"Oh, Keisha, I think this opening still needs some changes."
"What part needs changing?"
"The dialogue between the dad and mom. In our setup, the mom is a housewife, and she hates this dull, boring life. Then the dad loses his job—so here's where the conflict comes in, right? The family loses its source of income. So…"
"Okay, I think I get what you mean, Isa—you want the mom to finally snap, to have an outburst?"
"Yeah~ that's exactly what I mean."
"But if we want the mom to blow up, then we'll need to adjust the character introduction order. Director Chris said before, in a script, emotional flare-ups are the best natural cut."
"No problem, Keisha. We can just use the parents' argument as the cut after all the family members have been introduced."
"For example, after their shouting match, the world suddenly goes quiet, and then the protagonist appears, leading into the next story. That way, the opening can be pushed from the dad's perspective—like, the dad just got off work, he's still immersed in his own world, but then he notices the noise at home and tries to cheerfully mediate the family conflict. When he was still earning money, the mom could tolerate his nagging. But after he gets that call from his boss telling him he's been fired, his attempts to play peacemaker suddenly feel really grating…"
"At that moment, the mom could be cooking—she slams the pot down hard on the table, using action to shut the dad up, turning him into a loser. Then the screen smash-cuts to the protagonist's room shaking, the protagonist looking up?"
"I think the shot could be the glass windows of the old house rattling, and the protagonist's face reflecting on them?"
Since Isabella already understood that only by doing her current project well could she achieve real success, all her showing off was just for fun. When it came time to actually work, she got serious.
So that evening, Isabella went to Columbus's office for lessons.
But she didn't go alone—she dragged her sister Catherine with her.
The reason was simple.
Right now, Isabella's most important job was still to film Chamber of Secrets well—Hermione Granger was her foundation.
So once Little Miss Sunshine—or rather The Voice of the World—had its basic framework confirmed, the expansion work could be handed to someone else. Like Catherine, who usually didn't have much to do.
Columbus supported this idea.
There are always priorities.
You can't abandon Hermione Granger just because you've had a stroke of inspiration, right?
Besides, no one would think The Voice of the World could ever be more important than HP.
Catherine had no objections either.
In her view, her little sister had already given more than enough for the family.
Her clothes, food, everything she used now was paid for by her sister's earnings. So wasn't it only right that she help her sister expand the script? And besides, she wasn't worried about ruining Isabella's inspiration, because Columbus would be the safety net.
Still, even though everyone thought Isabella's plan was reasonable, when Catherine realized—again and again—that her sister's so-called "help" actually meant leaving her to expand the entire script on her own…
Catherine started to feel that something wasn't quite right.
"Isa?"
"Mm?"
"Do you have time right now?"
"Uh… what's up?"
"If you have time, why aren't you writing the script yourself? Don't you really like this project?"
"Oh, that? Well, I'm just trying to keep the creative vision unified, you know? You've already written so much—if I suddenly add my own bits, what if our ideas clash?"
"You really think that?"
"Of course!"
"Because to me it feels like you're just treating me like a typing machine."
At the desk, Catherine squinted her eyes, suspicion gleaming coldly in the lamplight.
"Uh…"
"I'm going to take a shower…"
"I've got a full day of shooting tomorrow, I need to sleep early…"
"Oh wow, it's late already! You should rest too, there's no rush on this script…"
Isabella, who had been lazily surfing the internet with her chin in her hand, sprang up in a flash, grabbed her clothes, and darted toward the bathroom.
Her lightning-fast escape made Catherine's eye twitch, while Isabella hid inside the bathroom, ears perked, listening carefully.
Only when she was sure her sister wasn't coming after her did she breathe a sigh of relief.
Yep, truth was—she just didn't feel like writing the script herself.
Even though Columbus had already told her that script expansion was basically just a formula—scene headings, scene descriptions, character names, dialogue, parentheticals, transitions… you just follow the process and slot the outline in chunk by chunk. And scriptwriting didn't even need fancy literary skills—just concise language to describe scenes and content.
For example, in Chamber of Secrets, Harry and Hermione's reunion at Flourish and Blotts could just be: Hermione stands at the entrance of Flourish and Blotts and runs toward Harry, who is on the road to the right.
If you need a parenthetical, you just drop it after the name: If Hermione is happy, you write "(excited)."
Done.
Simple enough. But since this was Isabella's first time writing a script, even with an outline, she would constantly second-guess the details. One day she'd like one version, the next day another, and she'd have to rewrite over and over.
That night when she drafted the Voice idea, she wrote about 3,000 words, but with revisions she ended up typing more than 30,000!
If it weren't for the adrenaline, she would've been howling in wrist pain already.
