Bad Contract (1)
Filming for Bad Contract stretched past the turn of the year into late January. Then came a day in February.
"Sometimes I think even God is unfair."
That was Terry Semel's impression after watching the first rough cut that had finally been assembled.
"I mean, how is even his body that handsome?"
The film's producer, Joel Silver, nodded in deep agreement. "Exactly. They really went all out filming this."
Spectacular action that even a monkey could enjoy, a badass protagonist that any American would go crazy for, and the peerless superstar Sion Lee, who tied it all together and made it shine. Once edited, it became a monstrously good product.
The conviction that this movie would definitely succeed was engraved in their minds like an indelible brand, reinforced by several key scenes.
Standing beside Terry, Joel was the first to point out a scene that had left a deep impression on him.
"Those forearms, man... I thought his arms were going to explode when he grabbed that rope."
"I asked my trainer, and he said having veins pop out nicely on your forearms is actually a genetic talent. Guess it's not in the cards for me."
"It's because of skin thickness and blood vessel diameter, right? ...Wait, Terry. Do you even work out?"
"Of course I do. I'm an American macho, after all. The only problem is I drink too much."
Terry laughed heartily and patted his belly. As the phrase suggested, any proper "American man" was bound to work out. Even if they couldn't get rid of their beer belly, they would somehow build thick biceps, triceps, and forearms. That was the virtue of a man as perceived by the general public, and that was why Joel and Terry were confident that Sion Lee would trigger an overwhelming response from fans in this movie.
"The reason he had relatively fewer male fans until now was his pretty-boy looks and average build."
While his cool attitude and great acting skills had been gradually drawing in male fans, the numbers were still relatively small compared to his female fanbase. American men who worshiped "machoisism" tended to look down on men who didn't work out. Some extreme types didn't even treat skinny men as human.
But this movie would completely shatter his pretty-boy image.
"This movie will be a definitive game-changer for Sion's career. Who could possibly dislike a guy like this?"
And that paradigm shift would generate massive word-of-mouth and draw in audiences.
"Haha, his shirt looked like it was about to rip open."
"His arms looked like they were almost twenty-four inches."
"Hahaha! What is he, a Mr. Olympia champion?! Surely not that big!"
The two were giddy with the vivid illusion of success right before their eyes.
"Size isn't everything. The best part of Sion's physique is his muscle definition. Man, I don't know whose idea it was to put him in a henley shirt. Did you see the upper chest muscles popping out? If he were standing in front of me, I would've felt them right then and there!"
"Oh, absolutely. His abs were insane too."
"Exactly! Those abs were just...!"
Terry, who was praising Sion Lee's muscles to the point of drooling, suddenly shut his mouth. He realized that praising another man's muscles so passionately made him sound somewhat "gay."
"...Uh, putting Sion Lee aside, Jodie Foster was absolutely killer too, wasn't she?"
"Y-yeah, exactly! Man, even though she's mostly just sitting in an office, she really commands the screen!"
They quickly pivoted to the second lead of the movie to somehow reclaim their lost masculinity.
And this would be the exact reaction of the first audiences watching Bad Contract in theaters three months later.
March 1997.
After finishing the post-production of the shoot that ended in January, Sion was immediately hit with a relentless TV appearance schedule. Warner Bros., the main production company, decided it was time to start promoting the movie, even if it was a bit early.
When news leaked that Sion Lee was filming a movie in Europe—due to his injury and subsequent hospital visit—Warner Bros. was initially flustered, as this hadn't been discussed. However, their head, Terry Semel, stepped in and said, "Since it's already out there, we might as well run with it," giving the green light. From then on, they actively leaked behind-the-scenes stills to the media, teasing the public's expectations in various ways.
Sion's photos were mostly blurry, but shots of other actors and extras waiting on set or holding guns stimulated the public's imagination, slowly building up anticipation.
It's definitely nice to have a network with the head of a major studio. And with the top brass backing it, things are handled properly.
Although the movie's filming had been "regrettably" leaked due to an "unavoidable accident," Sion could feel that the executives, viewing it as a golden opportunity, were steering it in an even better direction. Sion, the very culprit who had engineered the situation, casually munched on popcorn and watched the daily progress as if enjoying a show.
