American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 12 Red
Isabella admitted that she had a feeling she was going to win over Hermione Granger.

This wasn't arrogance on her part, but rather because she possessed advantages that others didn't have.

In her personal life, she truly has a family to support. Coincidentally, Rowling is not only a writer but also a mother. In terms of acting, she does have a certain talent, able to understand Maggie Smith's teachings and reproduce her requirements.

Even though she felt that her success was due to divine blessing and her targeted efforts, and that she should be able to take all the results in stride, her heart still started pounding uncontrollably when the good news actually came.

Especially when her mother hugged her and her sister bumped into her, the intense heat of excitement spread throughout her body in an instant.

There's no way around it; Harry Potter is one of the most successful IPs in film history.
To put it bluntly, if she could choose her starting point when she time-traveled, and God offered her either 50 million pounds or the role of Hermione, and she couldn't have both, she would definitely embrace Harry Potter and the little beaver without hesitation.

Although starring in the entire series wouldn't earn her fifty million, fame would open up endless possibilities.

And now...

Woohoo~
take off!

The three hugged for a while before separating. When they sat down again, each of their eyes was a little red, but that didn't stop them from happily enjoying their dinner. After dinner, they strolled around the mall for a while. Usually, when they were happy, Vivian would take her daughter on a shopping spree, but today…

Just browsing.

Money is earned and saved. Being able to increase income only shows your ability, but being able to cut costs is what makes a truly ruthless person.

Eating something nice is a way to express gratitude and celebrate, but luxury goods? There's no need to buy them.

After a long day of digestion, the three of them finally returned home at eight o'clock. Vivian told her daughters to rest early, but before Isabella could even get back to her room, her sister called her back and dragged her into the art studio.

At first, Isabella thought Catherine wanted to paint a celebratory picture for her again, but when she saw the colored beaver, the fresh and cute style and the adorable girl in the painting made her laugh.

"Oh~ Keisha~ You've already finished drawing?"

"Yeah, do you like it?"

"I like it. It looks good."

"That's fine, take it."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"This painting was originally intended for you!"

Catherine put her hands on her hips and said, "I had already decided before I even picked up the brush that this painting must be finished before you win Hermione over, and I will give it to you on the day you do, because I believe you can succeed and I wish you all the best."

"Don't underestimate this painting; it bears witness to both your choice and your beginning."

The string of words he spoke touched Isabella, but also made her feel guilty.

"Keisha, you've made me a little embarrassed."

"what happened?"

"I made you angry again this morning."

Catherine was delighted.

"Wow~ This is really rare. You know that some of your jokes are really ridiculous, right?"

"Mmm." Isabella nodded.

"Will it be like this again in the future?" Catherine asked with satisfaction.

"Mmm-hmm-hmm." Isabella nodded her head even faster.

"???"

His arrogant attitude of admitting his mistake but refusing to repent left Catherine completely bewildered.

Isabella chuckled, picked up the painting, and ran off at full speed.

"I'm off, sis! I'm going to hang it in the music room! Goodnight~ Get some rest~"

The incoherent words pulled Catherine back to reality.

She let out a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes.

The end of casting means the beginning of signing a contract, and the latter is a much longer and more complicated process than the former.

It's described as lengthy because there are so many clauses in the contract; just flipping through them would take a considerable amount of time.

The reason it's considered cumbersome is that the legal knowledge involved in the clauses is too complex, and non-professionals simply cannot handle it.

Fortunately, Vivian's father, Eric, had a long-term working relationship with a law firm. After Eric passed away, the firm handled some legal issues for Vivian according to his will. Therefore, when Vivian realized she needed legal aid, she called the firm to ask for their help.

Of course, it's paid.

When they first answered the phone, the other end of the line was indifferent. Lawyers are one of the most cold-blooded professions in Western society; anyone with a modicum of kindness couldn't survive in this circle. But when they learned that their former employer's daughter had acquired Hermione, their attitude completely changed, and they readily accepted Vivian's invitation.

