….
I Want to Eat Your Pancreas.
…..
April 15, 2015 | LIE Studios | 3:47 PM
The room had been occupied for the past two hours - Regal, Gwendolyn, Samantha, Simon, Darren, and Rock, all gathered around the table with bound scripts in front of them.
The atmosphere had started optimistic, even excited.
Now it felt like someone had died.
Gwendolyn stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor with a sound that made everyone flinch.
Her eyes were red, wet, and she clutched the script in both hands like she wanted to throw it but couldn't quite bring herself to let go.
"How could you be so cruel, Regal!"
The accusation came between sobs, muffled against his chest.
Gwendolyn was practically strangling him with how tightly she was holding on, her face buried in his shirt, tears soaking through the fabric.
Her whole body shook with the force of her sobs that came from somewhere deep and real.
Gwendolyn managed between gasps. "This is just so sad..."
Another sob.
"When did you become so heartless!"
"I am leaving. Don't try to contact me about this topic anymore." she said, voice tight with emotion. "It has nothing to do with me."
She walked toward the door, movements stiff and deliberate, like she was holding herself together through sheer force of will.
Regal stood as well. "Gwen—"
"I am serious, Regal." She didn't turn around. "I can't - I don't want to talk about this right now."
The door closed behind her with a soft click that somehow felt louder than a slam.
Silence settled over the room.
Samantha was the first to speak, her voice carefully neutral. "I think this is the first time you two have had such a major fight."
"There's no need to think about it." Darren said, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his face. "It is. And actually, I don't blame Gwen either."
Regal turned to stare at him. "Not you too, Darren."
"What? I am just saying—"
Whatever Darren was about to say was drowned out by a muffled sound that had been running in the background for the past ten minutes, which everyone had been politely trying to ignore.
Simon sat with his face buried in his arms on the table, shoulders shaking, making sounds that were somewhere between sobbing and hiccupping.
Occasionally a few words would emerge - something like 'why would you' and 'so unfair' and 'I can't believe' - but mostly it was just incoherent weeping.
The last time Simon had cried like this was after reading [The Hangover] script, but those had been happy tears, laughter mixed with emotion at the absurd brilliance of it.
This was different.
This was the kind of crying that came from somewhere deep and wounded, the kind that made grown men look like children who'd had their favorite toy taken away.
And in the back of the room, Rock stood tall as always, posture perfect, expression neutral and stoic.
Except for the tears running down his face.
Silent, steady, completely at odds with his usual impassive demeanor.
"I—I don't know people could cry like that." Darren said, staring at Simon's hunched form. "No, forget people. I didn't know anything could make Rock cry."
Regal looked back over his shoulder. He hadn't noticed Rock crying because he'd been too focused on Gwendolyn's outburst and Simon's theatrical breakdown. But now that he actually looked—
Yeah. Rock was definitely crying.
Tears tracked down his face in straight lines, catching light from the overhead fluorescents. He didn't make a sound. Didn't move to wipe them away. Just stood there like a statue that had somehow learned grief.
Regal's shoulders slumped slightly.
"I already told you." he said, more to himself than anyone else. "Rock is actually all muscles and not much of a thinker, very sensitive and emotional guy under all that-"
He gestured vaguely at Rock's imposing frame, trying to convince himself this was normal, expected, not at all concerning.
Samantha reached for a tissue from the box on the table, dabbing at her eyes with movements she probably thought were subtle.
Darren did the same a moment later, turning slightly away like that would hide the fact that he was also affected.
Regal sat back down heavily, staring at the script still open in front of him.
And then he remembered his first experience watching this film in his past life.
The theater had been packed - a random Tuesday evening, mostly young adults and couples. He had gone alone, drawn by word-of-mouth recommendations and critical praise, expecting something sad but beautiful.
What he'd gotten was devastation.
By the final scene, the entire theater had been crying.
Not quiet, dignified tears. Actual sobbing. The kind where you could hear people trying to muffle it and failing completely.
He'd left feeling emotionally wrecked, like someone had reached into his chest and rearranged everything inside.
And now he was planning to do that to millions of people.
Yeah. This movie was going to leave a lot of people in tears in theaters.
….
Earlier that Day | 1:30 PM
It had started simply enough.