In truth, it was bound to happen. In conservative Hollywood, it was natural to try to hide the fact that a movie was filming as much as possible to prevent crowd control issues and unpredictable accidents. But even for a movie like Mission: Impossible released last year, some set photos had leaked...
We're no longer in an era where you can stop it.
Sion believed they should ride the wave instead. He felt nothing but gratitude toward Warner Bros. for trusting and following his method, sudden as it was.
But putting that aside...
"No rest for the weary."
"Isn't it great?"
Charlie Kang, who was joining him on a schedule for the first time in a while, grinned from the front seat. Sion heard today was supposed to be Charlie's day off, so he didn't know why he was here.
"Oh, it's fantastic. I'm being dragged all over the place when my bruises haven't even faded yet."
"Did you get those injuries during filming?"
"...It's complicated."
Sion chuckled and gently touched his abdomen, which still throbbed occasionally, recalling an unexpected situation. It was Elena Asimov.
When they met for the first time in a while after post-production, she had spotted him in a cafe, marched straight over, and delivered a powerful straight punch to his stomach.
That was heavy.
She truly possessed the formidable punching power of someone descended from a people who survived a freezing climate that the soft-hearted folks of California couldn't even imagine. And Sion had ended up with a massive bruise from it.
"And of course, that made the news. It made me realize just how much people love hearing about me."
"So why did Elena punch you anyway?"
"She said she was worried sick, so why didn't I contact her even once."
"...Are you two dating?"
"No. Though we did kiss. Several times."
"Even after the MTV awards?!"
"No comment."
"Hey! How can you date someone from the same agency?!"
"We're not dating. Don't worry."
"But you said you kissed?!"
"It's just a kiss. People do it all the time, don't they?"
"...I will never understand kids these days."
Charlie shook his head in disbelief and asked cautiously, "What do you want to do about it?"
"I just want to keep things as they are. I don't really want to think about dating right now."
"...Even if you feel that way, what about Elena?"
"She probably feels the same. Most likely. We're both perverts, so we know this tension is actually hotter."
Charlie couldn't bring himself to respond to Sion's confident and shameless declaration. And since Sion could never bring himself to lie to Charlie—though he might hide things—he didn't reveal his true inner thoughts.
To be honest, I wonder what the hell I'm doing too.
Elena, whom he had only viewed as a kid, was starting to feel like a "woman" to him. ...And that was precisely why he felt himself backing away every time she stepped closer into his heart. Even though they still kissed.
Haha. What a piece of trash I am.
Sion thought to himself as he reflected on his behavior. Yet, to Elena, who continued to respect this ambiguous relationship without ruining it... he found himself growing more fond of her for some reason.
The host of The Tonight Show, America's biggest late-night talk show, had already changed to Jay Leno. However, due to the noise generated when the comedian and MC took over the host seat from his legendary predecessor, Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show had lost a significant portion of its past glory.
People didn't trust Jay Leno as a host, and combined with the previous controversies, ratings had dropped quite a bit. But today, Jay believed that a massive guest appearing after a long absence would turn things around.
"Welcome, Sion! It feels like it's been a while!"
He started the broadcast with even more energy than usual.
"It has. I've been keeping a low profile while focusing entirely on filming."
Sion, who knew all of Jay's inner thoughts thanks to his future knowledge, casually leaned back on the sofa, idly contemplating how he would crush this guy if he dared to ask any provocative questions.
Well, he probably won't.
But Jay immediately shattered that expectation with a home run right off the bat.
"I heard you recently wrapped up a pretty massive shoot."
"...Mother—"
"Huh?"
"—'s grace. It's my mother's grace, watching over me from heaven."
Sion had been genuinely dumbfounded for a second and barely stopped himself from uttering a curse involving "mother." And like the notoriously wild actor he was, he looked up at the ceiling with slightly tearful eyes.
The audience, knowing that Sion's mother had passed away a few years ago, let out a collective, sympathetic gasp: "Awwww...!"
To think he was not only incredibly handsome but also loved his family so deeply! They thought that despite his rough edges, he was a truly good person.