That's Harry Potter!
The hottest novel in the world right now!

The movie was even produced by Time Warner!
The world's largest media group!

Under the guidance of Valentine O'Connor, the bald lawyer with a powerful hairstyle, all the details of the contract provided by Warner Bros. were presented to Isabella and her companions in plain, easy-to-understand language.

"The first issue we discussed was the number of film contracts."

Valentine O'Connor, sporting a full beard, adjusted his glasses and said, "Warner Bros. wanted to sign Isaac to a seven-film contract at a fixed price. Since the Harry Potter story was planned to be seven books, producer David Heyman aimed for seven films when the project was first greenlit."

"This offer is legally permissible and has precedents in the industry. However, from a moral standpoint, I personally feel that these terms are too exploitative. Signing seven contracts at once means that Isha has no room for negotiation in the future, so..."

"What do you think?"

Of course, we can't sign it!

This was Isabella's first reaction.

What's the difference between signing a contract for seven projects at once and child labor?

She can't accept this kind of capitalist exploitation!

Before she could even speak, Vivian asked in surprise, "Is David Hyman really that confident?"

As soon as she said it, she realized something was off, so she added another sentence.

"I'm not saying that there can't be seven Harry Potter movies, but the film industry is no different from gambling. No one can guarantee that what they do will be 100% successful, so how could David Heyman dare to plan to make seven movies at once?"

Valentine would answer this question.

He prepared his lesson.

You take someone's money and do their bidding.

The bald man smiled and said, "Mrs. Heywood, the question you asked is very simple. It's because David Heyman is not an ordinary person either. His parents are both veterans in the entertainment industry."

"His parents were both producers, and his collaborators were either Elizabeth Taylor or Richard Burton, Marlon Brando or Bob Hoskins... He never lacked resources; what he lacked was a project that could make him famous."

“And Harry Potter was the project he chose, we should all know that.”

At this point, Valentine O'Connor clapped his hands and said no more.

While J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series is indeed excellent, even the best wine needs advertising.

HP's global success is inseparable from its aggressive marketing campaign. Whether it's the praise from The New York Times, the endorsement from various celebrities, or even Spielberg's downfall, it all comes down to David Heyman.

When this guy had the ability to make the Harry Potter novels a global phenomenon, he, being an insider himself, was naturally confident in making good movies, so making seven movies in a row was on his agenda.

And this...

"Do we have room for negotiation?"

David Hyman's energy made Vivian's eyes sparkle.

It's no wonder she's being cautious; they're the ones who need HP the most right now.

"Uh... it wasn't there before, but it is now."

Valentine O'Connor flipped through the files and said, "According to our sources, the parents of Daniel Radcliffe, the first-choice actor to play Harry Potter, also do not want to sign on for seven movies."

"David Heyman couldn't handle Daniel's parents, so if he couldn't even get seven Harry Potter books, the most important character in Harry Potter, then whether Hermione could get seven books was a minor matter."

"Oh—so you can take on this negotiation?"

Vivian breathed a sigh of relief.

“Of course, Mrs. Haywood, please trust my professionalism, okay?” The bald man smiled and said, “My cooperation with Eric has always been multifaceted, including not only providing legal services but also various business exchanges.”

“Okay, next.” Vivian nodded.

She didn't believe the bald man, but rather her deceased husband.

After all, in all these years of marriage, her husband has never made her suffer.

Apart from……

That incredible leap.

The conversation continued, and the second thing everyone discussed was the film's remuneration and compensation.

Warner Bros. offered Isabella £300,000 for just "The Sorcerer's Stone." That's roughly $480,000, very close to the top $500,000 a typical leading lady in a Hollywood blockbuster these days.

That's right. In the Western entertainment industry, actresses' salaries are nowhere near those of actors.

Differences of several times, ten times, or even more than ten times are very common in the industry.

