London.
A hotel.
7 PM.
Kyle, Bill McNichol, and a group of 15 others enjoyed a sumptuous dinner hosted by Cindy, the head of ITV's variety department.
The dinner mainly consisted of French and Turkish cuisine. As for local British dishes, haha, British dark cuisine is world-renowned for being incredibly unpalatable.
"Cindy, we've really troubled you and ITV this time." Kyle raised his glass and toasted Cindy.
"It's no trouble at all."
Cindy drained her glass, then waved her hand and smiled, "'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' was written by a fellow Brit, Ms. Rowling. Although the book was first published in America, it's incredibly popular across the British Isles right now. I hear even many in the Royal Family love reading Harry Potter.
Moreover, ITV assisting your company, Page Entertainment, with the 'Harry Potter' casting process will also bring many benefits to the overall brand operation of ITV."
Kyle nodded.
ITV assisting Page Entertainment with the casting was indeed a win-win situation.
"Oh, right, this is the plan my team has recently refined. Take a look and see if there are any conflicts with your plans?" Cindy pulled out a stack of proposals from her briefcase.
However, Kyle didn't even look at it and handed it directly to Old Bill, who was beside him.
"Old man, don't just focus on eating. Don't forget, you're the president of Page Entertainment," Kyle nudged Old Bill with his arm.
Immediately, Old Bill said grumpily, "Relax, me? Are you still not at ease?"
Indeed!
Old Bill's decades of work experience would allow him to easily complete the casting work... The next morning.
Kyle led his team to the ITV headquarters.
They held a meeting with the TV station's senior executives to finalize the casting details for "Harry Potter." After all, Old Bill had maintained long-term contact with ITV's senior executives before Kyle and his team arrived in London.
In the afternoon… ITV's variety channel, Drama Channel 1, Drama Channel 2, Movie Channel 1, Movie Channel 2, Shopping Channel, Children's Channel, International Channel… Starting from the afternoon, ITV's 17 channels, at different times and in different programs, released the news about the "Harry Potter" casting.
In just half a day, the news exploded across the entire British Isles!
The Sun immediately published an article stating: "'Harry Potter' was born in Britain, and the actors are also chosen in Britain. We have to say, Mr. Page did a brilliant job!"
The Mirror followed closely: "An opportunity for young actors has arrived! Who will be lucky enough to become the Golden Trio of Hogwarts? Let's wait and see!"
UT Weekly published an article stating: "As of early March, the book 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' has already sold 980,000 copies in the UK, second only to North America's 1.25 million copies. Given that the total population of the British Isles is far smaller than that of North America, we can't help but marvel at the charm of 'Harry Potter.' Now that the movie is about to cast, this is undoubtedly a grand event."
Many media outlets across the British Isles published articles in their morning papers the next day.
And the many people who bought newspapers were also incredibly excited, especially the fans of "Harry Potter."
"This is great!"
"I want to participate in the casting!"
"William, come on. You're 13 this year. Didn't you see the age requirements for casting in the newspaper? The age must be between 8 and 12 years old. Anyone outside that age range will not have a chance to participate in the main roles."
"Oh no~!"
...Oxfordshire, UK.
A 9-year-old girl, upon seeing the casting news on TV, immediately jumped up in excitement.
"Is it real or fake?!"
"Oh my goodness!"
"'Harry Potter' is about to start filming, and the main actors in the show are all going to be chosen from the British Isles. This is an opportunity to become famous overnight!"
Don't doubt it.
Girls in the British Isles tend to mature earlier than boys, especially those aspiring to develop in film and television. They often become flat models early on, and it's common for them to mingle in various film crews, truly little veterans of the industry.
"Emma Watson, believe in yourself, you can do it!" The little girl secretly cheered herself on.
In fact, little Emma's parents' eyes widened when they saw the news.
"Emma, the chance to get rich has arrived," little Emma's parents said excitedly.
London, UK.
Daniel Radcliffe, only 10 years old, saw his agent and parents come to his side after finishing his role in the TV series "David Copperfield."
His father said solemnly, "Son, haven't you always wanted to be famous? Look, the opportunity has arrived."
Mother: "That's right, our Daniel is so cute and handsome, he will definitely be able to join the 'Harry Potter' cast."
The agent echoed, "I have connections with ITV executives, and I've already secured you an entry ticket for the 'Harry Potter' casting. Daniel, you must do your best!"
Daniel Radcliffe, only 10 years old, was a bit confused at the moment.
However, he was still young and had no choice, so he could only agree like a puppet on a string... Five days!
Just five days after the casting news was announced, more than 6,300 children aged 8 to 12 across the British Isles had registered to audition, accompanied by their parents.
"Hahaha, Kyle, how are things? You really have to thank us, ITV Broadcasting Company," Cindy boasted.
Kyle smiled, "Indeed, without ITV's involvement, the publicity effect would certainly not have been this good. Of course, I also congratulate you; ITV's stock price has soared quite a bit recently."
"Haha, the feeling is mutual."
Cindy and ITV assisting Page Entertainment with the casting was not a free service.
And indeed, the rising stock price was a positive aspect.
"Mr. Page, thank you!"
At this moment, Ms. Rowling, the author of "Harry Potter," who was sitting on the sofa, also stood up and expressed her gratitude to Kyle.
Why?
When the "Harry Potter" film adaptation project was approved, Ms. Rowling expressed to Kyle her hope that the main actors for the film and television series could be selected from the British Isles. For this, she was willing to voluntarily lower her share of the book series' profits.
Lowering the share?
Kyle, of course, readily agreed.
There are indeed many good actors in the British Isles. Haven't you seen British actors frequently appearing in various first-tier Hollywood productions?
Ian McKellen, who plays Gandalf and Magneto;
Fatty Winslet, who plays the female lead in "Titanic";
The toughest man, Jason Statham;
Bale, who plays Batman;
...It's no exaggeration to say that British actors occupy a significant share of Hollywood's resources.
Kyle arranged for the main actors of "Harry Potter" to be selected in the UK, both to consider Rowling's wishes and for those excellent actors, but more importantly, for the British market.
The British film market is an important area for Kyle to expand his overseas distribution channels, playing the role of a bridgehead.
On the same day, Chris Columbus, the director chosen by Page Entertainment for the film "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," arrived in London.