Chapter 7 A Penny Can Stump a Hero
“Oh, Susie, I’m so sorry. I admit, Chris Columbus and I already had friction before I invited you, but I never expected things to escalate to this point…
I never intentionally involved you in a dispute that had nothing to do with you. Everything that’s happened is an accident.”
Six hours earlier.
At 12:30 PM, in a private restaurant on Park Lane, London.
Susie Figgis and J.K. Rowling sat opposite each other in a private booth.
Today was Susie’s first day after officially resigning. Rowling wanted to host a farewell meal for her, and also thank her for her help over the past few months. When she extended the invitation, she had expected it to be a sad farewell, but once it began, she found she couldn’t control her urge to criticize Warner and the director.
“Susie, you know, this is my first time dealing with Hollywood. Before this, I had no idea how shameless those big companies could be. Yes, Warner promised me an all-British cast for Harry Potter, but even if they put that promise into a clause in the contract, they didn’t take it seriously and tried to force me to give it all up.”
“Do you know? Before I even received the project launch notice from Warner, Chris Columbus had already started casting for Harry Potter in the United States. I even found out the people in charge: one is Janet Hirshenson, and the other is Jane Jenkins. You should be very familiar with these two, right? They are both part of the Jewish mob!”
“A few days ago, when I heard this news, I almost went crazy!”
“Warner has never respected me! They only have Spielberg in their eyes! Chris Columbus has never taken my words to heart either; he just wants to snatch my child and then promote his own people!!”
When she first started speaking, Rowling’s emotions were still stable.
But as she continued, her voice involuntarily rose.
If she didn’t know the current area was a public place, Susie believed that screaming might have been her true inclination.
“Oh, Anne, it’s not too late to know all of this now, because things haven’t gotten to an irreversible point.”
Susie comforted her, “You might not be able to change the director, but when it comes to casting, you can still do what you want to do, or rather, it’s precisely because of your persistence that Warner is now surrendering, isn’t it?”
The preparation for the Harry Potter film adaptation was actually a huge battleground, with conflicts in other areas besides the actors.
Take the director, for example. Neither Spielberg nor his protégé, Columbus, were Rowling’s preferred choices. The director she most wanted to invite was an Anglo-American named Terry Gilliam.
His Representative works include “Brazil” and “12 Monkeys.”
Because Gilliam’s commercial success was not as good as Spielberg’s—uh… that’s actually nonsense, the only person in the global film industry who can rival Spielberg commercially is Cameron from Canada—Rowling’s idea was immediately shot down by Warner. And after they enthusiastically embraced Spielberg, the most common Hollywood package deal appeared.
If you think my skills are good, my reputation is high, and you want me to carry the box office, then you have to accept everything about me.
Otherwise, if the project fails, we will not be held responsible.
In this situation, kicking out the novel’s author was the best option.
In the past, Hollywood had always done it this way.
But no one expected, no one expected, that J.K. Rowling would be a tough nut to crack.
“You’re right, the director can no longer be changed, so I cannot compromise even more on casting.”
Rowling nodded, “Susie, even though you’re gone, all future casting work will only continue based on your achievements. I will fight Chris Columbus and them to the very end!”
Susie was somewhat moved.
She understood that Rowling was doing this to tell everyone in the industry that Susie had not been idle on the Harry Potter project. Although Warner was in an internal struggle, Susie had still worked under pressure.
In the eyes of outsiders, such proof might be insignificant, but in the clearly divided film industry, such proof is very necessary.
The European and American film industry is producer-centric. Casting directors are usually the producer’s people. If they cannot withstand the director’s pressure and cannot cast according to the hirer’s wishes, then in the eyes of industry insiders, they are unusable.
But while grateful, Susie also became serious.
“Anne, thank you for your trust, but there’s one thing I want to remind you. The previous results can only serve as a reference; they cannot be the basis for the final selection. I hope you understand what I mean?”
“Yeah, are you reminding me to be cautious before making decisions? I will be.”
Rowling nodded, “Harry Potter is my child; I won’t deal with it carelessly.”
“Oh, your understanding is correct, but I have something else to say.”
“What?”
This time, Rowling truly couldn't guess Susie’s intention.
Susie then opened her shoulder bag, took out a file bag and a DV, and pushed them across.
“I’m talking about Hermione Granger.”
“All previous candidates can be passed, because I think I’ve found her, the real her.”
Although the conflict between Columbus and Rowling had stalled the film’s casting work, Susie and her team weren’t idly sitting by. After months of screening, many potential actors for the trio had already been discovered.
For Hermione, for example, there were currently two suitable actresses: one was Catherine Bryan, a regular on the stage group at a London performing arts school, and the other was a professional actress, Hatty Jones, the lead in the 1998 film “Madeline.”
