September 29, 2005.
The umpteenth pre-production meeting for The Devil Wears Prada was officially held at Leavesden.
Those attending were: Isabella Haywood, Vivian, Susie Figgis, Vice President of Beaver Entertainment, and Michael Barnason, Isa's go-to scapegoat and go-to producer.
Since everyone present was "one of their own," the discussion was fairly casual.
Following Isabella's question, Vivian said, "Since Margot won't work, then… how about Elizabeth?"
"I think Elizabeth Olsen looks very fashionable. She seems like a perfect fit for Prada."
"Oh, Elizabeth won't work either, because she looks too sweet."
Susie shook her head. "Vivian, you think she looks very fashionable because both her sisters work in fashion and because she's pretty. But if you really look at her features, her face is actually the sweet type."
"She's not really suited to playing that kind of bitchy character."
"Is that so? Then… Anne Hathaway?"
Vivian didn't hesitate and named the Marmot's newly signed artist.
As for that one—
"I don't think Anne is suitable either," Barnason said. "Anne's looks lean toward being upright and dignified. Especially since her career-defining role was The Princess Diaries. Audiences instinctively see her as a 'good person,' so—"
"She can't play Emily either."
"Mm, Mom, I agree with Michael," Isabella said, nodding immediately.
Even though she didn't particularly feel like working at the moment, when work couldn't be avoided, patiently embracing it was inevitable.
She also felt that Elizabeth Olsen and Anne Hathaway couldn't play Emily.
The reasons were simple.
First, like Susie Figgis and Michael Barnason, she thought both Elizabeth Olsen and Anne Hathaway looked too wholesome and weren't suitable for villain roles.
There are truly only a thousand faces for a thousand people in this world. There's no such thing as one person having a thousand faces.
Second, it had to do with Isabella's personal memories.
In her previous life, Anne Hathaway had been Andy. Inviting Anne Hathaway to play Emily and then acting opposite her? Just imagining it made Isabella feel awkward.
If it actually happened—
Isabella felt she probably wouldn't even be able to get into character.
Since no one in their own company was suitable, everyone turned their attention outward.
Uh—
Well—
Actually, not that far outward.
At the moment, no matter what Isabella did, she followed the principle of "our own people first," so—
"How about Kat Dennings?"
"She's a very beautiful girl with plenty of acting experience, and she was born in '86, only four years older than Isabella. That fits the movie's setting where Emily is older than Andy, but not by too much."
Susie recommended one of their own.
Kat Dennings was her pick.
Her name immediately caught Isabella's attention.
Because Max from 2 Broke Girls was exactly the kind of bitchy character.
So letting someone who's full of performance play a role that's full of performance?
Wow~
That idea was pretty great.
However, before Susie could get agreement, Barnason had already voted against it.
"I don't think Kat Dennings is suitable, because she's… too endowed—
"Uh—let me clarify first, I'm not discriminating against the fashion industry, but everyone in fashion has one special trait, which is—uh—uh——small breasts—"
"???"
The sudden "small breasts" plunged the large meeting room into dead silence.
Susie and Vivian looked at their old acquaintance, struggling to hold it together.
They admitted that Barnason wasn't exactly wrong, but saying that out loud—in Europe or America—basically counted as harassment.
Isabella twitched the corner of her mouth, half amused, half exasperated.
She genuinely hadn't expected "small breasts" to be a factor in casting.
But—
Fine. Barnason actually had a point.
Most people in the fashion world really are flat-chested.
Maybe the topic was too awkward.
Or maybe there were minors present, and the adults realized their wording was inappropriate.
In any case, after "small breasts" came up, the casting discussion came to a halt.
After a while, Vivian, who felt Barnason wasn't wrong, broke the silence. "Then—
What do you think about Keira Knightley? Is she suitable for Emily?"
