"Magic! I need children who know magic. They have the kind of magic that makes people know at a glance that it's them! But among these hundreds of children, I don't feel the slightest bit of this magic! " Director Chris Columbus said to Adriaan excitedly in the rented office of the "Harry Potter" film crew.
Adriaan shrugged, then looked at J.K. Rowling, who also shrugged with a smile. Obviously, Columbus had said this more than once. Rowling was very satisfied with him as the director.
She had always wanted Spielberg to be the director, but Adriaan convinced her. Chris Columbus was the top all-ages film director in Hollywood. Not to mention, the first two "Gremlins" not only made Macaulay King famous, but also became a classic among all-ages films. Although the plot of the "Harry Potter" series would inevitably start to become more adult, the first two books were indeed full of children's interest, so Columbus was the most suitable director.
After Columbus came to London, Rowling quickly approved of him, and the preparation and casting of the crew went smoothly. However, finding suitable actors was still a problem. As Columbus said before, he hoped to find children with "magic", but this kind of personal feeling could easily hinder the progress of the work.
This could not be said to be a bad thing, after all, the director had to be responsible for the entire crew, but it could not be said to be a good thing either, because it would delay the film's production time. The main reason why Adriaan prepared half a year earlier than the original film was that children grew up very quickly, especially after the age of ten. After a year of filming, there would be obvious changes in their appearance, which was not a good thing for the film.
However, there were not too many problems. If there were problems here, they could make up for it in other aspects. The British response to the upcoming film adaptation of the "Harry Potter" series was enthusiastic. At least tens of thousands of people came to participate in the election. The British media also did a lot of reporting on the auditions, and the government was very supportive. Under the lobbying of the public relations personnel sent by Adriaan, the Blair government had officially considered revising the "Child Labor Act".
The British Child Labor Act had strict requirements for minors under the age of 16 to participate in film productions. For example, children under the age of 13 could only work seven hours a day and must attend three hours of school every day. If filming went smoothly, such a rule wouldn't be a problem. But if it didn't … Furthermore, as mentioned before, children grew up very quickly. If there was a slight delay, they might have to face the problem of having to re-shoot the previous scenes. So these laws had to be changed.
Since they had officially considered it, there was no need to say what the outcome would be. The potential value of the Harry Potter movies was at least one billion dollars. If the law could not be changed, the crew would have to return to the United States to film the scenes with American actors. It would definitely be a loss for the British government. This was not only an economic problem, but also a slap in the face. Even if the Blair government refused, once the news got out, they would inevitably become the enemy of the entire United Kingdom.
Alright, back to the topic. Apart from that, Adriaan was also prepared to give it a push. This was his original purpose for coming to London.
"By the way, I have a very good candidate for Hermione." After asking about the relevant affairs and having a general understanding of the current situation, Adriaan said this after discussing with Columbus, Rowling, and several other people in charge.
"Is that so?" Columbus and Rowling were curious. After all, there were so many people in the competition. Even if a few thousand had been eliminated, there were still a few thousand children that needed to be interviewed. Otherwise, Columbus wouldn't have complained.
"Hmm …" Adriaan tapped his head with his fingers and looked at the other two. "Moralie, have you designed the Hogwarts uniform? Is there a ready-made one? Suitable for a nine to eleven year old child? "
After getting an affirmative answer, Adriaan asked for a female Gryffindor uniform as a sample. Then, he asked for a set of Hermione's furry wig from the prop team. Then, he smiled at Columbus and Rowling. "Sorry, due to certain reasons, I have to make some preparations. You will understand why I have to do this when I bring her here tomorrow."
There was no need to say what Adriaan wanted to do. In his heart, other than little Emma, who else could be more suitable for the role of Hermione?
"Isn't this a little too big for me to wear?" In Emma's bedroom, the little girl gestured at the Gryffindor uniform that was spread on the bed. Then, she turned her gaze to the wig and sighed. "I still have to wear this."
"Is there a problem?" Adrian asked with a smile as he looked at her nagging.
"Of course." Emma picked up the wig with two fingers and shook it. "It's so furry. Don't you think that if I wear it, I will look like … a Pekingese?"
"Of course not." Adriaan said as he took the wig and put it on for her. After a few tries, it was finally done, but the effect was …
"I'm not wrong." Emma put her hands on her hips and looked at herself in the mirror, shaking her head.
"You know, I'm not a makeup artist, so …" Adriaan, who was behind her, scratched his head. "How about this, when we arrive at the set tomorrow, I will get a professional to do it for you. Now, try changing your clothes."
"Alright, alright." The little girl stuck out her tongue and threw the wig aside. Then, she started to take off her top.
"Wait, what are you doing?" Adriaan asked hurriedly.
Emma looked at him in confusion, but her hands did not stop moving. "Changing clothes, of course. Didn't you say that just now?"