Before today, Susie thought they were both good, especially Hatty Jones. Susie believed she had a high chance of making it to the final selection.
But, after today…
“Wow~ Is this the new child you found? Her performance is so much better than the previous ones!”
Taking the DV and quickly flipping through it, Isabella’s appearance made Rowling’s eyes light up.
In Rowling’s eyes, the worldview in the DV, which surpassed that of her peers, was Miss Know-It-All’s most prominent characteristic, and her confident demeanor during the audition perfectly showcased Xiao Hai Li’s traits.
The sudden rise in her voice made Susie smile and nod, “Anne, I knew you’d love her.”
“She was the child who auditioned this morning. I was just about to leave the set, and then she got off the shuttle bus. The first moment I saw her, I was captivated. She was like an angel; it was truly my luck to meet her…”
Susie briefly explained the situation.
Upon learning that the little girl had secretly run off to Leavesden without her family’s knowledge, Rowling burst out laughing.
“Oh~ Doesn’t this feel like Miss Granger running away from home to study at Hogwarts?”
“Yeah~ Yeah~ Yeah~ That’s exactly what I wanted to say~”
Susie laughed and clapped her hands.
Casting in the film and television industry is really about chemistry.
If I look at you and think you’re good, then you get a chance to show what you can do.
Conversely, I can only say goodbye to you.
Opening the file, Rowling was immediately captivated by Isabella, and the more she read, the stronger her joy grew. But as she continued reading, she frowned again, “Susie, although this girl is excellent, don’t you think she’s not suitable to play Hermione?”
“Because she’s too beautiful, and not like the Hermione you wrote, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Oh, Anne, I don’t think that problem is important.”
“Why?”
Rowling pressed the pause button, looked up, and gazed at her friend in confusion.
Susie said seriously, “Because literature and film are two different things. The reason adapting a novel for the screen is called an adaptation is because excellent ideas in literature aren’t necessarily golden ideas in the film industry, right?”
“When you want to turn a novel into a film, what you do must meet the standards of the film industry.”
“And in this Harry Potter project, I think the appearance of the main characters is very important.”
“Because Harry Potter is a commercial film.”
Although Susie was on Rowling’s side, as a true insider, she knew that when producing an adapted film based on an original work, the original author’s opinion could be considered, but not entirely followed.
After all, they aren't insiders, and they don't fully understand the taboos of the industry.
Take "Harry Potter" for example; everyone positions it as a commercial film. What are the production guidelines for commercial films? Isn't it that beauty is justice! This doesn't mean everyone has to be good-looking, but the main cast must be good-looking.
To put it bluntly, if you insist on having a black mermaid, a black Snow White...
Then the silent majority will vote with their feet.
Susie's words made J.K. Rowling's eyes flicker.
After a long gaze, Susie, understanding her concerns, continued:
"Annie, I know what you're thinking. You're worried that your concessions will make Warner think you're easy to bully, and they'll gradually erode your influence in the project, eventually turning the Harry Potter films into their own vision."
"Regarding this, I want to say your concerns are valid."
"Hollywood giants have never done anything decent. Take Chris Columbus, with whom you have a conflict. Aren't they trying to promote Haley Joel Osment? And what is Haley Joel Osment's breakout role? It's 'Forrest Gump'! 'Forrest Gump' did win an Oscar, but we all know that movie and the novel are not just different, they're completely unrelated."
"To show his political correctness, Robert Zemeckis adapted 'Forrest Gump' beyond recognition, which made the original author curse him out. Therefore, your refusal to compromise, in my opinion, is not a problem."
"However, your confrontation with Warner, in my opinion, can be a bit more gentle."
"The most crucial reason Warner chose Spielberg over you is that no one understands business better than Spielberg. If your way of vying for project control is to emphasize respecting the original work to Warner, then your relationship will only become more strained."
"But what if you change your approach? Proactively demonstrate your understanding of the film industry and your commercial talent to Warner. Then, even if Warner thinks Spielberg is better than you, they won't be able to find fault with your commercial proposals, right?"
"At that time, no one will be able to snatch your Harry Potter away."
Susie winked at J.K. Rowling.
Having been in Hollywood for thirty years, she had long figured out the root of the conflict between J.K. Rowling and Warner.
When Warner invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Harry Potter, they couldn't accept the project's failure.
At this point, J.K. Rowling's insistence on the original work was the most annoying thing for Warner.
Of course, neither J.K. Rowling nor Warner were actually wrong, because they stood from different perspectives, and their positions were naturally different.
