American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 34: I only made a slight move, and it was already the limit for your level.

The Caledonian Canal, a waterway spanning northern Scotland and connecting the Irish Sea and the North Sea, was begun in 1773, opened to traffic in 1822, and officially completed in 1847. In the past, it was Scotland's economic corridor, but with the development of the times and the changes in the shipping industry, it could no longer bear the heavy transportation work since World War I. After World War II, it officially withdrew from the historical stage of shipping. And now? It has become a historical site that witnesses the development of Britain, only serving as a tourist attraction.

For this reason, the locks at Fort Augustus on the shore of Loch Ness have been transformed into a tourist attraction. Sitting in a restaurant at the head of the lake, you can hear, through the glass, the endless clamor of countless craftsmen who bravely dug the canals for the development of the country two hundred years ago...

Okay, that's too artsy. Anyway, Isabella can't hear anything.

All she could feel was the lush green grass, the shimmering lake, and the vibrant, multicolored light that filled the entire town when the rare winter sunshine bathed the earth…

They have old-fashioned laminated glass, but if you replace your windows with this kind of glass, your house will shine when the sun shines in.

Of course, its sturdiness will be much worse.

Isabella ordered a cup of Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka, without sugar or milk. While waiting for the waiter to bring her food, she also turned her attention to the American 'gentleman' sitting across from her.

In fact, after meeting him, Isabella realized that his attention was always on her, and his constant probing made her feel like she was being watched by a hunter.

"Mr. Egger?"

The young girl spoke first.

“Oh, Isa, you can just call me Bob,” Robert Iger said with a smile. “It shouldn’t be a problem to call you Isa without your permission, right? Because my records show that everyone calls you Isa.”

"of course can."

The young girl didn't seem to care, shrugging and saying, "So, our meeting today wasn't an accident?"

"Would you believe me if I said I came to Scotland for tourism?"

"If that's what you insist on saying, then I can reluctantly believe you. I believe you really want to fly alone from the west coast to Scotland during the Christmas and New Year holidays in pursuit of... a pure trip?"

"Hahaha~ Okay, Isha~ You're funny... You guessed right, I did come to see you today..."

Robert Iger made no attempt to conceal his purpose.

He stated openly that his visit today was to see Isabella.

The reason for contacting her was simple: Disney had recently learned that Endeavour had a project and had approached her twice.

And it was the ambitious partner who came forward to negotiate. In the end, Isabella even "bought" the project, using her connections with Columbus.

When a project connects several 'big shots,' Disney wants to take a quick look.

If the project is good...

“We can talk about investment directly.”

Robert Iger smiled and picked up his Americano, took a small sip, and then added, "Of course, by 'direct,' I don't mean 'immediately' or 'right away.'"

"Because as far as I know, Chris will be the producer of the project?"

“Okay, no problem. As long as the project is good, I can wait for him to return from England. We can discuss the details of the collaboration. I don’t know… uh… to be frank, I think many of the terms in Hollywood are a bit… complicated for you…”

Although Isabella never revealed the inspiration for "The Voice" to the public, secrets never stay hidden forever.

When Endeavour Bros. rose to the top five in the industry in just seven years, when Chris Columbus consistently produced blockbuster commercial projects, and when Isabella's debut work was the record-breaking Harry Potter, they couldn't truly plot anything, or rather, all their plots were just self-deception.

Even so, Robert Iger's visit still seemed a bit strange to Isabella.

Because he is the COO of the Disney Group!
Currently, he is in charge of the operations of the entire Disney Group!
Furthermore, this person is incredibly capable. His first job was as a weather presenter at a local TV station. He felt he was capable enough before applying for a position at ABC, and then worked his way up from the bottom to become the head of ABC.

That's why he joined Disney's management team after Disney officially acquired ABC.

As for why Isabella knows so much about him...

Very simple.

In her previous life, Robert Iger killed Michael Eisner and was crowned king.

Then, under his leadership, Disney acquired Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm.

The person behind the picture of Mickey Mouse wearing the Infinity Gauntlet is him.

So……

He? Came? To negotiate?
To Isabella, this whole thing seemed surreal.

“Mr. Egger…”

“Isa, I told you, call me Bob.”