And if expansion meant a hundred pages turning into a thousand—or even ten thousand words of edits—her hand would fall clean off.
So… wasn't it better to let someone else do the typing?
What, why not just type on a computer? Typing is tiring too! Ehh~~~
Wanting to learn and wanting to slack off—those two moods can coexist perfectly well~~~
"Hmm? Keisha? You're not asleep yet?"
After an hour-long bath, Isabella returned to find her sister still at her desk, writing away.
That made her feel guilty.
Catherine said with mock coldness, "How could I dare rest if you're not back yet? After all, in your eyes, I'm just a soulless word processor."
"..."
Isabella winced. "Aiya—Keisha—what are you even saying—"
Catherine ignored her, capped her pen, and stood.
That made Isabella panic. "Where are you going?"
"Didn't you tell me to rest?"
"…you're mad?"
"No."
"I'll treat you to dinner this weekend!"
"Heh—"
Catherine rolled her eyes and started walking toward her room.
Seeing her sister was actually angry, Isabella quickly ran up, grabbing her arm and upping the stakes—
"I'll treat you next week too!"
"..."
"And the week after that!"
"..."
"And the week after that—forget it. I was actually planning to use that painting you drew directly in the movie. But if you hate me this much, I won't use it. I'll just hire someone else to redraw it…"
"..."
Catherine froze.
She glanced sideways at her little sister.
Snorted heavily through her nose.
Shook her off like flinging away a sloth.
Then stomped back into her room, slamming the door—well, softly, since their mom was already asleep.
That made Isabella grin in triumph. After listening at the wall a while and hearing nothing unusual, she strutted back to her own room like a proud rooster and flopped onto her bed happily.
The next day…
AI came online as usual~~~After filming, Isabella returned to the dorms and found Catherine still bent over the desk, writing away. Immediately, her sweet voice bubbled up: "Keisha! What do you want to eat? I'll get your dinner today!"
"..."
Once Isabella truly decided she wanted to make Little Miss Sunshine, there was another problem beyond script revisions that needed solving—
The initiator, the lead producer, had to be clear.
Earlier, Columbus had said: if the script remained with Endeavor and they wanted to lead the project, Warner Bros. would never let her go off to some "rebel camp" to film. So if she wanted The Voice to happen, she'd have to push Endeavor out of the core team.
This was hard for Isabella.
Yes, she was popular now, but her fame rested entirely on Hermione. She had no personal leverage to negotiate with big studios. So to fix this…
She went to Columbus to act cute again.
"Director, there's an old saying in the East: 'Those who understand the times… ah, no, I mean, a good man sees things through to the end, sends the Buddha all the way west.'"
"So, you see…"
She tilted her head, blinking her sparkly big eyes.
That day's scene was Professor Sprout's Herbology class.
Everyone was dressed in drab, labor-colored brown robes.
The lesson was about repotting Mandrakes—plant creatures that shriek horribly when pulled from the soil. Even as juveniles, their cries could knock you out.
So in makeup and costume, everyone wore earmuffs.
With this getup, Isabella's head-tilting and blinking made the fluffy earmuffs twitch like little animal ears—adorably irresistible.
Columbus stared a moment, then chuckled, shaking his head. "There are two ways to solve this."
"Two?"
"Yes."
He nodded. "First, you give your revised script to Endeavor. If they think it's good, they can seek investment. By the traditional process, as long as one of the Big Six invests, the project belongs to the Big Six anyway. Endeavor would only provide packaging and take a cut as a middleman."
"..."
Isabella thought about it and shook her head.
That wouldn't work.
Even if Endeavor didn't insist on leading, once they had her script—or even just her agreement to star—they could milk her name to jack up prices, pocketing the profits while she carried all the weight.
She'd be the sucker.
"So what's the second way?"
"The second way is a little more blunt: buy the rights."
"Buy the rights?" Isabella frowned.
She thought he was joking. "But the script rights are with Endeavor. If they want to develop the project, and I'm willing to star, why would they ever sell?"
They weren't idiots!
"Oh—Isa—others might not be able to, but I can…"
Columbus raised his brows at the confused girl.
"If you really want the second option, all you have to do is make me producer."
Isabella blinked, baffled.
Until he mentioned "Spielberg."
Then she got it instantly.
Behind Chris Columbus stood Steven Spielberg.
The one man in Hollywood who openly wanted to take down the Big Six.
And the one most likely to succeed.
He and George Lucas shared pants, holding piles of valuable IP.
If DreamWorks—the very embodiment of a rebellion against the Big Six—showed up at Endeavor's door wanting to buy, could Endeavor say no? If they refused, it would prove they never wanted to rebel at all. Their so-called "revolution" was just a scam to sign more artists. Otherwise, why not hand the project to the most credible challenger in the industry?
