CH27

At the time of the accident, the filming site had too many eyes and ears around. 

No matter how well sealed, leaks were inevitable.

The first to bring up this story was Gossip Crew.

[Shock! The popular zombie drama Invisible Children is hiding a human casualty incident.]

Even with such a provocative headline, people paid no attention.

It was just another day of baseless gossip in the widespread tabloids of Hollywood.

The atmosphere changed when the more credible Hollywood media outlet Timeline followed up with a report.

[The child actors of Invisible Children who nearly died. What happened on set that day?]

The article detailed how two child actors fell from the rooftop of a building due to poor management on set, but fortunately, they were caught by a safety net, avoiding a major accident.

The article, fronted by an anonymous source, was relatively accurate about the situation at the time and was credible enough to get journalists moving.

The first response came from the broadcaster HMO.

-We are in close communication with the production company to verify the circumstances.

The broadcaster gave a perfunctory response, and soon after, the production company also issued an official response.

-We are identifying the accurate facts with those involved. 

We ask for restraint from speculative reporting until an official statement is made.

The responses, which did not deny the accident itself, led journalists to publish various articles.

The issue snowballed, and the situation became more heated when it was revealed that one of the injured child actors was Ian.

"Looks like a lot of people came."

Ian looked up at the sound of clicking cameras and scanned the surroundings.

Paparazzi with their cameras raised were visible beyond the fence surrounding the new elementary school he had transferred to.

Ian waved at them leisurely, even as they used flashing cameras in broad daylight.

"…Ah, this is bad."

A faintly grumbling voice was heard, and Ian chuckled to himself.

"I've been in this business for a while. How shallow of them to try this."

If he had frowned there, by tomorrow there would have been an article titled "Ian Pryce complains of mental shock from the accident."

To avoid causing trouble for the other kids, Ian left school a bit early, and Chloe and the bodyguards approached him.

They were assigned by the production company, and as they got into the car, Chloe asked,

"Were you okay at school?"

"Just got some worried looks around me."

Did the accident really happen? 

Are you hurt anywhere? 

My dad is a lawyer, a doctor, and so on.

It was annoying to the ears, but that was about it.

While chatting briefly with Chloe, the car entered a mansion enclosed by thick iron gates.

It was Rachel's house.

"Welcome!"

Chloe handed an apology to Ayla, who welcomed them brightly.

"The production company is arranging a hotel room, so I'll leave in a bit."

"It's not your first time here, no need for formalities."

No matter it's Beverly Hills, the house Ian moved into isn't like this place, guarded by private security, but a regular house.

It's not suitable for avoiding paparazzi and reporters, hence the hotel.

"Of all times, it had to be when it's hardest to find a room."

It's the holiday season when hotels are busiest, and there are no rooms available in good hotels with secure security.

The production company was scrambling to find a room for them within the day.

"How long has it been since the article was released? It's been quite noisy. When do they plan to go public?"

"I'm not sure. It won't take too long, though."

The fact that one of the child actors involved in the accident was Ian was deliberately leaked by the showrunner to amplify the issue.

"Half measures won't do in this situation."

Anyway, the presence of an unplanned child actor on the set was indeed due to poor management by the director.

The best way to divert the heightened attention was to throw it in another direction.

"Though it's a bit embarrassing that the method involves highlighting me."

Considering his past of being treated as a criminal just by his appearance made it more so.

Ayla laughed, covering her mouth as if looking forward to what was to come.

"Giggle, a hero. You're about to fulfill the dream of many children, aren't you?"

"…I've never dreamed of that."

"Well, you did say you wanted to become a dinosaur."

At Chloe's interjection, Ian groaned.

He was embarrassed by the memory of something he couldn't even remember.

"It won't take long. I have other projects to work on, and the holidays are coming up."

In America, to accommodate the rights of different religions, "holiday" is used rather than "Christmas," and with Thanksgiving, it's one of the biggest holidays, so there isn't much time to delay.

As Ian was briefly talking with Ayla, the phone rang.

It was Caitlin.

-The paparazzi have latched on to you. Are you okay?

"I'm fine. More importantly, did you find a hotel room?"

-Sorry, that might take a bit longer.

If it wasn't about the hotel, there was only one reason for her to call.

-We'll release our official stance along with the video of the accident in two days.

In two days.

The timer to change the atmosphere had started.

-It might get more annoying once it's public. What do you plan to do? Should I arrange an interview?

Now was the chance to build a good image and foster relationships with reputable journalists.

Ian, without a publicist or agency, had to make the decision on his own, and his answer was without hesitation.

"No. I plan to leave it as it is for now."

Sometimes, silence is golden.

Taking the initiative to satisfy curiosity will quickly cool off interest. 

It's Hollywood, where provocative content is incessantly poured out.

'I need an agency now, so I have to attract more attention.'

From being fortuitously picked by a casting director for Invisible Children to being cast in an animation dubbing thanks to YouTube, and even being directly approached by the showrunner for Beverly Hills Moms because he fit the character image so well.

None of these were through the usual casting process, and there's no guarantee such luck will continue.

That's why he needed an agency to inquire about audition information.

Ian quickly thought of the agencies and personal agents that had approached him.

At best, they were okay, and the major agencies, which were more reserved, hadn't made a move.