For example, Jennifer Lawrence, who starred in "First Class," only received $250,000 in salary. At that time, she was already somewhat famous and had been nominated for an Academy Award. Even after her breakout role in "The Hunger Games," her salary was only $6 million. Meanwhile, other male stars with similar achievements easily earned $150,000 plus $150,000.

A base salary of 15 million plus 15% of the box office revenue in North America.

cough.

Hollywood has been advocating for equality for so many years, yet actresses' salaries haven't even increased, let alone caught up with actors'. It's truly a dark comedy.

Therefore, HP's offer of £30 to hire Isabella already shows great sincerity.

In addition to offering a high salary, Warner Bros. will also cover all of Isabella's educational expenses during filming.

"According to Chinese law, school-age minors engaged in performance work must also have their daily education time guaranteed and must not be less than three hours, but the law does not stipulate that employers must bear this part of the expenses."

Valentine O'Connor said, "So when Warner is willing to cover tutoring expenses, whatever the purpose, it's good news. Then, our laws also stipulate that minors cannot work alone and that guardians must be present when they participate in film and television projects, but many minors' guardians have legitimate jobs."

"So, Warner Bros. also stipulated in the contract that they would provide subsidies to Isha's guardian, a one-time severance package of £50,000, and regardless of whether the guardian had a job, she would also receive £200 per day during filming as on-set wages..."

Isabella and her mother exchanged a glance.

They both saw the satisfaction in each other's eyes.

On the surface, Warner Bros.' compensation seemed very small, but in reality...

Last year, the UK's GDP per capita was only £12796.

A one-time severance package of £50,000 is already a lot! In addition, the subsidy of £200 a day, £1,000 a week for five days, and £52 weeks a year is more than four times the per capita GDP!
Even if the production crew only lasts for six months, that's still twice the amount!
This money will cover most of their current living expenses!

“I don’t have much objection to this clause.”

Vivian said, "Valentine, you know, this money is actually the most important thing to me."

"Yeah~"

The bald man understood what she meant. "Isa's salary has to be deposited into a trust account, I get it."

Although Isabella kept saying that she needed to earn money to support her family.

However, in the early stages, the money used to support her family was not actually her acting fee.

It wasn't that she was unwilling, but rather that British law stipulated it—

Once a minor earns income, the income must be deposited into a designated trust account under government supervision. The guardian can only withdraw the amount for normal living expenses, and the remaining amount will be used in a lump sum after the minor reaches adulthood.

Under normal circumstances, this percentage can only reach a maximum of 20%.

So, after she paid taxes on her 30 yuan salary, how much was left of the remaining 20%?

That's not even as much as the subsidies Warner gave Vivian!

Of course, if you really want to use more than the limit, you can withdraw the money in the trust account, but the procedures are quite complicated.

There's nothing we can do; there are still some inhuman parents in this world.

Besides the number of film contracts and salary, there are many other clauses in the contract that need to be specified separately.

For example, Warner stipulated in the contract that during the contract's term, if any brand wanted Isabella to be their spokesperson, the endorsement contract had to be submitted to Warner for review first, and Isabella could only accept it if they approved it...

Even with the bald man's summary, it still took Vivian two hours to read through her daughter's entire contract.

They singled out the content that expressed a desire for better quality and entrusted the bald man to negotiate with them.

Perhaps time is running out? Or perhaps the studio realized that some of their drafts were ridiculous. Warner Bros. revised most of the controversial clauses quite smoothly, but they insisted on a minimum of two films for the contract.

Furthermore, the salary for the next film can be variable, but the increase cannot exceed twice that of the first film.

Based on 300,000, that means the maximum amount cannot exceed 1.2 million pounds.

As for how much it will rise?

That depends on the box office performance of the first film.

If the global box office exceeds $500 million in the first month of release, it will trigger the maximum upward adjustment clause.

Although Isabella couldn't find any information about the opening month box office of "The Philosopher's Stone" in her memory, she was confident that the upward adjustment clause would be triggered, after all, it was HP. So after discussing it with her mother, they accepted Warner Bros.' revised contract.

On the 22nd, the group that reached a consensus officially signed the agreement.