"Okay, Bob, you came to me just to see what projects I discussed with Endeavour?"

"Yes."

"you sure?"

"of course."

"Oh—that's really a reason..."

“Isa, I understand what you mean. You think my appearance is unbelievable? But I think it's perfectly normal. Our main focus at Disney is actually cartoon theme parks, and you… Hermione Granger is excellent, and you fit our corporate image and development direction very well. To put it bluntly, if David Heyman wasn't with Warner Bros., I think Harry Potter might not have become a Warner Bros. production. We would definitely have fought for it…”

As mentioned earlier, David Heyman's parents were both Hollywood producers.

His collaborators were either Elizabeth Taylor or Marlon Brando, which allowed David Heyman to choose any company to join as soon as he entered the industry. He then chose Warner Bros., with whom he had a closer relationship with his father.

They went straight into headquarters.

cough.

To put it mildly.

Their starting point is a ceiling that countless people can't reach.

It was precisely because he debuted through Warner Bros. that Harry Potter ended up in their hands.

Well, it's not that the other five companies didn't want to compete, but rather that they didn't even have the opportunity to make an offer.

After Aiger put his words to this point, Isabella suppressed her doubts and accepted his explanation.

There's nothing I can do if you don't accept it.

If Aiger herself doesn't want to tell the truth, then no matter how much she communicates, all she'll get in return is a polite but unfriendly attitude.

But Isabella couldn't show the script to Aiger, not because she didn't want to, but because...

Who would bring a script along when they're having fun?

Iger didn't care about that; he said he could listen to Isabella tell stories.

Because he heard that Isabella had her own modifications to the project she was interested in?

These words made Isabella realize that Livingston had probably been thoroughly infiltrated. Since that was the case, she no longer hesitated. She briefly described the type of script to Aiger, gave him a general overview of the story, and then…

With a smile, Aiger took out his business card, placed it on the table, pressed it lightly with two fingers, and pushed it to Isabella.

“Isa, I’m quite interested in the story you’re telling.”

"So, if you want to do it, just contact Disney directly."

"I can promise you here that the project investment is guaranteed to be at least ten million. Of course, if the final proposal we see is even better than your current description, okay, we can increase the investment based on the actual situation."

Although Robert Iger said he could wait in England for Chris Columbus to return, he actually didn't stay long. After listening to Isabella's idea, he politely got up to say goodbye.

Isabella curled her lip at the sight.

To be honest, she didn't take Aiger's words seriously, but...

You're walking way too fast!
So all the polite people were just treating her like a child?
However, before Isabella could even roll her eyes and question Egger's sincerity, Vivian, along with Catherine and Jessica, came over and asked her with concern if she was alright—Egger had just taken the initiative to suggest a private chat, and everyone respected his decision.

Since Jessica is Rowling's daughter, there are many things that cannot be said in front of her. So Isabella made up an excuse and vaguely skipped the topic. Vivian and Catherine understood what she meant and did not ask further. However, that night, after putting Jessica to sleep, the three of them got together again and talked about the day.

"You mean... Robert Iger came here for The Voice?"

After hearing her youngest daughter's account, Vivian also felt that something was amiss.

"Yes."

Isabella nodded.

“Oh…Isa…I think you need to talk to Director Chris about this.”

Catherine frowned slightly and suggested, "Let's talk about Warner's search as well..."

"Because I felt that their arrival was somewhat unusual."

Isabella also found the current situation very strange.

Even if Harry Potter sells well, and even if Hermione Granger is incredibly popular, Warner Bros. and Disney shouldn't be competing for her projects at the same time, right? She admits she's talented, but she's not as coveted as the Big Six, is she?

Because the situation was truly bizarre, Isabella approached Columbus on the first day back to work after the holiday. After explaining her concerns, Columbus found it all quite normal.

"Isa, there's nothing wrong with what happened to you."

"Because the internal workings of all large corporations are not peaceful."

“How can I describe all this to you? Let me put it this way... Isha, have you ever heard the saying, ‘Colleagues aren’t enemies, only colleagues will want to kill you’…”

"In Hollywood, the Big Six may seem to be constantly at odds, but the real wars only break out from within them. For example, Michael Eisner ousted Jeffrey Katzenberg in order to maintain his power."