'Let's see how long they can stay still.'

There's no need to rush.

Once they start moving, they'll come at him in full force.

***

In any country, incidents involving children are taken seriously.

The issue had escalated partly because it involved not just one, but two child actors.

[Despite the shock of the accident, Ian Pryce, who plays Noah, remains composed]

└Oh my, look how his cheeks have slimmed down. What do we do?

└…Teacher, you need to visit an optometrist.

└He looks so much better compared to in the drama.

[Actors' union, "Ian Pryce is not a member of the union. We're not interested."]

└It's true, but still feels awful to hear.

└That's unions for you.

[Ian Pryce to leave Invisible Children?!]

└Shut it, before you get kicked out of life.

└What's the point of watching if there's no Noah?

When all sorts of rumors were spreading just because they attracted clicks.

Finally, the silent production company opened up to several media outlets.

[Ian Pryce was not a victim that day. He was our hero.]

The article was published along with the footage from that day.

The footage, shot from a bird's-eye view, showed survivors being chased by zombies and jumping over the rooftop.

Just as the zombies, rolling on the ground and pursuing with thrilling momentum, captured the viewer's attention, an odd scene was captured.

A small head peeking out from a rooftop thought to be empty, and a boy frantically climbing up to the rooftop.

A boy with black hair, who was hiding on the rooftop, stumbled back in shock upon encountering a zombie and then threw himself and the child he was holding into a safety net.

The brief video, lasting just over 2 minutes, had a tremendous impact.

[Why did Noah throw himself with a friend in his arms?]

└Wow! If he hadn't jumped with him, one of the child actors could have died.

└But couldn't he have just pulled him away?

└Did you roast your understanding of inertia with the Thanksgiving turkey? And risk dislocating an arm?

[Ian Pryce leaps without hesitation! The details we missed!]

└Impressive. Even with a net, it must have been hard to jump without hesitation, and he made sure to hold the child safely.

└What's the big deal? It looks fun to me.

└You? You'd wet your pants before you even jumped.

[Revisiting the past actions of Ian Pryce!]

└Insane. He ran towards an armed robber to save a grandmother, and now he's jumping off rooftops.

└I'm moved. Our dropkick boy has now shown us a superfly move! What's WWE doing?

└Contract in preparation! 🙂 by WWE Official Account

└…Are you crazy? It's real.

As expected in a country obsessed with heroes, journalists eagerly participated in creating a hero, as Caitlin intended.

The re-highlighted stories were extraordinary.

He showed his kind heart by giving Corn dog to a poorly dressed Ben Roberts and courageously leaped to catch a robber threatening an elderly woman.

With this incident added to his record, public opinion was set from the start.

Journalists, happy yet frustrated by the skyrocketing page views from related articles, complained.

"Why won't he accept an interview!"

"Maybe he's overwhelmed by all the attention?"

"Overwhelmed my foot! Look at him, smiling and waving at the paparazzi. Does that look overwhelming to you?! I'd give a bundle of cash for an interview if I must."

The child actor who was a victim had already completed interviews, but Ian, the most crucial figure, remained silent.

A few journalists were irritated, posted negative articles, and were met with harsh backlash.

'Staying holed up in a hotel won't let me meet him.'

Aside from going to school, he was eating all his meals and staying in his hotel room.

They weren't even hoping for a contract with a PR firm or agency. 

If he had attended an acting school, they might have targeted that.

The best they could get from his school attendance was additional information that he had good relationships with his peers and was an excellent student.

While journalists were left sucking their thumbs, repeating similar articles.

There was another place heated up by the immense attention surrounding Ian.

"No problem at all? That's good to hear. I'll contact you once it's finalized."

After ending the call with Ian, Melody nodded to the focused gazes.

"He says he has no health issues whatsoever."

"That's a relief."

At Melody's definitive response, the people gathered in the conference room breathed a sigh of relief.

They were the key figures in the production of an animation working under the tentative title Celestial Dragon.

"How's the dubbing progress?"

"The English version is perfect, and the other languages will be finished by January. There will be no issues with our plan to release in the summer."

The scheduling for the release date was already in its final stages.

What remained was the promotion.

Information had been gradually leaked through articles since the outlines of the animation became known, but now it was time to step up the efforts.

"Melody, your judgment is indeed excellent. I thought it was an unreasonable request at first."

The producer lightly praised while looking at the screen.

A cute dragon with golden scales, Raul, voiced by Ian, appeared.

Feeling almost embarrassed about the past when they had simply opposed the idea of not just casting but also assigning multiple languages to him.

They hadn't anticipated such promotional effectiveness.

After a moment of contemplation, he made a decision.

"Let's reveal Raul as the first character, and release the song he dubbed as well."

"Isn't it too early?"

The release was next summer, and it felt like revealing their prepared ace too soon.

At Melody's question, the producer smiled broadly.

"We have five songs, don't we? Let's release them one by one, spaced out over time."

As the producer clicked the mouse, an addictive song by Raul started playing.

When they first heard it, it was a song that troubled them for days, lingering in their ears.

"I'm already looking forward to how much the children will love it."

The producer's heart fluttered, unusual for someone with a long career in production.

TL/n -

You can read 

Hollywood Actor (up to Chapter 56+)

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