"Uh—she actually is pretty suitable," Susie nodded. "Whether it's her looks or her temperament, she has that kind of naturally condescending pride. Having her play someone in the fashion industry wouldn't be a problem."
But the next second, she shook her head. "However, she can't act opposite Isabella, because she's her 'sister' from The Voice."
"And Prada already has Maggie Smith."
"A movie having two actors who've worked together many times is fine, but if there are more than that—"
"The audience's viewing experience becomes very messy."
Everyone agreed and nodded.
Logically speaking, casting normally wouldn't be this troublesome.
A casting director would shortlist a bunch of names for the director and producer, and they'd just pick.
There'd be no need to grind through candidates one by one like this.
But the problem was, The Devil Wears Prada wasn't a normal movie.
Or rather, when everything Isabella touched turned to gold, who wouldn't want to act with her?
Even minor roles in her movies were fought over fiercely.
As for roles with lots of scenes opposite her—
Honestly, even though Susie , Barnason, and Isabella were all familiar with each other, they didn't dare make unilateral decisions.
So things ended up in this ridiculous state.
Which was normal enough. The charm of power.
When doing something, Isabella didn't need to care. If she wanted, she could correct mistakes anytime. But others couldn't. If they weren't careful, they might end up being the "mistake" that needed correcting.
They chatted for about half an hour. Just as Isabella was starting to lose patience, a suitable candidate finally appeared.
Barnason recommended Bryce Howard.
His reasons were simple.
First, Bryce Howard was good-looking, both classical and modern, with a high-fashion face.
Second, as Ron Howard's daughter and Clint Eastwood's niece, she was definitely one of their own.
Finally, the roles Bryce Howard was best at playing were bitches.
"What? Are you sure?" Isabella said, disbelief all over her face. "Michael, I haven't read much, so don't lie to me. How does someone specialize in playing a bitch unless she's one herself?"
"Uh—because—what I'm about to say, you can't tell anyone," Barnason said. "If this gets out, I'm dead."
"Bryce clearly has strong backing, but she's always claimed her entry into the industry had nothing to do with her family. She's repeatedly said she used the alias 'Bryce Dallas' when job-hunting. But in reality—"
Barnason looked around, then fixed his gaze on Isabella.
Meeting her probing eyes, he said, "Isabella, do you know Bryce has a classmate named Natalie?"
"Natalie Portman."
"They studied acting together back then. At the time, she was still using the name Bryce Howard."
"But when Natalie Portman was chosen by Luc Besson to star in Léon: The Professional—"
"She changed her name to Bryce Dallas."
"To the outside world, she said she didn't want to rely on her family."
"But in reality, she felt humiliated."
"Because back then, she and Natalie were both competing for Léon: The Professional."
"On the surface, she seems easygoing, but in truth—well, we all know she's very proud."
"What???"
The sudden insider story instantly woke Isabella up.
Isabella, who had found casting boring, sat up straight.
"Bryce and Natalie were classmates?"
"Mm," Barnason replied.
"And Bryce lost to Natalie for Léon?"
"Yes."
"And she changed her name because of that? Because she felt her family's support wasn't enough?"
Isabella kept pressing.
Barnason looked helpless under her sparkling gaze but still admitted it. "Yes."
"Wow~ Wow~~ Wow~~~ Okay, Michael, I believe you. I believe Bryce can play Emily well. And I believe what you just said is now your biggest piece of dirt in my hands."
Isabella laughed and clapped.
"—" Barnason was speechless.
He shook his head with a bitter smile and ignored her.
Since Bryce Howard was a bitch—uh—well, that wording was a bit disrespectful, but you get the idea—Isabella couldn't be bothered to look for anyone else.
However, she still had one question.
"Michael."
"Mm?"
"Tell me, did Natalie beat Bryce purely on her own ability?"
"Uh—you're asking if she had backing?"
"Yeah—"
"Well, she did. Her grandfather was a leader in the Polish Zionist youth movement and died in Auschwitz. His death is recorded in historical archives. Her grandmother was part of NILI."