"For example, when Rupert Murdoch was building Fox, he needed someone who was an expert in the television business to take charge of the whole thing, so he hired Barry Diller and said that the two of them would work together and share the success."

"But as Fox Television Network gradually took shape, Rupert Murdoch ruthlessly kicked Barry Diller out."

"Because that's how the world is; nobody wants to share power with others."

"And the situation you're facing now... is a result of internal strife within Warner Bros. and Disney..."

Columbus briefly recounted the problems Warner Bros. and Disney faced. After learning that neither Warner Bros. Chairman Barry Mayer nor Disney Chairman Michael Eisner were truly successful on the surface, Isabella felt relieved.

When they are driven by a desire for power, it is inevitable that they will seek out those who can help them consolidate their position.

But the next second, Isabella felt that something was wrong.

Are there internal conflicts between Warner and Disney?

hiss--

Then she can hold out for a higher price!

Her eyes lit up as she spoke her mind, and as she continued her story, Columbus smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Oh, Isa, that’s actually why I told you not to rush.”

"Because a person's value is reflected in many ways; besides their own abilities, it is also influenced by their environment..."

While Columbus didn't consider Warner Bros. and Disney's internal issues when he asked Isabella to wait, that doesn't matter, right? Because, as the saying goes, most people's salaries have nothing to do with their abilities.

As long as your job is not irreplaceable, the highest salary you receive is the minimum cost of replacing someone.

Only when your existence is extremely scarce can you receive a salary that matches or even exceeds your abilities.

For example, under normal circumstances, screenwriters for a film or television project receive a fixed income. If you think your screenplay is worth 500,000, but the production company only gives you 400,000, and you think it's okay and acceptable, then the deal is done.

But when both Warner and Disney are looking to boost their performance, wouldn't it be easier to command a higher price for someone they both want?
For example, instead of a fixed price, they want a share of the box office revenue.

Even if you can only negotiate a 1% or even 0.5% deal in the end, it's still more profitable than selling the script directly.

For example, in most cases, screenwriters cannot retain copyright in front of film studios.

In other words, all script transactions are one-off deals. Once you receive the money from the production company, the copyright belongs to the production company. After that, whether the production company modifies or resells the script, it has nothing to do with you.

The most classic example is James Cameron. Even though the person who invested in "Terminator" was his girlfriend, who later became his wife, she still took the rights when the film was being made.

There's also the "Home Alone" project.

The screenplay was written by John Hughes, but with the deal, the rights went to Fox.

Even if John Hughes felt that the project was good enough at '2', when Fox wanted to continue developing it, John Hughes could only continue writing scripts for them, and when he really didn't want to write anymore...

Okay, then let's say goodbye. I'll find someone to write it.

Of course, the above are just the norm for the vast majority; there are always exceptions in the industry.

For example, Spielberg and Lucas hold the copyrights to all their projects, including Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, and more.

The film company wants to develop it?
That requires their consent.

Universal Pictures thinks "Back to the Future" is great and wants to make more sequels?

But I think three parts are just right.

What? You guys aren't looking for a sequel anymore, you want a remake?
But I think the original is already a classic, and I don't want to remake it.

I won't agree! You'll have to suffer the consequences!

To be honest, the reason why the two old men can act so capriciously is because they are players in the industry and have special privileges.

But what about before they became famous?
Didn't Lucas negotiate for control of the Star Wars rights himself?
The two of them agreed on their shared vision for "Indiana Jones" through their own discussion!
While "The Voice" project has no potential for a sequel, owning the copyright and having someone else hold the copyright are two different things. Furthermore, Isabella has songs, and if the traditional process were followed, a standard contract would automatically transfer the song copyrights to the Big Six, even if Columbus were the producer.

But when multiple studios need the same project, wouldn't it be better to try having the best of both worlds?
When this fact came to light, Isabella's smile practically reached the back of her ears.

Any normal person will like privileges, and all hatred stems from the fact that privileges are not theirs.

But at the same time, she also felt...

"director?"

Isabella took a bite of the small dessert that Columbus had brought from Los Angeles.

