Global Hit (Part 2)
On the way back after wrapping up his schedule in Korea and Japan. I should come back here for a vacation sometime, Sion thought. He found himself liking these two countries, which felt somewhat modest compared to the United States. Especially Korea.
...Perhaps the Korean blood running through his veins was making itself known. Is it because I'm accepted as one of them just by standing here? Lately, he had even been waking up with a shudder after dreaming of deliciously eating kimchi, which he usually couldn't stand because of its strong smell.
In any case, through this trip, he felt the massive wave that was slowly beginning to catch fire. Sion still didn't have a strong self-awareness of being Korean-American. He simply felt that coming to Korea wasn't bad because Charlie Kang, whom he worked with, was so happy about it.
However, from a business perspective, this kind of promotional tour to foreign countries was a highly lucrative endeavor. In recent years, a trend had emerged in Hollywood of releasing films globally with only a few weeks' gap after their domestic premiere.
This shift began when massive blockbusters like Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Jurassic Park achieved explosive popularity across almost all cultural spheres. Then, last year's Independence Day and Mission: Impossible solidified the practice.
Hollywood films raked in box office revenues by rapidly rolling out releases from the UK, France, and Germany to Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and Japan. Released a year after this system had fully taken root, Bad Contract pushed the boundaries even further, executing the same release strategy in Korea, Southeast Asia, and South America.
Marketing campaigns were executed globally in the same manner as in the US, hammering the film into the minds of countless people worldwide like a carpet bombing run. As a result, global box office revenues skyrocketed compared to the days when domestic releases were the primary source of income, heavily influencing the production budgets and marketing scales of subsequent projects.
Bad Contract was a film designed precisely with that goal in mind. Let's keep this momentum going. This was an era when a Hollywood movie release was transforming into a global event. Sion Lee intended to take on everyone and win with this film—including The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Men in Black, and even Batman & Robin.
In 1997, Warner Bros. was in a state that could be described like this. "It feels like having a cold beer in my left hand and a German sausage in my right," Terry Semel suddenly remarked inside his office, prompting Joel Silver to burst into laughter.
"Isn't that a bit of a cheap metaphor?" "But that's exactly what our movies are. And people go absolutely crazy for them."
Warner Bros. had released two major titles targeting this summer. One was Batman & Robin, and the other was Bad Contract. Two films with entirely different genre appeals. The fourth installment of a franchise inheriting Val Kilmer's Batman without discarding its established color, and a brand-new action franchise film fronted by "Hollywood's broken prince."
"Is there anyone who could possibly hate these two movies?" "You're absolutely right. The box office numbers prove it." "The particularly impressive one is Bad Contract. You did an outstanding job, Joel." "Th-thank you."
Joel reacted awkwardly, looking as if he didn't know what to do with himself under Terry Semel's direct praise. By successfully turning a project once dubbed a "poisoned chalice" into a massive hit, his standing within the company had leaped forward. If he was previously just one of many decent producers, he was now close enough to be invited by Terry Semel for meals and golf.
Establishing a personal network with someone of such high stature within Warner Bros. was a massive reward in itself. It meant he would receive significant backing when producing his next project. True to that promise, the performance of Bad Contract was marching forward, poised to easily reclaim the number one spot at the annual box office.
Two months into its release, it had easily surpassed the $150 million mark. While marketing continued around the lead actors, Sion Lee and Jodie Foster, a tie-in video game had even been released and was now distributed all across the United States.
"We've already left Batman & Robin far behind, and we're hot on the heels of The Lost World. Men in Black isn't bad, but in terms of mass appeal, we are far stronger. A truly proper franchise has been born."
While Bad Contract strictly followed the grammar of Hollywood action blockbusters, it introduced variations in a slightly different way. The framework of a handsome man saving the world remained the same, but its defining feature was reflecting the contemporary trend of "globalization."
