Chapter 4: home alone
“Babies, after Mommy leaves, you must lock the doors. Don't open them for anyone, okay?”
“If you encounter any problems, big or small, you must call my cell phone. If you can't get through, then call the police.”
“I have many theaters scheduled today and won't be back for lunch, so I've prepared sandwiches for you. They're in the dining room. Don't go into the kitchen, and don't use fire or electricity. Mommy loves you, Okay?”
The next morning, at nine o'clock, Vivian reluctantly bid farewell to her precious daughters.
As the front door closed, the engine started and drove away, Catherine, who had pulled her gaze back from the peephole, gave her younger sister an OK gesture. The next second, Isabella, having received the signal, turned and walked away to change her clothes.
Since it was an audition, she naturally had to dress a bit more formally.
Therefore, Isabella chose a simple white dress, a pair of matching leather shoes, and styled her hair like an adult.
Uh...
She didn't need to style it like an adult's head.
After all, she couldn't play Draco Malfoy, so there was no need to go for a slicked-back hairstyle that showed her hairline.
She let her slightly wavy hair fall naturally, putting a Sanrio hair tie on her wrist just in case.
Grabbing her shoulder bag, she quickly went downstairs to meet her older sister.
The porcelain doll-like Isabella made Catherine a little absent-minded. To be honest, at this moment, she had some regrets. Finding a job in the Harry Potter crew was a big deal, and they should have told their mother openly and honestly.
Yesterday, she thought it was okay, but that might have been due to her emotions. After a calm night and her mood settling, the feeling of apprehension surged again.
But just as Catherine was wondering whether to correct their mistake, Isabella, who had already darted out of the house, was leaning on the door frame, calling her.
“Pitter-patter.”
“Catha?”
“GoGoGo——”
“Mom said she wouldn't be back for lunch, but she didn't say when she'd be back in the afternoon, so to be safe, we need to get everything done before 3 PM. It's already past nine, so we don't have much time left. So don't just stand there, hm?”
The clear and logical urging ultimately made Catherine's right brain triumph over her left brain.
She picked up her umbrella, walked out the door, and with a bang, the adventure began!
The casting for Harry Potter had been going on for several months. It was said that so far, the casting team had screened over 20,000 children across the UK. Because this IP was very important, Warner went directly to schools to scout. Audition sites were temporarily set up and dismantled after use, making them quite troublesome to track down.
Therefore, today, Isabella and her sister's destination was the Warner base on the outskirts of London, Leavesden Film Studios.
And from central London to Leavesden...
Public transport was the safest.
After leaving home, Isabella and Catherine boarded a bus. Paying two pounds, they rattled along for ten minutes and arrived at Euston Station. They bought tickets to Watford, waited in the waiting hall for half an hour, and when it was ten o'clock in the morning, they finally boarded the dark, round-nosed train.
With a whistle, a clatter immediately followed.
Isabella hadn't ridden this kind of old-fashioned steam train for many years. Trying it again, she felt quite nostalgic.
Of course, nostalgia was one thing, but she still wanted to complain about the outdated facilities.
Britain was a long-established developed country, after all! But why were the train seats still those old-fashioned, unadjustable ones from a hundred years ago? The most outrageous thing was that a ticket for such a seat cost nine pounds. They truly were crazy for money!
Isabella harbored complaints, while Catherine's eyes were filled with surprise.
Yesterday, when Isabella told her to accompany her out, Catherine thought Isabella wanted her to lead the way.
But today...
“Isa, have you been following Harry Potter for a long time?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Otherwise, how would you know how we should get there?”
“Oh~ You mean that? Guess?”
Isabella smiled without speaking.
After deciding to volunteer herself, Isabella used the family computer.
The internet at the turn of the century was indeed not as developed as it would be in the future, but in Europe and America, basic information was already online.
She went to Yahoo UK, browsed the travel section, did a simple search, combined the information, and the route was determined.
Isabella didn't answer directly, but the playfulness in her words, to Catherine, answered everything. Looking at her sister, who was peering out the train window at the scenery, Catherine's mood was somewhat complex.
After her father's death, she thought she had grown up because she consciously wanted to help her mother share the burden. But compared to her sister, who seemed carefree but was methodical when doing things, she suddenly felt that she was still very childish.
She pursed her lips and said, “So you have a goal?”
“Of course.”
“Who?”
“Who else? Xiao Hai Li!”
Isabella didn't turn around. In midsummer, the lush green around London was quite beautiful.
“If you're going to act, act the best, right?”
“So my goal will only be Hermione, Hermione Granger.”
Her confident words amused Catherine.
Letting go of her regret, Catherine gazed at her sister's back and asked curiously, “Isa, honestly, I really don't know where you get your confidence. You've never acted before, and for Harry Potter... many experienced actors have been screened out...”