Those are salted egg yolk and pork floss mini bread rolls.

Columbus brought a lot of delicious food home for everyone this time, including lava-filled croissants, macarons, pandan ice cream with cheese... all kinds of small desserts. Some of them were made by his wife during her vacation, and others were ordered from famous local shops in Los Angeles. To ensure the taste, he even arranged for a cold storage during air transport.

When choosing, Isabella immediately took a liking to the salted egg yolk.

One bite, oh~ delicious~
"what?"

At that moment, Columbus, just like Isabella, was leaning back in his director's chair, drinking coffee.

On the surface, he appears to be waiting for information about the venue, but in reality...

On the first day after the holiday, no one really wanted to work.

"Do you think Warner Bros. knows that Robert Iger has already contacted me?"

The little girl, like a hamster, asked questions while munching on a small piece of bread.

"What do you say?"

Columbus rolled his eyes.

He thought the girl was asking a pointless question, "Your security is all Warner people."

He didn't care about Columbus's disdain.

Isabella chuckled and said, "Oh, director, so tell me, when Warner Bros., which needs to boost its performance, finds out that Robert Iger has approached me, what kind of reaction will they have?"

"..."

Columbus paused.

He squinted his eyes.

Then he laughed.

He understood what Isabella meant.

Warner has already approached Isabella.

And when Warner Bros. couldn't acquire Isabella, Disney suddenly reached out?

Oh~~~~
This news is like a comet hitting the Earth!

"M-Fxxk!!!"

"Bob!!! What the hell do you mean?!"

First day back to work after the holiday.

Barry Mayer was taken aback by his subordinate's report.

When he learned that Disney's COO had actually worked overtime during the Christmas and New Year holidays, flying from Los Angeles to Scotland to discuss a collaboration with Isabella, he immediately felt like his own cabbage in his garden had been targeted by an evil little wild boar.

Nonsence!

It's not about keeping an eye on them at all!
Instead, the wicked little wild boar charged over the fence of their vegetable garden like a fierce boar, rushed up to the little boar, put its hands on its hips, spread its back, and showed off its strong muscles to the little boar.

You fucking deserve to die!!!
This action infuriated Barry Mayer so much that he immediately dialed Robert Iger's number.

She angrily questioned him about what he wanted to do.

Yes, these two have known each other for many years.

Barry Mayer's rise to power began with WarnerMedia's television network, and even in the mid-90s, when he became Warner's chief operating officer, the network remained his personal fiefdom.
Needless to say, even if Robert Iger joined Disney, he wouldn't dare give up ABC.

When they came from similar backgrounds, during the years when Disney and Warner Bros. still collaborated, they communicated more frequently than they did with their colleagues within the company.

So when Barry Mayer roared, Robert Iger, who knew his temper, wasn't surprised at all.

Not only that, he even laughed and said, "Oh Barry, I don't understand what you mean."

"Heavy gift crab! Bob! Don't play dumb with me! Why are you trying to steal our Warner project? Huh???"

"Barry, please forgive me, but I need to correct a mistake in your words."

Iger leaned back in his executive chair, tapping the table with his index finger as he said, “First of all, I didn’t steal any projects from Warner. I just went to Scotland for a few days during Christmas and happened to run into Isabella Heywood, Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, the adorable little beaver, and that’s how we chatted.”

"Secondly, it seems that the project Isabella is currently handling was provided by Endeavour, right? And then she bought the project? How did this project become Warner's property before she even officially accepted investment?"

"Thirdly, I want to say that we live in a democratic society where everyone is free. Isabella can work with Warner Bros. today, so why can't she work with Disney tomorrow? Besides, as far as I know, you didn't sign a seven-film contract with her at once, right? Given the current filming progress of 'The Chamber of Secrets,' she'll be free of those shackles by summer, you know?"

Finally, I want to remind you.

"Chris Columbus will not be making Azkaban."

"It seems David Heyman is saying that twelve months is too rushed for a film? He wants to extend the production time to eighteen months?"

"And then, it seems J.K. Rowling hasn't signed a development contract with you for the subsequent projects yet?"

"M-Fxxk!!!"

