
[What’s the atmosphere like on the set of ‘Toema Hwan Ya Dam’, facing difficulties from the early stages of filming?]
[Festa Entertainment: ‘There are no problems with drama production’… Dismissing controversy!]
[Controversy over the success of ‘Toema Hwan Ya Dam’? Now is the time for more support]
However, these expectations weren’t necessarily all good.
As my works continued to perform well, there was a lot of talk about whether the next one could achieve similar results.
In fact, the media was pouring out negative articles about “Toema Hwan Ya Dam”.
The tone was almost as if they were certain “Toema Hwan Ya Dam” would fail.
Certainly, the viewers’ expectations had become so high that it was impossible to guarantee we could meet them.
Director Kang Han-sung also spoke up, seeming burdened by the current atmosphere.
“Thanks to you, I’ve come to enjoy unexpected worldwide popularity. Hahaha.”
“Aren’t you exaggerating too much? You’ve already surpassed 10% viewership ratings several times.”
“Popularity on Netflix is different from surpassing 10% viewership a few times domestically. The drama hasn’t even officially started its service yet, but…”
“Are you feeling very pressured by all these expectations?”
“I’m a bit nervous because the media is making such a fuss. But I feel reassured because you’re here.”
Still, Director Kang Han-sung was relatively composed.
It was befitting of someone who had experience directing dramas under great expectations several times.
But others didn’t seem to be handling it as well.
Perhaps due to the pressure, the atmosphere on set seemed to have dropped significantly.
The contrast was even more stark because until just recently, I had thought the set atmosphere couldn’t get any better.
It seemed that the mood was more easily swayed because many of the staff were new employees who had just joined Festa Entertainment.
The staff who had worked with Director Kang Han-sung for a long time didn’t seem to mind much.
‘It’s not just the staff. The atmosphere among the actors is also dividing.’
The problem was that even the lead actors, who should be holding the center, were wavering.
Thinking about it, neither Im Seung-hee nor Kim In-ho had ever starred in a work with such high expectations before.
Even my usually steady brother seemed burdened by this atmosphere.
After finishing his part of the acting for the day, he quietly approached me and asked:
“…How was it today?”
“What?”
“The acting.”
“It wasn’t bad. Don’t worry.”
“Okay.”
Although he was trying not to show it, I couldn’t help but notice the pressure he was feeling.
My brother was usually someone who didn’t express his emotions well.
‘We haven’t even started filming Part 3 yet, and the atmosphere is like this… This is troublesome.’
The atmosphere was likely to worsen as filming continued.
Drastic measures were needed at this point.
‘First, we need an opportunity to refresh the mood, right?’
Having organized my thoughts like this, I stood up and raised my voice.
“How about we have a team dinner this week?”
A moment of silence.
Director Kang Han-sung seemed to have grasped my intention and responded to my words.
“A team dinner sounds good. When and where should we do it?”
While I was pondering for a moment, my eyes met with my brother’s.
At the same time, I realized when and where would be good for the team dinner.
“How about this Friday at the chicken restaurant my father runs?”
As soon as I finished speaking, the actors and staff showed an unexpected reaction.