If one looks at the world from the perspective of professional training in the performing arts industry, only Japan systematically and standardizedly trains child actors globally. There, professionally trained young actors are called 'koyaku.'
However, this does not mean that other countries do not have child actors. In places like the UK, stage plays and operas are the main channels for training child actors. Here, plays performed by children also have a specific name: Child Play, or children's plays.
Isabella's mother actually came from this background, and the future Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne was also a part of Child Play. The plays he acted in as a minor, like 'Oliver Twist' and 'Noah's Ark,' were children's plays.
So, when the Harry Potter casting began, the first to audition were actually professional children. And when Harry Potter had been casting for half a year without finding suitable candidates, it already meant that 'all' the professional children had been eliminated.
If the professionals weren't good enough, then non-professionals seemed even less likely to succeed.
But...
Isabella didn't think so.
“Darling, just because experienced people aren't working out doesn't mean inexperienced people definitely won't. Of course, if someone thinks they can't do it, then even if they could, they ultimately won't, because they lack confidence.”
Isabella turned back, smiling at her sister.
“So, when I need Xiao Hai Li, I will firmly believe she will be mine.”
“Of course, confidence isn't enough on its own. You ask me where I get my confidence? Uh... you finished reading the newspaper I gave you yesterday, right? The Harry Potter project team is already having internal conflicts. Warner feels that casting can't go on indefinitely...”
Yesterday's newspaper headline was exaggerated, but the content was even more so. British media reported that the Harry Potter project team was on the verge of collapse because Harry Potter's casting director Susie Figgis officially submitted her resignation to Warner on July 11.
This meant that the internal conflicts within the crew could no longer be hidden.
As for why the crew split?
Everyone in the UK and US knew about it.
J.K. Rowling was British, and since the story she wrote took place in the UK, she wanted to create an all-British Harry Potter cast.
Susie Figgis was also British and a very famous casting director in the UK. Therefore, after Harry Potter was greenlit, Rowling invited Susie to join the crew, hoping she could help find suitable young actors across the UK.
The film's director, Chris Columbus, was American. He wanted to push Haley Joel Osment, also an American, to play Harry Potter. The reason was simple: any normal person could see the excellence of Harry Potter and knew it would be an epic blockbuster. Such a project was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so why not prioritize one's own people?
Columbus felt that things could be discussed, but Rowling didn't want to talk to him, and since Rowling didn't give Columbus face, Columbus also showed a stern expression towards Rowling. In the past few months, all the actors selected by Susie, who represented Rowling, were rejected by Columbus.
Warner actually knew about the battle between Columbus and Rowling, and they chose to sit back and watch the tigers fight, because they also didn't want to create an all-British cast for Harry Potter, and they also wanted to have full control over the entire project and insert their own people.
But when casting director Susie threw in the towel and made the conflict clear, Warner had to step in and mediate.
This was because Warner had already promised Rowling to use an all-British cast, and to keep Harry Potter in the country, the British Parliament was now even discussing amending the employment hours in the "Child Protection Act," aiming to increase the daily working hours for minors from the legally allowed two hours to four hours, to facilitate Warner's filming.
And then, Warner suddenly jumps out and says, 'Oh, sorry, we're going to use Americans to play Harry Potter?'
Great Britain might be down, but even a struggling Great Britain was not someone Warner could afford to offend.
"Kaisa, the newspaper I gave you yesterday said that Warner is requiring the crew to officially start filming before October. Although Warner hasn't said anything, their attitude is already very clear. They will no longer support Chris Columbus, but instead fully support Auntie Rowling. When the entire project is less than fifty days away from official filming, the casting work will inevitably be chaotic."
"When they're in chaos, will strict standards still exist?"
"Before, they might have been looking for an A+, now, an A- or B+ is okay?"
"So... I should be fine being a little confident at this time, right?"
Isabella blinked at her older sister.
She was sitting in an eastward-facing position, and the slanting sunlight shone on her, making her sparkle.
At this moment, Catherine even felt like she was hallucinating.
It was as if two fluffy little ears had sprouted from her sister's head, proudly twitching there.
"Okay, even if all your analysis is correct, all your analysis is based on media reports."
"And Dad said that the media's mouth is the least trustworthy thing."
"So, your prediction might collapse directly due to incorrect sources."
Catherine admired her sister a little, but for the sake of her pride, she still didn't want to give in.
This situation made Isabella's eyes crinkle in a smile, and she tilted her head slightly, saying cutely, "How about we make a bet?"
"Bet what?"
"Let's bet on whether my analysis is correct."
"How do we bet?"