Instead of presenting a rugged, hyper-masculine "American hero" like traditional action blockbusters, this film featured an ordinary yet charming hero whom anyone could easily relate to, making it highly accessible.
"The action has a unique flavor too... like MacGyver back in the day." He wasn't perfect, but the desperate, hard-fought struggles made for great cinema. And the fact that the actor portraying this was Sion Lee made it even better.
"He was the final piece of this movie. Just putting him on the poster makes it look like we could make a fortune selling the poster alone." "Exactly. It felt like his screen presence alone could carry the entire film."
Nodding in agreement, Joel thought to himself, He probably doesn't fully realize it. The significance of an actor like Sion Lee in this film wasn't just limited to that. He wasn't an actor who merely performed his lines.
From the production stage, Sion had actively pitched ideas to Warner Bros. CEO Terry Semel to draft the blueprint for Bad Contract. Even after the script was finalized, he actively intervened in the directing and dialogue, shaping the overall quality of the film.
Many superstars did this. Actors like Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Carrey, Bruce Willis, and Jack Nicholson often went beyond being just the face of a film to influence the bigger picture.
But Sion Lee... was slightly different. He actively involved himself to shape the entire tone of the movie around him, and it actually works perfectly. Joel Silver wanted to describe Sion not just as an actor, but as a "one-man franchise."
Just as Joel thought, Sion's influence on this film was colossal. Even general audiences who went in blind remarked, "I thought it was just a typical action movie, but it's surprisingly fresh." Meanwhile, film snobs who usually scoffed at blockbusters praised it, saying, "Is Sion Lee really an actor capable of this level of depth?"
Regarding this, one actor offered his own assessment. "Isn't this movie both familiar and fresh?" "...What kind of nonsense is that? Like a 'dead live fish'?"
As the now quite elderly veteran actor looked at him with disdain, the handsome young actor sitting opposite him replied with a dazzling smile that looked capable of conquering the world.
"I think it's strange too, Jack. But really... that contradictory description fits the movie perfectly. Bad Contract shows exactly what direction Sion Lee is trying to head in right now. Honestly, it's not much different from the path I'm currently walking."
"Your introductions are always too long, Tom. As always." Jack Nicholson wore his signature irritated expression. It was always like this whenever he met this guy, so he couldn't help it.
But Tom didn't mind Jack's reaction at all. "You know how it is, right? What kind of place is Hollywood? It's a place where people with money wield absolute power and ruin movies that could have been great. To survive in such an environment, an actor has to build their own team—just like me! Haha, I'm so glad a great actor like Sion realized that so early on."
To avoid being consumed merely as the "face" of a movie, and instead become an entity that could influence the film itself. He believed that such a shift in perspective was essential to survive continuously as an A-list actor.
Tom Cruise. Having invited Jack Nicholson to his mansion under the pretext of "talking about movies," he immediately launched into a stream of praise for Sion Lee and Bad Contract.
Although Jack was well aware of most industry rumors, hearing Tom speak so highly of Sion—whom Jack had cherished for a long time—made him feel secretly pleased. ...At least, until this conversation dragged on for an entire hour.
"It was seriously amazing! There's nothing that kid can't do! The action is great, the acting is superb, and it's no exaggeration to say his face is currently number one in Hollywood!" It had been like this since Fragment, but listening to him, Tom was truly an endlessly cheerful sort of person.
"What I especially loved was the setup. A mercenary who doesn't belong anywhere. What kind of 'bad contract' will he get tangled up in next, and where will he go? Haha, I'm already curious!"
Hollywood action movies of this era were mostly made with the United States firmly at the center. However, Sion Lee's Bad Contract twisted that convention, starting the story in the Middle East. This was precisely why Tom Cruise evaluated the film as familiar yet fresh.
"It'll be a massive advantage for global box office. And it didn't destroy the American identity either, since we have that pioneering spirit. Still, that's the trend of the times nowadays!" "...Calm down. I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."