"You should wait for me to go out before you take off your clothes, or go to the bathroom to change." Adriaan sighed. "You are already nine years old, Emma."
Although that was what he said, the little girl did not listen to him at all. In a few moments, she was only left with her underwear. Adriaan rolled his eyes and turned his back to the girl.
"Really, it's not like you haven't bathed me before." Emma mumbled. Adriaan rolled his eyes again, and then, he heard a few teasing laughter.
"I'm changing." After a long while, the girl's voice was heard again. Adriaan turned his body slightly and glanced at Emma. After making sure that she was really dressed, he turned around completely.
The clothes were a little big. After all, it was designed for an 11-year-old child. However, the girl still looked cute and elegant when she wore it. It was not much different from what Adriaan remembered.
"It's perfect, isn't it? If the clothes were smaller, it would be more suitable. " Pulling her in front of him, he straightened her clothes and adjusted his tie. "This role was tailor-made for you, Emma," he said.
However, the girl pursed her lips. "Do you really think I'm suitable for the role of Hermione, Eide?"
"Of course. Don't you like this novel?" Adriaan looked at her and asked.
"Liking it is one thing, and acting it is another. This makes me …" Emma thought for a moment. "… confused."
"Really?" Adriaan squinted his eyes and sighed after a while. "Alright, if you're not willing …"
"I didn't say that." Emma quickly interrupted him. She puffed up her chest and pretended to be righteous. "I've said it before. As long as you want it, I'll do it. How can I break my promise!"
"That's right," Adriaan said leisurely. His squinted eyes did not open.
Emma suddenly felt that something was wrong. It seemed that … he had already seen through it. Unfortunately, before she could even make a move to escape, she was pressed down on the bed by him.
"Aiyaya! Help! "Giggling cries for help could be heard from the room.
The next day, when Emma appeared in front of Rowling and Columbus in her Gryffindor uniform and a wig, both of them were shocked. Especially when Emma puffed out her chest and proudly shook hands with them, just like Hermione, they couldn't help but open their mouths wide open.
"Oh God, I didn't think of the most suitable …" Rowling covered her mouth and looked at Adriaan as if she wanted to save some face. "You're cheating, Eide. You have to know how she's dressed …"
"Do you really think so, Joe?" Adriaan asked with a smile.
After hesitating for a moment, Rowling admitted, "Alright, Emma is indeed very … like she came out of a novel. Oh, I really didn't think that the most suitable person would be by my side. This is unbelievable."
While she was sighing, Columbus pulled Emma aside and asked, "Have you acted in a movie or a play before, Emma?"
"I acted in a few plays in school. But when Eide was filming in London, I often went to the set to play. So, I know a lot about movie production. Don't worry, Mr. Director," Emma said with a smile. Emma said with a smile. At the same time, she maintained her proud demeanor, as if these were insignificant things. This made her look very cute and interesting.
No matter who and what kind of situation she was in, she would call Adriaan Eide. She was not like a girl who liked rock and roll, who seemed like a bad girl but was actually very pure, who had to add the prefix "uncle" as the start of her name.
"Ha, is she your niece, Eide?" Columbus asked in surprise.
Needless to say, both Rowling and Columbus were very satisfied with what happened next, especially after Columbus knew about what happened between Emma and Adriaan. He was full of sympathy and admiration for the little girl.
"The disaster when she was young made her a little precocious. But under your influence, she didn't become autistic. Instead, she let go of herself. At the same time, she didn't lose her cuteness. She has a kind of intelligent and amiable magic. She is Hermione," Columbus said in the end.
The matter was settled. However, Emma still had to go through the audition process to prevent people from gossiping about her, even though it was very normal. In many films that were open to the public, the main roles were basically recommended by people in the industry. Therefore, an actor's connections and agent were very important. Wasn't the original Harry selected in the same way?
He wondered who would get the important roles in this version. In addition, he had to remind the crew that Jenny had to choose a cute and beautiful little girl. Unless Rowling changed the outline, it was necessary to prepare for a rainy day. However, although Adriaan wanted to stay in London to see the other roles with his own eyes, he still had a movie to produce and could not stay away for too long. So, after confirming that Emma would be playing Hermione, he stayed for another two days and then prepared to return to New Zealand.
However, before he went back, there was still one thing he had to do.
"It's such a pity. If I were younger, I would definitely fight for this role." In the crew's office, Kayla was flipping through the design drawings of Hogwarts that Emma had handed to her.
"You can do it now. There are still many roles, such as Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and so on," said Emma.
Although Kayla was five years older than Emma, they had always had a good relationship. So, when Emma invited her to the Harry Potter set, she agreed without hesitation.
"I'm not going to play such a small role," Kayla shrugged. "You know, usually, a film adaptation of a novel will focus on a few main characters. The supporting characters will be used if necessary and removed if not."
"Really?" Emma asked curiously.