Regal had called everyone - the people whose opinions he trusted most, who understood his work well enough to give honest feedback without filter.
"I have decided on my next directing project." he had announced once everyone was settled.
Immediate interest. They had been waiting for this - wondering what Regal would choose to follow up Superman, what could possibly follow a film that had redefined the superhero genre.
"It's a love story." Regal continued.
Gwendolyn had actually gasped, a smile breaking across her face. "Finally! You're finally doing a romance!"
"About time." Samantha had added. "Your action films are excellent, but I have been saying for years you should try something more character-driven."
Simon had looked intrigued. Darren had raised an eyebrow but seemed interested.
Even Rock had shifted slightly, which for him was the equivalent of enthusiastic anticipation.
"What's it called?" Gwendolyn asked, leaning forward.
Regal had paused, knowing the title would throw them.
"I Want to Eat Your Pancreas."
Complete silence.
Darren blinked. "I am sorry, what?"
"I Want to Eat Your Pancreas." Regal repeated calmly.
"That's-" Gwendolyn started, then stopped. "That's the actual title? Not a working title?"
"That's the title."
"It sounds like a horror film." Simon said. "Or a really weird medical drama."
"It's neither." Regal assured them. "You will understand the reason behind the title within the first five minutes of the story. Don't judge a book by its cover."
He had distributed the scripts then, bound copies with the full title printed on crisp white covers.
"This is also going to be one of my lowest-budget films." Regal explained as they examined the scripts. "Nowhere near [Following] micro-budget, but compared to the superhero films - this is nothing. I am estimating around eight to twelve million total."
That got their attention for a different reason.
"Eight million?" Samantha asked. "For a theatrical release?"
"It's a character piece. Two leads, minimal locations, no special effects beyond basic post-production. The story relies heavily on performance, visual storytelling, and music." Regal leaned back in his chair. "I am planning to hire new actors - unknowns or relatively unknown. People who can disappear into the roles without bringing baggage from previous work."
"And you're directing this yourself?" Gwendolyn asked, already opening to the first page.
"Yes. I want to try something different. After coordinating massive productions with hundreds of people, I want to work on something smaller, more personal."
He had watched them begin reading, seeing their expressions shift from curiosity to engagement as the story unfolded.
….
The title page was visible:
[I WANT TO EAT YOUR PANCREAS]
–Written by Regal Seraphsail–
Regal had been thinking about this project for months.
Starting from [Spider-Man] to [Superman], making the MDCU into something massive and unwieldy that required constant supervision - he had wanted something different that didn't require coordinating fifty VFX artists and managing franchise continuity.
He had considered several options. Small character studies, intimate dramas, and various romance scripts that all felt too conventional, too safe.
Then he had remembered–
I Want to Eat Your Pancreas.
The Japanese animated film had gutted him when he had first watched it - a deceptively simple story about a high school boy who discovers his classmate is dying, and the strange, profound friendship that develops between them.
It wasn't a typical romance.
And it was absolutely devastating.
However it was done in 2D animation in his past life, and his decision to adapt it had been surprisingly easy.
First he used one the [Search Token] he had with him lying around for a while and he still has around [Search Token] x4, [Title Token] x2.
The story was universal enough to translate across cultures without losing its core. The themes - mortality, connection, the masks people wore, the courage it took to truly live - those worked anywhere.
The story was deceptively simple:
A high school boy discovers his classmate is dying from a terminal pancreatic disease. And against both their natures, they form an unlikely friendship that transforms both of them before her inevitable death.
But the execution - that's where it became something more.
Absolutely destroyed him emotionally in ways he hadn't anticipated. And he knew immediately it would work in any cultural context because the themes were universal: mortality, connection, the masks people wore, the courage required to truly live rather than just exist.
For the American adaptation, he had kept everything essential.
The structure, character dynamics and emotional beats.
The ending - especially the ending - remained exactly the same.
What changed were the cultural specifics.
The setting: an American high school in a mid-sized city, somewhere that felt real without being identifiable.
Haruki became Elliot.
–whcih means 'the Lord is my God.' Which fits someone who is emotionally isolated, searching for meaning without realizing it.
However, he kept Sakura's name unchanged, as it works in English, and there's a symbolic resonance to cherry blossoms that stayed in the script.
….
.
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
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