"Oh~~~"
Isabella understood.
Natalie Portman's family was involved in military and politics.
No need to elaborate on Zionism.
As for NILI—
It was a Jewish spy organization.
Since it's been disbanded, it's officially acknowledged.
Isabella knew people in the industry all had backgrounds, but Natalie Portman coming from a military-political family?
That was still pretty wild.
But Isabella didn't care.
Their backgrounds had nothing to do with her. Or rather, at this point, no one in the industry could threaten her. Not even Rupert Murdoch.
Hmph.
After deciding to invite Bryce Howard to play Emily, the casting work was finished.
Before moving on to the next task, Isabella asked a few questions that stemmed from casting, unrelated to Prada but related to her own career.
First was the broadcast issue of Nashville, which she thought of when hearing Kat Dennings's name.
Susie said, "Robert Iger originally planned for Nashville to replace Hannah Montana."
"But after Hannah Montana became a huge hit, he gave up on that plan."
"When the audience really likes Hannah Montana, it can be immediately rerun after its initial airing."
"So after careful consideration, Bob decided to let Nashville follow The Voice, meaning it'll air after Season 3 of The Voice. The broadcast time has therefore been pushed to early next year."
"The channel has also moved from Disney Cable to ABC."
As for media group operations, Isabella truly understood nothing.
But she knew one thing.
Robert Iger was tied to her on the same rope.
So, once the scheduling decision for Nashville was made by Robert Iger, Isabella felt at ease.
Next, the second issue Isabella wanted to understand concerned Anne Hathaway.
Although Anne Hathaway had only joined Marmot Agency last month, under normal business procedures there was no need to find her a project so soon. But—who told Isabella to be kind?
And who told Isabella that she would need Anne Hathaway in the future?
So—
"Are there any suitable projects for her in the industry right now?" Isa asked.
"Uh—there are—"
This fell within Susie and Barnason's responsibilities.
So when Isabella asked, the two of them immediately looked at each other.
Almost at the same time, they nodded.
Seeing this, Isabella lifted her chin slightly, signaling Susie to speak first.
Susie said, "Recently, a deal happened on Hollywood's open IP market. Paramount bought the rights to a novel called Twilight. Although the book hasn't been released yet, Paramount is quite optimistic about the project."
"I've heard it's a vampire-related love story with fantasy elements, focused on teenage emotions. So, Isabella, if you're interested, we can talk to Paramount."
"Personally, I think it should suit Anne quite well."
Isabella knew Twilight.
A classic Mary Sue romance.
Sure, it was hugely popular, but it wasn't suitable for Anne Hathaway.
The reason was simple: Anne came too late.
If she had joined Marmot earlier, Isabella might have pushed her into a Mary Sue role. But now that Anne herself had already tried transforming her image—
How does someone who's already played a mother go back to playing a teenage girl? Right?
Especially since the rights to Twilight were still in Paramount's hands, Isabella had even less interest in getting involved.
She wasn't in the habit of working for other companies for free.
So—
She nodded slightly to show she understood, then gestured for Barnason to speak.
Barnason said, "The project I have that's suitable for Anne is The Da Vinci Code.
"This one probably doesn't need an introduction. A best-selling novel."
"The production rights are currently with Ron Howard, and the male lead is Tom Hanks."
"So, Isabella, if you're sure about inviting Bryce, then as long as you give Ron a call, I think he'd be more than happy to give you the female lead. Or, if you want to be credited as a producer, that's no problem either."
Isabella also knew The Da Vinci Code.
It was a massive commercial hit in her previous life.
The whole series had three films.
The prequel Angels & Demons, the main story The Da Vinci Code, and the sequel Inferno.
And if she remembered correctly—when she had previously been negotiating with Warner over the Goblet of Fire split-rights issue, she had wanted this IP too. Then Sony bought it? And now, after going in circles, it had come back?
