NoveLight ™
The third trailer for The Chaser initially seemed like a simple compilation of the first and second trailers. Given that a movie has only so many scenes it can reveal—especially in a thriller where too much exposure can detract from the immersion on release day—the first two trailers had mainly focused on the masked killer in the raincoat and the police chase. The identity of the victims was not even clearly shown.
But then came the final ten seconds.
In the trailer, the appearance of Cha Seo-ah, the killer in The Chaser, lasted only ten seconds. Of those, her face was visible for just two seconds.
The rest was all about setting the mood, showing only her silhouette. But that was enough.
It was more than enough to capture the public’s attention.
[The Chaser Third Trailer: 13 Million Views]
Five days after the trailer’s release, it was on its way to a record-breaking number of views.
Even now, with the momentum slowing, it was still racking up at least half a million views a day—sometimes even a million.
This sudden surge in interest affected various online communities as well.
As a result, forums dedicated to Ju Seoyeon saw a surge in activity. What used to average around a hundred posts a day was now exceeding ten times that amount.
Speculation and discussion about the trailer abounded. Some questioned the wisdom of revealing such a plot twist so early.
Moreover, the role of Cha Seo-ah was completely opposite to the character Jo Ha-rin in Dream Future.
“Do you think this is okay, Director?”
At Éclat Étoile, the company that had recently reaped significant promotional benefits from Seoyeon, the sudden surge of interest was not entirely welcome.
“Especially with her being the killer.”
Team Leader Jeong Tae-soo spoke cautiously.
He had come to recognize Ju Seoyeon’s talent as an actress to some extent, which made him even more anxious. If The Chaser became a major hit, it could undermine the concept of their advertising campaigns.
“Hmm.” “Director?”
Jeong Tae-soo waited quietly as Director Baek Min-chan, arms crossed, stared out at the city through the large glass window.
“I don’t know.” “Pardon?” “Ha-ha, how could I know? Predicting the public’s reaction is one of the hardest things to do. You, as the team leader of business strategy, should know that better than anyone.”
Jeong Tae-soo fell silent. Baek’s words weren’t wrong. And from a business strategist’s perspective, the situation seemed precarious.
Based on all the data they had, he was almost certain. It didn’t look good.
If a negative image became strongly associated with her—especially in the cosmetics industry, where image is everything—there was a high likelihood of significant damage.
“I saw the trailer, and the impact was tremendous. My wife even booked the movie in advance. It releases in two days, right?” “Yes.” “I’m sure she did a great job. A really great job.”
Baek Min-chan nodded.
“But doesn’t Dream Future exist?” “Pardon? But that’s...”
He was aware of Dream Future. But compared to the blockbuster The Chaser, backed by GH Group, it seemed rather insignificant.
While the internet response to the first episode had been quite positive, the second episode had been met with more lukewarm reactions. If The Chaser became a hit, her image as the killer would inevitably overshadow everything else.
“Besides, it didn’t seem like a particularly significant role.” “The market follows the money.”
Baek Min-chan knew. As someone who had watched every work Seoyeon appeared in, he was well aware that her role had been significantly reduced in the second episode. The focus had likely been spread thinly across the main characters, or perhaps for other reasons.
But if The Chaser became a success, would they just sit back and let it happen?
“For now, I think we should just wait and see.” “Is that so?” “And who knows? It might turn out to be a massive hit in an unexpected way.”
Baek Min-chan chuckled as he recalled the time of Survival of the Fittest. The rising star’s career, which had taken off again after ten years, always seemed to defy his expectations.
Lately, Seoyeon had noticed the growing buzz around her.
When she arrived at school today, she overheard her friends whispering and talking about her as they watched her.
According to Lee Ji-yeon:
“It’ll probably get even worse when the movie is released.” “Really?” “It depends on how your character turns out in the movie.”
Ji-yeon’s words made Seoyeon feel anxious. Things had seemed to be going smoothly, but who knew what could happen next?