Before Robert Iger could finish speaking, Barry Mayer's roar erupted from the ground—

"Bob!!! I urge you to be kind!!!"

"Hahahaha~~~"

Iger ignored Barry Mayer and hung up the phone immediately.

Yes~~
Robert Iger deliberately sought out Isabella during Christmas.

The reason has been explained: Disney is short of projects, so he wants to acquire them—it's that simple.

Furthermore, he currently has complete self-confidence.

Because Warner is currently in complete chaos.

Putting aside everything else, just considering HP, which they absolutely must preserve, Warner Bros. is currently facing three huge problems—

1. All the main creators' contracts have expired, and all collaborations need to be renegotiated.

Since the director decided not to renew the contract, they had to find a new director.

2. Back then, J.K. Rowling only sold the film adaptation rights to two movies to Warner Bros., so it was only natural to expand the collaboration after "The Chamber of Secrets" was completed, right?

Otherwise, how would Warner Bros. film the later parts?
If Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling had maintained a good working relationship, then renewing the contract would have been an easy and pleasant matter. However, during the development of the first two films, Warner Bros. sided with Spielberg, but it was J.K. Rowling who ultimately won...

Aren't you embarrassed, bro?
3. David Heyman was so busy he was practically shitting his pants.

As a producer, even though his workload was the 'least' in the group, he felt that Warner Bros.' twelve-month production cycle for one film was too tight and wanted to extend the production time to eighteen months per film.

But when Warner Bros., or rather Barry Mayer, faced performance pressure...

hee hee~
'Let Disney take Barry Isabella's new project.'

'Go ahead and do your HP stuff~ We'll enjoy Hermione's bonus first~'

We're all brothers~ No need to be so polite with me~

Robert Iger's sly, opportunistic face almost made Barry Mayer vomit!
After discovering that Robert Iger was serious, he immediately called Nathan Bailey in to inquire about the progress of his work. Upon learning that the script had been read and was indeed good, but that Isabella's mother didn't want her daughter to be so busy...

"I don't want her to have what she wants! I want what I want!"

"I want this project! I want Hermione Granger! So! Sign it! Okay?"

Barry Mayer slammed his fist on the table.

To be honest, it's no longer a project issue, it's a matter of saving face.

If Robert Iger really does abduct Isabella, then Barry Mayer will have completely lost face!
Even if Isabella continues filming HP!

His bloodshot eyes and heavy breathing...

This made Nathan Bailey feel like his life was so miserable.

But there was nothing he could do; the boss had given the order, so he had to go back to England... Wait, why did he use the word "go back"?

His home is clearly in Los Angeles!

Thinking that Isabella was unlikely to sign him, Nathan Bailey prepared himself for a long stay in the UK.

Even if I can't sign you, I can still stay by your side, right?
Even if you don't achieve anything great by doing this, you've still put in the effort, right?

The truth is...

is also like this.

When Nathan Bailey visited Livingston a second time, even though he met Isabella this time, Isabella showed no interest in signing him, so he had no choice but to stay in Livingston.

Uh……

Some people may wonder why Warner Bros. didn't negotiate contract renewals with Daniel Bryan and Robert Downey Jr. at the same time.

It's quite simple. Daniel Bryan is on the producer's side, so he'll definitely be there when David Heyman wants to film Harry Potter. As for Robert, he doesn't need to worry either, because his parents have a legitimate business. Even if they've had their fill of playing around, they can still get through some connections and be persuaded to continue.

Isabella is the only bug!

Her family no longer had a legitimate business, and she was Rowling's woman, and... she was very valuable.

People who are unrestrained and difficult to replace are the most difficult to manage.

While Nathan Bailey kept a close eye on Isabella, Barry Mayer also began formal negotiations with various parties.

He wants the rights to continue developing HP! He wants David Heyman to keep making movies! He wants to hold onto his position!

As these messages gradually reached Robert Iger's ears...

He was practically dying of laughter.

He only made a slight move, and his former partner, now a competitor, was scrambling to keep up.
Oh--

Barry Mayer, you're still a bit of a noob.
Just when Robert Iger felt that his move had been a great success...

Awards season 2002 has arrived.

(End of this chapter)