"If I'm wrong, and Mom ever brings up today's sneaking out in the future, I'll take full responsibility. But if I'm right, then the acting thing was your idea, you encouraged me to audition."
"What's the point of your bet? Mom will be sad no matter who takes responsibility."
"Oh, you don't dare to bet, fine, I know you admit I'm excellent."
"Deal."
Catherine stopped hesitating and agreed without a second thought.
Isabella smiled, her eyes full of mirth, and turned her gaze back out the window.
Euston is not actually far from Watford; it's only a few tens of minutes by train.
After getting off the train, the two boarded a bus again, and after another shaky ride, Leavesden finally appeared.
In the future, this place would be a holy land for Harry Potter fans, as Harry Potter was filmed here, but at present, the not-yet-famous Leavesden was still very simple, looking no different from an ordinary factory from the outside, with barbed wire fences and tightly closed barred gates.
You could only wave to security through the gaps.
After explaining their purpose to the gatekeeper, the old man was surprised to hear they were there for an audition, as he hadn't received any notification from the crew that day. But upon hearing their pure CRP, he decisively opened the gate and called the crew.
After a brief communication and explanation of the situation, in less than fifteen minutes, a shuttle car drove out from the factory area.
"You just follow him, he'll take you there."
"Thank you."
Boarding the car, they set off.
As the vehicle went deeper, the small world within the studio finally revealed itself.
How to describe it?
Perhaps they were preparing for the upcoming filming? The vehicles and people inside were endless, almost everyone wearing reflective vests and hard hats, the scene was exactly like a construction site, with dust flying everywhere.
Although it was dirty outside, Isabella was very happy to see it, because the more complete the set, the less likely Warner would wait.
The set is ready but filming can't start?
Isn't that like a popular web novel author investing in a short drama, just burning money for nothing!
"I win."
Isabella glanced at her sister.
"Don't pop the champagne at halftime, okay?"
Catherine was still stubbornly refusing to admit defeat.
Isabella smiled without speaking.
By the time the two arrived at Warner's factory offices, before they even got out of the car, they saw two women gathered at the entrance, the older one with her back to them, talking to the other.
"Jesse, I'm glad you can take over my work... Before we part, I want to tell you, as fellow British people, I hope you can support Joanne. She is indeed not from the entertainment industry, but she is definitely an upright and excellent British person, because she has always been seeking benefits for our own people..."
The clearly discernible instructions made Isabella look at her older sister again.
"Okay, I called you here, it's all my fault."
Catherine sighed softly, admitting defeat.
There might be many Joannes in this world, but there should only be one Joanne in the Warner factory area.
That is J.K. Rowling.
"Hehe ~"
Isabella chuckled; Catherine's aggrieved look was really cute.
The stopped shuttle car also made the two women turn their heads. The older woman thought the car was there to pick her up, so she waved to the other person, ready to get in. But as the car door opened, the figure that stepped out made her instinctively narrow her eyes.
"Who are you? Here for an audition?" she asked, puzzled.
But the next second, seeing Isabella, she smiled and withdrew all her questions.
She raised her right hand and waved at Isabella, "Hello ~ May I know your name?"
"Let me guess, you're here for Harry Potter, right?"
"Let me introduce myself, I am J.K. Rowling's good friend, Susie Figgis. You can call me Auntie Susie..."
"Oh... Hello, Auntie Susie..."
Isabella's eyes lit up, and she extended her hand to the other person.
"I'm Isabella Heywood, it's a pleasure to meet you."
— —
Note: ① The conflict between Chris Columbus, the director of "philosopher's stone," and J.K. Rowling is not widely known on the Chinese internet, but it was very popular abroad back then. I've attached some relevant reports. Moreover, this matter is a case of 'he said, she said'; American media strongly deny it, while British media say it's true, and both sides even produced interview audio at the time, so only the parties involved know the exact situation. This book adopts the perspective that there was a conflict between the two parties. ② Haley Joel Osment was discovered by Robert Zemeckis; he played Forrest Gump's son in "Forrest Gump." Zemeckis, in turn, was Spielberg's protégé; his debut film "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" had its script delivered to Spielberg, who thought it was good and then had Universal fund its production. "Back to the Future" followed a similar path. Spielberg initially wanted to direct Harry Potter, but Rowling refused to cast Osment, and then the director was changed to Columbus. Columbus was also a protégé of Spielberg; his script for "gremlins" was noticed by Spielberg, so he went to Amblin. From then on, Spielberg had him write scripts for films like "the goonies" and "Young Sherlock Holmes," and Spielberg also helped him find his first directorial film. The conflict between Columbus and Rowling, in essence, was still about Spielberg thinking Harry Potter was a great project and wanting to insert his own people into it, but Rowling disagreed. ③ CRP refers to the accent of the contemporary British upper-middle class.