...But it was a comment that had momentarily flustered Sion. Today's Tonight Show had a loose agreement: "Do not bring up specific details about the movie." Sion had trusted that if they set that boundary, Jay Leno would handle the flow with tact.
But now, as Jay smoothly violated that condition, the direction of today's live show became highly delicate.
Well, I suppose he's desperate for ratings. I didn't realize things were this bad for him.
He had taken over The Tonight Show after the great Johnny Carson, pushing aside the person who had been half-designated as the successor, and now his ratings were actively plummeting in real-time. Sion fully understood Jay's desire to carve out his own color, distinct from Johnny Carson or the intended successor.
If that's what he wants, I'll give it to him.
The wild brat inside Sion slowly began to take its signature steps.
"Well... I went around breaking a few things."
"Oho. Come to think of it, you look quite a bit bigger too."
"I've been working out hard."
"Why? For the movie?"
"No. I just wanted to flex a little."
Sion deliberately deflected the question to test the waters. The audience roared with laughter at Sion's wit, but Jay, wanting more than just a light laugh, persistently tried to dig up information about the movie.
"What was the hardest part during filming?"
"Just... everything was tough. Rolling around, getting hurt. I even have some battle scars."
"Oh, battle scars! The badge of honor for an action star. Where are they?"
"Right here."
Jay had intended to ask if it was a place he could show them, hoping to steer the topic. But before Jay could even ask, Sion unbuttoned his shirt to reveal his pumped chest and defined abs. Jay involuntarily swallowed hard.
The audience also cheered wildly at the bold move of the handsome Hollywood superstar, and Sion deliberately counted his abs one by one.
"...See? Exactly six, right? There's another bulge further down, but you can only see that one in bed."
"W-wow... that must have taken a lot of work to build."
"Of course. I raised these guys on a strict diet of meat every single day."
"How did you go about your workouts?"
"I just did what my trainer told me, but lately, I've developed a liking for a few specific exercises."
"Which exercise is your favorite?"
Jay spoke with excitement, completely unaware that he was biting the hook Sion had cast. Sion pretended to ponder for a moment, building anticipation, before speaking.
"How about I just show you?"
"Wow! A workout demonstration from 'Hollywood's broken prince'! I can't wait!"
Meeting the immense cheers and applause, Sion walked to the center of the talk show stage and dropped into a squat.
"...?"
"Squats are the best. You have to train your lower body to strengthen your entire physique. Why don't you join me, Jay?"
"Haha, well, how do we perform a healthy squat?"
Jay waddled forward and did a few squats alongside Sion. Then, Sion tilted his head as if something was missing.
"We need some weight, though."
"Weight?"
"Could you help me out with that, Jay?"
Hearing Sion say "Be my guest," Jay assumed it was just a joke flipping the host-guest dynamic. He laughed exaggeratedly and nodded without thinking much of it.
"Sure! Anything you—*gasp*?!"
And Sion lightly hoisted Jay over his shoulders.
"Like... this...!"
Sion performed a squat in that position.
"S-Sion! This is... incredible!"
Whether it was because the sudden lift sent blood rushing to his face, or because he was embarrassed to be hoisted up like a woman or a child by another man, Jay's face turned bright red as he tried to hide it and shouted.
But the audience was already reacting in two ways to the hilarious sight.
"Pfft, hahaha!"
"Whoa, look at that fat guy! He got lifted by Sion!"
"He looks like Babe the Gallant Pig!"
They laughed and looked down on Jay, who was hoisted atop a healthy, muscular man.
"Whoa... his strength is no joke."
"This is insane. He's like Hercules."
And they praised Sion Lee's perfect physique.
After completing a few squats, Sion set Jay down. Jay stumbled and landed clumsily on his butt.
"Whew. Want to be my workout partner?"
Sion smiled satisfyingly, putting the perfect exclamation point on this stunt.
The audience's cheers poured down. Sion smiled lightly and grabbed the arm of Jay Leno, who was too disheveled to stand up on his own, pulling him to his feet.
...Looking into Sion's eyes, which were now pumping with adrenaline, Jay thought:
Wow. If I mess with this guy, I'm dead meat.
At that moment, Sion's presence was so intensely American macho that it made even his pretty face look completely different.