But if they sold…
Perfect. Goal achieved.
If Endeavor wanted to milk the Big Six, they couldn't afford to say no to Spielberg, who had already mastered that game. Otherwise they'd offend both sides—and that would be suicidal.
So…
"Oh~ Director~ I choose the second option~"
Isabella thought it was brilliant.
Owning the script meant total creative control.
And having Columbus as producer? Genius.
She needed a thigh to cling to anyway!
"Alright, then invite me."
Columbus wasn't surprised—he knew she'd pick option two.
Smiling, he straightened his back, waiting for her to beg.
But Isabella just looked at him "strangely."
"Director, what are you talking about?"
"Didn't you just ask me to be producer, to help you get the script?"
"Yeah."
"So invite me then, what's the problem?"
Isabella pursed her lips.
Stared at him like he was possessed. Then said with deadly seriousness: "Director, did you forget something? At the start of the year, you said—if we had the chance, we'd work together again in the future."
"Weren't you the one who invited me first?"
"So now, isn't it only natural for you to help me?"
She frowned slightly, looking puzzled—
Righteous.jpg
Columbus was left speechless.
True, at the start of the year, while comforting her about all the outside gossip, he had said they'd work together again.
But still…
"So, this is your job now."
Isabella declared, like an old boss assigning a task.
Before Columbus could even say a word, she had already scampered off.
That brown little figure bouncing away looked like a tiny potato, and the sight made Columbus shake his head with a helpless smile.
"Go contact Endeavor."
He gave the order to his assistant while still watching her disappear into the distance.
The assistant knew what to do, but hesitated before carrying it out. "Chris… Isa belongs to Rowling."
Columbus understood the implication. Since Isabella's debut came from Rowling's favor, no matter how her career turned out, no matter how her relationship with Rowling developed in the future, she would always carry the HP label like a brand burned into her.
But—
"I know. But that doesn't matter, does it?"
"Joanne chose Isa because she liked her. When liking outweighs choosing, she won't care about details like this. And me… honestly, I don't care about that either."
"If I lose to John Hughes, I lose to John Hughes. If I lose to J.K. Rowling, I lose to J.K. Rowling. It's not a big deal."
"And besides…"
"To tell you the truth, I really do like Isa."
"She's cute, hardworking, talented. Most importantly…"
"When she runs into hardship, she never thinks of giving up on herself, does she?"
Chris Columbus came from a working-class family.
As a child, he loved writing stories and dreamed of making movies one day.
And because he truly had talent, after graduating high school he was admitted to NYU's Tisch School of the Arts with a scholarship.
That was no small feat. Tisch was full of geniuses. But because he came from a small town and didn't understand how universities worked, and information traveled slowly back then, he missed the deadline to actually claim the scholarship after it was announced.
He had the award, but didn't get the money.
And then everything exploded.
Tisch tuition was insanely expensive. His working-class parents could maybe afford one year.
And art majors rarely got access to student loans, because most people who studied art never made money in their field. No bank was dumb enough to lend money to someone who'd never be able to pay it back. Capitalists aren't philanthropists.
So he had to go work in a factory, screwing bolts, to pay his tuition.
When his teacher found out, they thought it was a total waste of his talent. So they took some of his scripts to an agent, who then convinced a company impressed by his work to front his tuition and living expenses.
That lifeline allowed him to finish school and even shoot a short film called I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here.
At the time, Martin Scorsese was teaching at Tisch. He saw the short, liked it, and passed it around. Then Steven Spielberg saw it.
Spielberg wanted to know what Columbus was doing.
And then he found out Columbus was on the verge of directing an adult film.
Yes, that kind of adult film.
Since his tuition and living costs had been paid by the agency, after graduation they wanted a return on investment. They shopped his scripts around. Some companies were interested—but only if they could turn his script into porn. To him, that was a huge insult. But he couldn't buy back his own script.
So he swore he would write something that amazed the world, that he would control his own projects.
And then… Gremlins crossed paths with Spielberg.
Without Spielberg's appreciation, without the writing job at Amblin, without being formally introduced as "one of Amblin's guys," several of his scripts might very well have ended up as porn films.
That experience taught him just how rare opportunity was—and how much harder it was to keep going even after success.
Since Columbus had made up his mind, the assistant said no more.
When the assistant finally sent Endeavor the offer to purchase the script…
California.
Beverly Hills.
Endeavor headquarters.
Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell sat across from each other.
"Pat, this is the outcome you wanted?"
Ari Emanuel's face was dark as he stared at Patrick.