"Of course, my mother is a screenwriter." Kayla continued to shrug. "Didn't Eide tell you?"
"Yes." Adriaan's voice was heard. "Although Emma is very smart, there are some things that she might not understand."
"That was in the past. I definitely understand now." Emma made a face at Adriaan, who was walking over.
"Of course, of course. You're all grown up now." Adriaan laughed and kissed her on the head. He then looked at Kayla. "Sorry, Kayla. I'm leaving London soon, so I have a lot of things to do."
"It's okay, I … know. You're always busy." Kayla forced a smile. The depression that disappeared after chatting with Emma surged between her brows again, accompanied by obvious anxiety and indignation.
After chatting for a while, Adriaan noticed it and asked, "You seem very unhappy, Kayla. What's on your mind?"
"I …" Kayla opened her mouth and closed it again. She bit her lip and turned away, the irritation in her eyes growing stronger.
Adriaan did not say anything. He just looked at her and waited quietly. Emma, who was next to him, did the same.
"I want to talk to you, Eide." Kayla finally spoke. She gritted her teeth as if she was holding back something. "In private."
They found an empty room and closed the door. After Kayla sat down, Adriaan sat opposite her. "Is this okay?"
Kayla did not say anything. She lowered her head and rubbed her hands, as if she did not know what to say.
"Relax, Kayla. Don't be so nervous. There's only the two of us here," Adriaan said patiently. "I've always been a good listener, right? So, if there's anything that you don't want your parents or others to know, you can tell me. I won't say anything. "
"I've talked to my parents, but … they can't solve the problem at all," Kayla said irritably. "Apart from them, only you … make me want to talk to you. Although I didn't really like you before, you … gave me a very friendly feeling. At least, you didn't tell anyone about what we talked about before … but …" Kyla said irritably.
She paused and looked at Adriaan with suspicion and hesitation.
"I want to apologize to you, Kayla." Adriaan then said, "When I came to visit you in London at the beginning of the year, I already noticed that you weren't in a good mood. But I had something to take care of, so I couldn't talk to you. Although I still have something to do now, I have more time than before, so I asked Emma to invite you out. "
Although it was none of his business, he still apologized. Kayla, who had been troubled by her dyslexia, was a very sensitive girl. Deep down, she had a strong belief that "it's not me that's wrong, it's the world". So, whenever there was a conflict, the way to solve the problem was to go along with what she wanted to say first. Forceful confrontation would only make things worse.
Under Adriaan's influence and after becoming friends with Emma, she had changed. But now, Emma told Adriaan that she had become sensitive to many things again. Thinking about how she wanted to confide in him when she came to London, Adriaan asked Emma to invite Kayla over.
"It was you who asked Emma to invite me out?" The girl asked in surprise. When Adriaan nodded affirmatively, her previous suspicions faded a lot. But she still hesitated and did not continue, as if it was difficult for her to say it.
Adriaan did not rush her and waited patiently. Finally, Kai opened the cuffs, and a look of surprise and astonishment appeared on his face.
"What kind of women do you like?" Then, she continued, "Or, what kind of women do men like?"
"Why are you asking this?" Adriaan looked at her in confusion. "And isn't this question too general?"
"Okay." Kayla closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Since she had already said it, it did not matter if she said more. "Do men like women with good figures? Do they especially like women with big breasts? Is it whether a woman is attractive or not, and how attractive, depends on the size of her breasts?! "
If it were someone else, they might be confused, but Adriaan immediately understood. After all, everyone knew about Kayla's "Flatboard Princess" title in his previous life. It was easy to guess what Kayla was triggered by now. But wasn't she a bit too much? How old was she now? She actually started to care about this. But then again, Western girls had indeed started to develop at this age, but she looked …
"Of course not." Adriaan smiled and tried to make his smile look gentle.
"You're lying!" Kayla tightened her lips and hugged her arms. She glared at him like a porcupine that had curled up after being provoked.
"I didn't. There are many reasons why men like a woman. The size of her breasts is not the deciding factor," Adriaan explained, but Kayla still looked like she did not accept it.
"Okay, let's talk about breasts. Some men do like women with big breasts, but some also like flat-chested women. To them, flat-chested women might be more attractive." Adriaan shrugged. "If you want a more accurate answer, then I like you when you're flat-chested, Kayla."
The girl was shocked at first. Then, her face turned red and she seemed to be angry. "You're still lying to me! Don't think I don't know you. Those tabloids … "
"Can you understand a person just by reading tabloids?" Adriaan spread his hands. "I do like women with good breasts, but why can't I like flat-chested women? That's another kind of charm. "
Kayla stared at him for a while, and her tense face finally relaxed. "Prove it to me."
"Huh?" Adriaan blinked. Before he could react, the girl grabbed his hand and pressed it against her chest. She looked at him with determination. "Prove it to me!"
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