This—
"Okay, then let's go with this project."
"I think Anne would be very happy to work with Tom Hanks."
"As for Twilight? Not interested—"
Yes.
At this moment, Isabella was exactly that confident.
When she had already become an industry octopus, with DC in her left hand, Marvel in her right, Transformers within reach in front, and Jurassic within reach behind, a Mary Sue like Twilight really wasn't worth her attention.
Since all the actor-related matters had been settled, the next topic was the GG fee.
Because Isabella didn't really know her own market value, she wanted to hear a professional quote.
And that—
"Isabella, how much a celebrity's fame is worth is actually easy to calculate," Susie said.
"For example, a singer's value can be seen in album sales. An actor's value can be seen in their box-office pull. An idol's value can be seen in merchandise sales."
"But precisely because it's easy to calculate, your value is hard to define."
"Because—let me give the simplest example. Hannah Montana, with your name attached, had 10.7 million viewers for its premiere."
"When one subscription represents 8.88 dollars, no matter who wants your name attached, the payment has to be at least nine figures."
"And this—"
"Is exactly why it's hard for us to negotiate GG fees with luxury brands."
At this point, Susie Figgis smiled bitterly. "Do you know? Prada's annual net profit is only two to three hundred million. And when it appears in the title The Devil Wears Prada—"
"They have to give you at least one hundred million.
"Yes.
"Luxury brands are just glamorous on the surface.
"Their profits—
"Are very average."
Right now, even if Isabella lay at home doing nothing, the royalties she earned each year from The Voice IP alone would take Prada two or three years of hard work to match. And that was under ideal conditions.
Under non-ideal conditions—
The luxury industry is very risky. Losing money is completely normal.
If making movies is gambling, then luxury is Russian roulette.
Forget bad economic conditions. If branding is done poorly, even Tiffany, Dior, or Bulgari won't make money. When losses are severe, they sell the company outright. Otherwise, how would LVMH have come into existence?
To put it even more bluntly—
When a world's richest person comes from tech, industry, or finance, people are shocked.
But if the chairman of LVMH is the world's richest man?
Even with real estate, AI, and finance full of bubbles, people still don't think the LVMH chairman belongs at the same table as those guys.
And in reality, he really doesn't.
So—
When Isabella earns more doing nothing than Prada earns, and her movie is called The Devil Wears Prada?
By market pricing, Prada would have to pay her a full year of net profit just for the naming rights.
And that—
"Then just ask Prada for one hundred million."
Isabella made her decision. "And it has to be in pounds."
"As for other brands, as long as their trademark appears, each one pays fifty million pounds."
Since she was worth that much, Isabella wasn't going to be polite.
She would shortchange anyone but herself.
As for this decision—
"Are you sure?" Susie asked with a bitter smile.
"Of course." Isabella nodded seriously.
"Okay." Barnason replied lightly. "Then I'll handle the negotiations."
Once the GG fee was settled, the work related to the film's music was also presented to Isabella.
On that front, Isabella said she already had ideas and told everyone not to worry.
Since Isabella had never disappointed anyone before, Susie and the others didn't pry into her strengths.
With three tasks wrapped up, Isabella was ready to slip away.
However, just as she was about to leave, Susie added, "Isabella, actually there are four tasks related to Prada. The fourth is—personally, I think you can start winning awards."
"Because Prada can start filming by the end of this year, finish by early next year at the latest, and release by mid-year. So it's targeting the 2007 awards season. And in 2007—if nothing unexpected happens—Barry Meyer will formally take control of Time Warner."
"That will be his peak. If he wants to get you awards, no one can stop it. Not to mention, you can also get support from Disney, J.K. Rowling and Spielberg."
"And as long as you win in 2007, you'll be the first underage actress in history to win across a full awards circuit."
"In the future—unless a meteor hits Earth—I don't think anyone will break your record."