"When you showed that script to Chris Columbus, did you even think about what today would look like??"
"When Chris Columbus wants our project, we can't refuse him!! So—"
"Your real intention was to sell our project, wasn't it???"
Emanuel slammed the desk, veins bulging on his neck.
"No no no, that was never my intention."
Patrick Whitesell smiled calmly at Emanuel's roar, raising his hands to motion for peace.
"Brother, all I wanted was to get Isabella Haywood to star in our project."
"Chris Columbus finding out was an accident."
"And since the accident already happened, all we can do is accept reality, right?"
"Sell the script to Chris Columbus, and… ask for a few acting slots?"
Patrick winked at him.
When Emanuel didn't reply, Patrick just arched his brow, stood up, and walked out of the office.
As the door shut with a heavy thud, Emanuel pounded his chair armrest.
"Shit, shit, shit," he spat.
He knew exactly what Patrick meant.
Everyone might have the same big-picture goal, but Patrick was new at Endeavor, only just arrived this year.
Anyone who's ever switched jobs knows: the first thing you do at a new place is plant your flag.
In the agency world, that means getting projects and signing talent.
Snag projects for the clients who followed you over.
Build your own base on new turf.
And right now, slipping a script into the Harry Potter production was the perfect opening move.
Nobody could get the HP trio under management contracts anymore. But if he managed to collaborate with even one of them? That proved he was better than all his competitors.
Challenging the Big Six might be the rallying cry for Endeavor, but when even Isa understood Hermione Granger was her foundation, how many multimillionaires in that circle would risk failure and losing their place in the hierarchy?
Exactly.
So, challenge while leaving yourself a fallback.
Emanuel sighed and closed his eyes…
And then, on December 5, 2001, Isabella received word from Columbus: the script was hers.
"Endeavor's asking price is $250,000, plus two major acting roles, and they require the project to start filming within two years. Otherwise, they have the right to repurchase the script at cost. I don't want the script, because of Michael Arndt, so get your mom to find a lawyer to sign. Use whichever name you like, but make sure the contract is reviewed."
"Okay, thanks."
Isabella nodded.
That price… honestly didn't feel expensive to her.
$250,000 for a script that could gross over $100 million and win an Oscar? That's a bargain.
And the casting slots? "What roles are they asking for?"
"Of course two of the five leads besides you. That's Grandpa, Dad, Mom, Uncle, or Brother—oh wait, you switched Brother to Sister. Whatever the lineup, they want two."
"That's fine. Reasonable. But I want Brits."
"Huh?"
"It's a British story. Only British actors fit, don't they?"
Isabella kept her tone calm, though her eyes flashed with mischief.
Columbus paused, then smiled. "Suit yourself." He didn't press the matter.
He understood the signal.
She was saying that her today came from Rowling. No matter who she worked with, she wouldn't forget her roots.
And then—
"Oooh, Isa!"
Before their conversation could continue, Rowling's voice floated over.
She was on set that day.
She even had a cameo in Chamber of Secrets, the witch Harry brushes past coming out of Knockturn Alley.
Looking over, Rowling was beckoning her.
Isa ran over, and Rowling immediately hugged her and ruffled her hair.
The affectionate gesture made Isabella laugh.
"Auntie Annie, don't mess up my hair! I'll have to redo my styling."
"Then redo it."
"What? But the stylist will complain."
"Oh really? A stylist in our crew dares complain about the author, producer, and director?"
"…."
Fine, fine. Isabella shut her mouth.
She knew what Rowling meant from the start. Smiling, she just stood there obediently, letting Rowling ruffle her hair.
Rowling, cuddling her porcelain doll, glanced toward Columbus.
The director, waiting for the lighting to be adjusted, saw it, and shook his head with a wry smile.
Rowling was telling him: you lost pretty badly.
And… well, he admitted it.
Notes:① The 18+ movie Columbus made was called Reckless. It did only so-so: cost $3 million to make, earned $8.3 million at the box office. But the cast was kind of famous. The male lead was Aidan Quinn (the middle brother in Legends of the Fall). The female lead was Daryl Hannah—yep, Pris from Blade Runner, the mermaid in Tom Hanks' Splash, and Elle Driver (the one-eyed assassin) in Kill Bill. Because the actors were well-known, Columbus has never managed to fully get away from that film's shadow.
② After Patrick Whitesell joined Endeavor, a massive internal power struggle broke out. Ari Emanuel was hit with "betrayal from within." Insiders sued him on accusations of disrespecting women, secretly filming them, and running an adult website. And yes, literally: secretly recording women, uploading the footage online, and even running the site himself. It ended in an out-of-court settlement, costing him $2.25 million. After that, Patrick basically took control of the company.