Actors who played villains often reported similar experiences—people cursing at them on the streets, even when they were just walking around.
That same unease followed Seoyeon to the set.
“What? You were the killer?”
Ma Yeon-woo, who had become comfortable enough to speak casually to her on set, was the first to ask.
“...That sounds strange.” “Oh, no, I just meant the role. Since your name wasn’t revealed yet.”
That was true. Although Cha Seo-ah’s appearance had been revealed, her exact name hadn’t been. The pamphlets still listed her as just the “convenience store clerk.”
Cha Seo-ah.
Seoyeon exhaled.
To be honest, she felt that Cha Seo-ah was the character most similar to her ego. If she had lived a twisted life, she might have ended up like her.
That’s why she was worried about how the character would be perceived by the public. Although she was sure it would mostly be negative.
“Ju Seoyeon.”
Just then, a voice interrupted their conversation.
Park Jung-woo.
He walked towards them with long strides. Meanwhile, the staff and other actors on set couldn’t stop glancing at Seoyeon.
After all, The Chaser's third trailer had surpassed 15 million views. Anyone in the industry who hadn’t seen it by now was probably living under a rock.
There were so many things people wanted to ask her, but the impression left by the trailer was so strong that they hesitated to approach her.
‘She only appeared for about 10 seconds.’
The image of those red eyes glowing in the darkness and the blood-soaked face on that pale skin was still fresh in everyone’s minds.
“Did you see the revised script?” “Huh? Oh, yes.”
In fact, the revisions were minimal, involving just a few lines and the removal of one scene. Seoyeon had a few theories about why.
‘Maybe it’s because my presence overshadowed Song So-ha’s.’
Or perhaps it was because of the revelation that she was playing the killer in The Chaser. The reduction in screen time could be related to that.
Honestly, Seoyeon wasn’t too thrilled about it. After all, she had taken the role of Jo Ha-rin to counterbalance the image of Cha Seo-ah.
‘But it’s still okay for now.’
The core scenes for Jo Ha-rin were still intact. They had left those untouched, as removing them would shake the very foundation of the drama.
“If you need help, I could say something.” “Huh?” “About your script.”
Park Jung-woo spoke seriously to Seoyeon.
“This kind of last-minute script change isn’t common. It’s true that you overshadowed Song So-ha, but even so, this kind of revision isn’t good.” “Is that so?” “You’re not the only one affected. It’s not good for Na-hee either.”
Cha Na-hee, who played Song So-ha, also knew that Seoyeon’s screen time had been reduced. But instead of feeling happy about it, she seemed to think it was because she hadn’t done well enough.
“I’ve heard rumors that Writer Im Jin-ha is close with PD Baek.”
Park Jung-woo hesitated for a moment. It was likely that the script changes had been influenced by PD Baek. Otherwise, a rookie writer like Im Jin-ha wouldn’t have been able to make such significant alterations so easily.
“Will it change if I say something?”
Seoyeon was puzzled by Jung-woo’s words. Usually, actors had very little say in script revisions. Of course, if the actor was a major star, it might be different.
But Seoyeon wasn’t at that level. Not yet, at least.
“It’s possible. For you.” “Me?” “There’s someone high up who really likes you.”
Jung-woo knew this person well. He was someone both Seoyeon and Jung-woo were familiar with. If he spoke up, Im Jin-ha would likely revise the script without protest.
“It’s okay.” “What?”
Seoyeon shook her head.
“The key scenes haven’t been cut, so it’s fine.” “That’s true, but... hmm.”
Jung-woo crossed his arms and thought for a moment. The script had been revised up to the fourth episode.
‘Come to think of it, The Chaser releases around the fourth episode.’
Jung-woo had seen the trailer as well. The last ten seconds.
The main villain of The Chaser.
The scene where the killer, Cha Seo-ah, appeared.
