"Mr. Page, Mr. McNick, it's a pleasure to see you both again."
As soon as he stepped into the hotel room, Chris Columbus greeted the two of them warmly.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Director Columbus."
Kyle shook hands with him.
"Chris, you're finally here. If you had been a few days later, I would have personally dragged you from your home." Mr.Bill burst into laughter.
Kyle smiled and said, "Director Columbus, put your work aside today. I heard you really enjoy drinking, so today I'll risk my life to accompany you."
"Good wine?"
Instantly, Columbus's eyes lit up.
Throughout Hollywood, he was one of the directors who loved drinking the most.
"Chris, you're the first person our boss has brought out good wine to entertain. Even when Amazon CEO Bezos came to visit, our boss wasn't this enthusiastic."
Mr.Bill suddenly said from the side.
Immediately, Kyle gave Mr.Bill a glare.
What did he mean?
Was he saying I was stingy?!
Kyle and Mr.Bill expressed great welcome for Chris Columbus's arrival.
He was a filmmaker with the same surname as the discoverer of the Americas, possessing the same pioneering spirit as the Italian explorer; at the same time, he was also a director who took it upon himself to tell bedtime stories.
He directed the "Home Alone" film series, showcasing his talent to the fullest.
He served as a producer for the "Night at the Museum" film, which also achieved very high box office success.
As for the later "Pixels" film, it's best not to mention it. It was a complete box office bomb, neither making money nor pleasing audiences, and even earned a Golden Raspberry.
However, the flaws did not obscure the virtues!
Looking at Hollywood as a whole,
During the 90s, Chris Columbus was the best director for telling children's and young adult adventure stories, bar none!
Of course, his director's fee was also very high.
His director's fee was as high as 9.8 million US dollars.
Furthermore, this was only the director's fee for the first "Harry Potter" film, and he did not accept invitations for multiple film contracts!
In other words, if they wanted to film "Harry Potter 2" and still wanted Chris Columbus to direct, they would have to sign a new contract.
Two words: more money ~
He was one of the best directors of young adult films today, and he had the qualifications and confidence to engage in equal dialogue with production companies!
A few days later...
March 9th.
The casting for "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" officially began ~
The number of applicants aged 8 to 12 reached 8,723.
Three rounds of preliminary selections would be held simultaneously in four major UK cities: London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Edinburgh.
That's right, just preliminary selections!
And there were 3 rounds in the preliminary selection stage alone!
With a total production cost of 130 million US dollars, the casting for "Harry Potter" could not be taken lightly.
At one point, Kyle had planned to directly use the actors from the original timeline, completely copying them, which would save a lot of casting time and money. However, after thinking about it, Kyle rejected this idea.
"The bustling casting process is also a form of publicity!"
"Moreover, this also has a significant effect on enhancing Page Pictures' brand influence overseas."
"Hollywood is a commercial film center. If you don't have extensive publicity, even if you make an excellent film, you might still suffer box office failure."
London district.
The number of child actors participating in this district accounted for 35% of the total, with 3,050 people undergoing the first round of preliminary selections here.
The preliminary selection work naturally didn't require Kyle, Mr.Bill, Director Columbus, and Ms. Rowling to be present. The specific work was handled by staff from Page Pictures and ITV.
"Can I be chosen?"
"Even if I'm chosen, can I play one of the Hogwarts Golden Trio?"
These two questions constantly troubled the participating child actors. Of course, the parents and agents of the child actors were even more worried.
Participating in the "Harry Potter" film, with a total production cost of 130 million US dollars, was undoubtedly an opportunity to achieve instant fame!
[Who will be the lucky one?]
This topic was now being constantly hyped by media outlets across the UK, attracting a large amount of public attention.
1 day!
2 days!
3 days!
...The first three rounds of preliminary selections took a full 9 days!
During this process, over 95% of the child actors were eliminated, with fewer than 400 remaining.
The brutal elimination rate made the casting for "Harry Potter" receive even more attention.
Furthermore, during the casting period, the sales of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" books also increased significantly. Currently, the cumulative sales in the UK have climbed from the original 980,000 copies to 1.5 million copies, directly surpassing the sales in the American region.
"This is a good thing that kills several birds with one stone, so satisfying ~"
Kyle, in a great mood, wandered to the casting site that day.
The 4th round of selections ~~
"Mr. Page!"
"Boss!"
The staff on site, upon seeing Kyle arrive, all stood up to greet him.
The big boss was here, how could you not be enthusiastic?
Did they still want to keep their jobs!
"You all keep busy with your work. I'm not participating today. The specifics will still be decided by you," Kyle said, waving his hand.
Everyone quickly nodded in agreement.
Who would believe that?
"Boss, with you personally here, all of our staff are absolutely thrilled. Please rest assured, we will definitely complete our work excellently," shouted a Page Pictures employee.
The big boss personally showing up, could he not have the final say?
That was simply a joke!
"Huh?"
"Emma Watson?"
Kyle saw the name Emma Watson on the list.
In 1999, this name was unknown, utterly obscure. However... after the "Harry Potter" films were released in the future, who didn't know Hermione, one of the Hogwarts Golden Trio?
With the role of "Hermione," she gained extremely high global recognition and was revered as a "goddess" by many.
However!
The number of boyfriends she had and the chaos of her private life were also notorious.
"The goddess in your eyes, a public bus in some people's eyes."
This phrase perfectly described Emma Watson.
Not long after.
Emma Watson was led into the casting site by a staff member.
Her performance could be described as "excellent." Of course, this didn't mean her acting skills were outstanding, but rather that she was a perfect fit for the role of "Hermione."
After all, anyone who has watched the entire "Harry Potter" series knows that from the first film to the eighth, the acting skills of the three main characters hardly improved at all! In fact, as they aged, there was even some regression, which many found awkward.
"Why do you think I absolutely must choose you for the role of Hermione?" Kyle spoke.
The so-called observation from before was utter nonsense at this moment.
As for the current casting directors, did they have any opinions?
If they did, no one dared to speak!
"Uh... I think I can do it, I'm so cute," Emma said after a moment of stunned silence.
"Not enough!"
Kyle shook his head and said, "Your reason can't convince me."
How much was cuteness worth?
Emma Watson: "I know you, Mr. Page, you are one of the best screenwriters, directors, and producers in the world. Also, I'm a fan of Manchester City Football Club, our whole family is."
This flattery caught Kyle off guard.
"Congratulations, you've advanced to the next round," Kyle said with a smile.
"Thank you, Mr. Page," little Emma bowed.
It must be said that, setting aside her acting and private life, she was indeed a bit clever. Not every child actor participating could flatter so well.
Sure enough, no one who can make a name for themselves in Hollywood is an easy target.
What's more, Emma Watson's future private life was so chaotic, yet she maintained a good reputation, which further highlighted her shrewdness and the excellence of her team behind her.
Hmm, you could see it from a young age.