Life is Easier If You're Handsome novel Chapter 199

A Studio in the United States.

"No, no, no! I don’t like any of them! Not a single one of these guys is cutting it!"

"We’ve already locked in the casting and schedules for the female lead, though."

Disney’s next big project after Beauty and the Beast—

a live-action Tarzan—

had been in development since early last year.

Set construction was already underway.

But, as with all things in Hollywood,

a sudden shake-up had thrown everything off course.

The project had been handed to a new producer.

And in the U.S.,

a producer’s power is absolute.

A single decision could derail everything.

And that was exactly what had happened with Tarzan.

While the initial planning phase had gone smoothly,

the new producer had slammed the brakes on casting.

"Why are we even considering an actual British actor? We just need someone with British ancestry. Evelyn Quinn Ember is right there—why are we looking elsewhere?"

"We still need to hold auditions, sir."

"Exactly! That’s my point! We’re doing auditions all over again."

The man behind this chaos?

Berilard Ice.

A perfectionist.

A tyrant.

A control freak.

He was rude, arrogant, and insufferable.

A guy who,

if a cashier asked, “Would you like a bag?”

would snap back, “Oh, so I’m supposed to just carry all this in my hands?”

A guy who,

if a waiter asked, “How many in your party?”

would sneer, “Do I look like I’m with anyone?”

And yet—

Despite his awful personality,

his movies made money.

And that was all that mattered.

Which meant no one could argue with him.

"Tarzan can’t just be handsome," he scoffed,

"He has to be stupidly, insanely, unfairly handsome!"

Live-action Tarzan.

It sounded good on paper.

But Berilard Ice’s face twisted into a scowl.

"This character is basically shirtless the entire time—just a loincloth and some muscles! So what’s the most important thing, huh?"

"Uh... the courage to withstand public humiliation?"

"Wrong! Absolutely wrong! God, you’re all useless!"

He clicked his tongue in irritation.

Then, raising his voice so that everyone could hear—

"Looks! It’s all about looks! Tarzan and Jane’s love story only works because *Jane saw him and immediately knew—this is a man.”

"That primal masculinity has to come from an overwhelming physical presence!"

"A wild, untamed force, yet still sculpted to perfection—like an ancient Greek statue come to life!"

"Otherwise, tell me—why the hell would a well-bred British woman choose to honeymoon in a damn jungle?"

...Well.

The guy wasn’t wrong.

But was that really enough of a reason to scrap the entire lead role and restart casting?

An entirely new audition process?

That was insane.

Sure, the female lead had already been shortlisted.

But the male lead?

That was where things got ugly.

Because whoever got cast had to meet Berilard’s impossible standards.

And—

‘Wait... doesn’t he need to be able to sing, too?’

The casting team shared a collective look of horror.

Just how much more hell was this going to be?

***

"Kim Donghu Wins Grand Prize! ‘I Will Keep Reaching Higher!’"

"Even in 2018, Still Only 22—How Far Will Kim Donghu Go?"

"With the Asian Games Wrapped Up, His Athletic Prowess is Undeniable!"

"How Much Higher Can He Climb? Public Curiosity About Kim Donghu’s Future Peaks!"

"Every Project a Smash Hit! South Korea is in the Grip of the Kim Donghu Phenomenon!"

"In March, a Quick International Release? True Hero Expands Worldwide!"

"Post-Awards Ceremony Photo Goes Viral: ‘Hand-in-Hand with a Drama Co-Star,’ Netizens Shocked!"

Kim Donghu’s popularity showed no signs of slowing down.

There was no way to measure his peak—because he just kept rising.

"W-Wait... You're saying Kim Donghu agreed to do it?"

"Yes, he said he'd do it without hesitation. He really liked the script."

"...You mean for the Netflix short?"

Netflix content production team leader Park Ji-yi blinked in disbelief.

"Honestly, I thought it wouldn’t happen."

"Same here."

"What?"

"Donghu is extremely meticulous when choosing scripts... If he isn’t completely convinced, he just won’t do it."

"Ahh..."

But there was something else that Park Ji-yi found even harder to believe.

Why is Director Lee Seong-deok speaking so deferentially?

19.56 million.

That was the final box office figure for True Hero.

It was the result of Lee Seong-deok’s very first film.

Normally, a director who achieved that level of success would develop a certain level of arrogance.

Ironically, Lee Seong-deok showed none of that.

No—more accurately, whenever Kim Donghu was mentioned, he practically shrank.

It was as if he was deliberately lowering himself.