Jack let out a sigh, feeling as if his ears were about to bleed. "Anyway, he's a seriously cool guy!" Regardless of Jack's reaction, Tom Cruise remained boisterously cheerful.
Following its global rollout, the box office records of Bad Contract shot up vertically. From the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, and Korea, all the way to Southeast Asia and South America.
Although the number of screens varied across different countries, Bad Contract—an action blockbuster starring an actor of overwhelming beauty, backed by the best marketing tailored to each cultural sphere—recorded massive numbers immediately upon release.
"If my husband looked like that, I'd kiss him every single time he came home." "Oh, please~ Just a kiss?" "Every single day would be pure bliss..." British housewives gushed, simply praising Sion Lee's handsome face.
"Whoa... his body is insane. How are his muscles so perfect?" "Damn, it was no joke! I'm starting a hardcore workout routine just like Sion from today!" Like a social phenomenon, the number of men signing up for gyms in Korea surged.
"I hate seeing those Americans get so cocky again, but I'll let it slide this once." "It made me think of my young daughter. Sigh. I couldn't help but root for the protagonist." Even in France, where resistance to American cultural imperialism ran high, the film itself received rave reviews.
The times had changed significantly. Moving past the level of simply shouting "America is the best" within the US, doing business with the world required touching upon more universal emotions. Especially since the Soviet Union had collapsed, and people were beginning to turn their attention to domestic issues within America.
September, October, November. Even after Sion completed his global promotional tours, the box office run of Bad Contract showed no signs of slowing down. However, as the momentum began to gradually taper off toward the end of the year, a few pretentious Hollywood critics published articles like these:
"...Hmm." Sion was on a yacht when he happened to read those articles. And he was with Elena.
"Articles like that have been popping up quite often lately. Are you okay?" Malibu Beach, less than an hour's drive from Hollywood. Normally, after wrapping up the hectic schedule for Bad Contract, Sion would have immediately jumped into his next project like an emotionally detached father in a Hollywood movie. This time, however, he had scheduled some downtime to enjoy a bit of leisure.
"Because I've realized that being a father who just works and brings home money isn't everything." "...What on earth does that mean all of a sudden?" "It means we shouldn't worry about work at a time like this. Besides, we're allowed to." "Allowed to?"
Elena, who had been gazing at the setting sun over the ocean from the edge of the yacht, turned to look at Sion in confusion. Wearing a white shirt loosely tied over a black bikini, she was so beautiful that Sion felt he could stare at her just like this for ten years without ever growing tired of it.
"Hmm..." "...Why are you looking at me like that?" What Sion found particularly sophisticated of Elena was that the white shirt she wore was borrowed from him.
"Nothing." "What do you mean? You had a very mischievous look on your face." "...Right. In times like this, a man should show it through actions rather than words."
Sion smiled leisurely, stood up, and walked toward Elena. While being with her, he was trying to nurture not just his inflated ego as an actor, but also his inner, vulnerable self. He believed this would ultimately aid his acting in the future. After all, an actor was someone who mimicked "humanity" on screen.
"Alright. Come over here." "W-what are you doing...?" As Sion firmly took her slender hand and led her to the bow of the boat, Elena followed obediently, her cheeks flushing as red as the sunset as she became conscious of his bare chest.
Standing at the bow, Sion gently wrapped his arms around Elena's waist and guided her arms to stretch out to the sides, striking the iconic pose from Titanic. "How is it?" "...What do you mean, how is it?" "Doesn't it feel like you're flying? Close your eyes."
"......Sion." "Yeah?" "I have absolutely no idea why you're doing this right now." "...Well, you see," Sion replied after a brief pause. "Because this is coming out soon, so there's no need to worry about those pathetic, contrarian slander articles."
To deal with the idiots who wanted to gain attention by rebelling against the easily digestible main content of an action blockbuster, a massive vessel was already sailing toward them all the way from 1910s England.