Because the others were still arguing with Warner, Isabella was the only person signed today. But even so, Warner still held a signing ceremony for her, and everyone stood together and took a picture.

Judging from their expressions, everyone seemed very happy.

"Isa~ Congratulations~"

After the photo was taken, Rowling smiled and opened her arms to Isabella.

"Oh, Aunt Annie, congratulations to you too."

Without hesitation, Isabella hugged Rowling.

"Ok?"

Rowling did not understand what she meant.

Isabella smiled and said, "Congratulations on choosing me! I'm great, right?"

"hahahaha~"

Rowling laughed.

David Heyman, who overheard the conversation, also chuckled.

"Isa, although this is our first formal exchange, I believe you will bring countless laughs to the crew in the future."

"Of course~"

Isabella accepted the producer's compliment, saying, "Am I cute?"

"hahahaha~"

Everyone burst into laughter again, and at the same time, Isabella's gaze met Chris Columbus's.

To be honest, when Isabella learned that Chris Columbus and J.K. Rowling had different stances and conflicts, she didn't really know how to face this Hollywood director.

So, after their eyes met, she felt a little awkward.

But Chris Columbus wasn't as ruthless as the media had portrayed him. After nodding to Vivian, he went straight to Isabella, knelt down, and extended his right hand. "Hello, Isabella, I'm Chris."

"Hello director, I know you."

Since the other party had shown goodwill, Isabella readily extended her hand.

"you know me?"

Columbus asked curiously, "Is it because of 'Home Alone'?"

“Oh~ I’ve seen Home Alone, it’s a really good movie~ I got my inspiration from it, but…” Isabella shook her head repeatedly and said, “What impressed me the most was The Goonies, it was great.”

The Goonies is a story co-written by Chris Columbus and Steven Spielberg, directed by Richard Donner, and released in 1985, entering the top ten of the North American box office charts that year.

It tells the story of seven children who go on a treasure hunt and adventure underground.

Judging by 2025 standards, this film has some elements of a model opera.

Isabella knew about the movie because one of the children in it was Asian and his name was Kwan Kai-wai.

Yes, it's Weymond from "Instant Universe".

She watched Guan Jiwei's movies out of curiosity after he won an Oscar.

Because she saw it recently, it left a deep impression on her.

In Columbus's career, *The Goonies* was probably a relatively obscure work, considering he wrote *Goblin* and made *Home Alone*. So, when Isabella revealed the surprise…

"Thank you."

Chris Columbus grinned, his face crinkling with laughter. "You're great too. I'm really looking forward to our collaboration."

"Oh~ Me too~"

Because everyone was busy, the signing ceremony only lasted fifteen minutes. When they parted, Rowling told Isabella to rest well for the next few days, as the crew would officially start filming in September, and everyone would not be so relaxed after that.

The little girl thanked Rowling for her concern, but just as she was about to leave, Chris Columbus poked his head over and said with a smile, "Oh, Isa, I don't think you'll be able to enjoy your leisure time from now on."

"What? Why?" Isabella asked, puzzled.

The others also looked at him with puzzled expressions.

Unfortunately, Chris Columbus did not answer, but just smiled at everyone.

His deliberately mysterious behavior left everyone puzzled, but just as Isabella was wondering why Chris Columbus was giving her a riddle before leaving, she received the answer that very night.

"Oh, Isa—did you go to the Harry Potter audition?"

"You interviewed Hermione Granger, right?"

"And then you actually won her over???"

"Oh—oh—oh—this is really unexpected—"

"How come you've never mentioned something this important before?!"

8pm.

Isabella had just finished practicing the piano and was about to rest when she suddenly received a call from a classmate.

Her pig-like gasp of surprise suddenly reminded her of a hot piece of knowledge.

Harry Potter is not an obscure project.

On the British Isles, it shines like...the sun?
So, she officially signed with Warner?
Oh~~~
She'll become a sensation before the movie is even released, or even before filming begins!
(End of this chapter)