Jung-woo could sense the amount of thought that had gone into those brief moments. How could the killer be revealed in the most impactful way?
And how could they draw as many viewers to the theater as possible?
‘The domestic box office has been struggling.’
To be honest, the local film industry was in a weak position. Only a few movies each year managed to break out.
With foreign blockbusters dominating theaters, it took a lot of effort to capture public interest.
‘This means the killer’s identity isn’t the main twist.’
This implied that the killer’s identity was revealed early in the movie. So it made sense to use the trailer to deliver a powerful shock.
It also meant that the killer’s role was likely very significant.
‘If the movie’s plot revolves around pursuing and tracking the killer, rather than figuring out their identity...’
And if the killer’s backstory was woven into the narrative, it meant that the role of Cha Seo-ah was even more substantial.
Naturally, this would elevate Ju Seoyeon’s status.
In many ways.
“...You.”
Jung-woo looked at Seoyeon. She seemed to be staring blankly at him, without any particular expression.
Was she really not thinking about anything? Or did she have some plan of her own?
“Hmm, yeah. This might be better.” “Huh?”
Jung-woo chuckled.
“It’ll be fun to see everyone’s reaction after the movie comes out.” “?” “And as for Dream Future’s ratings...”
He wasn’t a fan of a single actor dominating a show. But Jung-woo knew that his character, Kim Si-hwan, wasn’t particularly attention-grabbing. Even though he was the main male lead, most of his important scenes were concentrated in the latter half of the show.
The early episodes focused on Song So-ha’s perspective, with supporting characters playing a more prominent role. If Seoyeon’s screen time continued to decrease...
‘I’ll need to help Na-hee a bit more.’
That way, at least, she wouldn’t get too much flak. Jung-woo waved goodbye to the young "monster," confident that she would handle things well on her own.
[Dream Future struggles with 10% viewership] [Is the youth romance drama genre reaching its limits?]
Articles about Dream Future were gradually decreasing in number. The ones that did appear mostly discussed the declining viewership.
Although 10% was still a decent figure, the key issue was that the ratings had dropped in the second and third episodes. If the fourth episode saw another dip, the ratings might fall below 10%.
Ironically, the peak viewership had been 17%, which was quite high. And the scene in question was...
Since the show was being broadcast online simultaneously, it was easy to track where the audience reactions were coming from. The viewership spike to 17% had been due to the influx of viewers following The Chaser’s third trailer. While the effect wasn’t massive yet, it was noticeable. As soon as Seoyeon was no longer on screen, the ratings dropped sharply.
“Damn it.”
Im Jin-ha bit his lower lip as he watched the reactions. The ratings had been declining steadily, starting from the moment he revised the script. With the second and third episodes showing drops, even PD Baek was beginning to give him uneasy looks.
If the fourth episode also saw a drop...
‘The slight changes in content have created an awkward gap.’
People might criticize the show for being cheesy, but that was intentional. After all, that was the aim.
It was better to be cringeworthy than bland.
However, the overall flow had been disrupted, which was far from ideal.
But he had no intention of making further revisions. That would feel like admitting defeat.
‘The group performance scene in the fourth episode should be fine.’
A lot of effort had gone into that scene. Even Director Kim Pil-seok had said it turned out well.
Finally, the fourth episode aired.
“What are the ratings?”
Im Jin-ha quickly asked the staff, and soon heard cheers from the drama department.
‘Viewership 14%!!’
A jump of 4%!
The ratings had rebounded after a period of decline, which was an excellent sign.
It was only then that Im Jin-ha felt relieved. Only then did he finally check the live reactions that he had been too afraid to look at before.
Given the 4% increase in ratings, the live chat should have been filled with praise.
But as soon as he opened the chat...
The chat was full of bizarre comments that caught Im Jin-ha’s attention. And then it hit him.
‘The release date for The Chaser.’
It was today.
Good
tftc