In this situation, to ensure Harry Potter moves forward smoothly, both sides must seek common ground while reserving differences...
"Susie, thank you."
"Hmm?"
"I understand what you mean. You want me to proactively make commercial choices in casting, to tell Warner that my desire to control the project is simply to make the project better, and I have no intention of messing up Harry Potter."
"Yeah ~ So?"
"Oh ~ Susie ~ I actually wanted to do this from the beginning, which is why I invited you, but Warner, they..."
"Their behavior was too disgusting?"
"Uh huh ~"
"I understand. Warner is indeed arrogant, but they've already taken the first step to resolve things, haven't they? They've already released a statement saying they hope the film can start shooting before October. So, at this time... how about a response?"
"Hmm."
J.K. Rowling was persuaded.
Or rather, she also didn't want the movie version of Harry Potter to turn into a bad film under Warner's meddling.
Press play again, continue watching, and the one-hour video was quickly finished.
Taking a deep breath, J.K. Rowling pondered for a moment, then said, "Very good, I'd like to meet her. When is convenient?"
"How about we invite her to dinner tonight?"
"What?" J.K. Rowling was a bit surprised, "You've already arranged all this?"
Susie smiled mysteriously, "'Bad kids' who like to sneak off always need special attention. Because no one knows if they'll give us a big surprise the next second."
"After the audition, I had Director Jesse send her home, and while he was at it, check her family's information and invite her parents for afternoon tea."
"If nothing unexpected happens..." Susie glanced at her watch, "Director Jesse should have contacted her parents by now..."
Isabella could sneak off to audition, but no entertainment company would dare openly employ a minor.
So, Isabella's attempt at deception was directly thwarted by Susie and her team's legal awareness, leaving her nowhere to hide.
At 2 PM, Vivian had just come out of a West End theater when she noticed a missed call on her phone.
She dialed back, and half an hour later, she met Director Jesse in a cafe in the West End.
After several hours of conversation, around 4:30 PM, the two parted ways.
Back in her car, Vivian leaned back in her seat, full of emotion, and pondered for a while. It wasn't until 5 PM that she started the car and drove home.
Then, at 6:30 PM.
Vivian, having tidied herself up, took her daughters to J Sheekey restaurant at 35 St Martin's Lane in Covent Garden.
This is one of London's oldest restaurants; the waiters are dressed like the old British staff in 'Downton Abbey'.
Upon giving her name to the grey-haired, top-hatted doorman, he immediately led the three to a private room on the second floor. After stating their identities and hearing 'come in,' the door opened, and a strong British ambiance enveloped them.
The floor inside was covered with thick red carpets, the walls were paneled with dark wooden boards, and pure solid wood round tables were covered with pristine custom tablecloths. The three figures by the table were all familiar faces.
J.K. Rowling was naturally seated at the head of the table, with Susie and Director Jesse on either side.
By convention, they should have greeted J.K. Rowling first, but Isabella didn't follow these courtesies. Looking at Director Jesse, she said, "So, Director Jesse, the blessing you gave me at noon, wishing me a happy callback invitation, meant you'd call my mom?"
"Hahahahaha ~" Everyone burst into laughter.
As he stood up to welcome them, Director Jesse spread his hands and said, "Isa, discussing work directly with a minor is illegal."
Isabella sighed; she knew he was right.
Her helpless expression made Susie raise an eyebrow.
"My dear, what's with that expression? Did our actions cause you a lot of trouble?"
As she spoke, she extended her hand to Vivian, and after exchanging greetings, she winked at Isa.
"I don't think so, right? Look at your mom; isn't she being very nice to you?"
These words made Isabella turn her head to look at her mother, who was now smiling at her.
As Susie said, they hadn't caused Isabella any trouble, because Vivian hadn't scolded her.
When Vivian received Director Jesse's call, she was also very surprised.
But after meeting him, Vivian quickly accepted Isabella's 'audacity'.
There were three reasons:
First, Isabella's audition process was very smooth.
So smooth that Vivian thought she was born for this profession.
Second, Director Jesse told her about the crew's preparations: all filming would take place only in the UK, not in other locations, and once the project officially started filming, J.K. Rowling, as executive producer, would be on set.
This explicit statement meant that the dirty dealings of Hollywood and old Europe wouldn't affect them.
Third, the family genuinely needed money.
A single penny can stump a hero.
Note: ① Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins were both casting directors for 'home alone'. Additionally, they handled casting for 'When Harry Met Sally', 'jurassic park', and 'The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'. They are associated with Amblin, DreamWorks, and Lucasfilm in Hollywood, and are also Steven Spielberg's people. ② Catherine Bryan is the British singer Katy B; she was also a candidate for Hermione Granger back then.