"And after 2008, you won't really be suitable for awards anymore. Because according to your plans, starting in 2008, DC, Marvel, Transformers, your animated films, and then HP will all be released nonstop."
"When you're wrapped in endless commercial projects, asking audiences to find art in pure commerce? Not very realistic."
"So—"
"What do you think of my idea?"
Susie blinked at Isabella.
She admitted that five years ago, when she chose Isabella, she never imagined Isabella could achieve both commercial success and awards.
Or rather, any normal person wouldn't think someone could make winning awards as easy as eating and drinking.
But now—
Susie sighed quietly in her heart.
Isabella smiled and said "Oh~ Susie~ you think the time has come?"
"Yes." Susie nodded.
"Then let's take them." Isabella said casually. "Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score—everything that can be taken, I want it all."
"Yes, you heard right. Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, I want those too."
"I've worked with Chris for so many years. Helping him get an award is perfectly normal, right?"
"Maggie Smith has helped me a lot. She's already won both lead and supporting awards, but who ever complains about having too many trophies?"
"As for Best Picture—"
"If you want your name on it, hurry up and put it there. Don't come crying to me when you can't get on stage!"
Isabella flicked her hand.
Called her mom to stand up and leave.
Her crisp allocation of spoils made Susie and the others burst out laughing.
Isabella never shortchanged her own people.
If they were going to win awards, everyone would enjoy it together.
As for whether this was fair?
Leaving everything else aside, just look at artistic awards. From the moment they were created, fairness was never part of the deal. Making someone compete fairly in an unfair game is the greatest unfairness of all.
It's almost 2006.
If anyone still thinks good acting alone gets you awards—
They should probably start buying health supplements.
In Isabella's world, handling matters related to Prada was just a matter of talking. It had no real impact on her life. But in other people's eyes—
After receiving Michael Barnason's call, Bryce Howard practically sprang up from her chair—
"Uncle Michael, you're saying Isabella personally named me for her project, and it's a supporting role???"
"Uh—more precisely, second female lead. About the same amount of screen time as Maggie Smith."
"Oh—my God—why would Isabella suddenly choose me?!"
Bryce Howard could hardly believe it.
Although she was Ron Howard's daughter and Clint Eastwood's niece, that didn't mean she could run rampant in Hollywood. There were just too many people with connections.
So when good projects appeared, she still had to compete with other well-connected peers.
And now—Isabella had personally picked her?
Wow~
This was basically winning the lottery.
But just as the excited words left her mouth, Bryce Howard realized something was off.
"Oh! Sorry! Uncle Michael! You recommended me, right?"
"This is really—thank you so much!"
"I'll definitely tell my dad about this! I'll tell him! Uncle Michael, you're a good person!"
"Hahahaha~" Bryce Howard's words made Michael Barnason laugh out loud.
And he very naturally accepted his "niece's" gratitude.
Yes. There's no such thing as help without reason.
If I help you and you don't even thank me, what's the point of helping?
Even if I throw a bone to a dog, it'll wag its tail and bark twice.
Bryce Howard adored the sudden invitation. And just as happy was Anne Hathaway, who, after learning that she'd only been with Marmot Agency for one month and already landed a project opposite Tom Hanks, felt her head spin.
"Mom, is this how Hollywood really works?"
Anne Hathaway's voice trembled. She almost wanted to cry.
"Uh—this is actually a little indulgence of power," Kate Hathaway said with a smile, shaking her head.
Although everything happening now was her original hope—she got her daughter into Marmot to take advantage of proximity—when top-tier projects started appearing like they were free, she still felt dazed.
Because easy mode on Earth was just too intoxicating.
And as per the law of conservation of smiles, when some people are happy, others must suffer.
While Bryce Howard and Anne Hathaway felt wrapped in happiness, the major luxury brands felt a chill crawl up from their feet.
Because the GG fees Isabella demanded looked, in their eyes—
Absolutely insane.