American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 36 I won.

The true income of Hollywood A-listers is something outsiders can't really calculate.

Because the income of the real big shots is hexagonal, just like Empire Destroyer Dragon, it is very comprehensive.

Film salaries and box office revenue sharing are just the most basic and widely known things.

In addition, if you are strong enough, you can also get a share of the videotape revenue. If you break it down further, there are even three types: VHS, VCD, and DVD. In the future, this thing can also be extended to streaming media revenue sharing.

However, it must be marked separately, otherwise the production company will not provide it.

If we delve deeper, there are actually other things that can be divided into categories. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron once made a short film called "Terminator 2 3D: The Time War," which is an extension of the "Terminator" series, but at the same time, it is also a CGI demonstration film for a Universal Studios indoor game.

Because theme parks are very profitable, Universal promised that governors and truck drivers would receive a share of the profits from the game services during the project's development, and that the dividends would continue as long as the project existed, with a minimum payment period of five years.

Yes, for a long time, both of their incomes included revenue sharing from Universal's ticket sales.

Of course, receiving a share of the amusement park ticket revenue is a truly top-tier privilege. Forget about the A-list, even if you're an A+, many people wouldn't even be worthy of discussing it. In the entire industry, only a handful of powerful individuals who can create their own IPs can enjoy this kind of treatment.

So, ultimately, box office revenue and video revenue sharing represent the income ceiling that most people in the industry can reach. When Warner Bros. was willing to include these two factors in the contract, they were already showing great sincerity.

The reason Warner Bros. offered a package deal for the two projects was because Hollywood accounts can be mixed up.

Barry Mayer's secretary felt that the fixed salary of $20 million per film plus 5% of the box office revenue was a bit too little to get Chris Columbus back for "Azkaban" and "Goblet of Fire".
It's ok!
Why don't I just give you a $1000 million salary for your role on "The Voice" plus a 7.5% cut of the box office and videotape sales?

Hollywood salaries are calculated based on the size of the project. Judging from the current situation of "The Voice," it's at best a B-tier project. Under these circumstances, even if Spielberg were to participate, his base salary wouldn't reach 1000 million.

But does it matter?
The extra money was Warner Bros.' compensation for Chris Columbus's missing earnings on "Azkaban" and "Goblet of Fire"!

Well, unless you're directly involved in the project, you'll never know whether a Hollywood project is profitable or not. When Harry Potter had become a pillar of Barry Mayer's power, the project's revenue had to look very good. Therefore, necessary but financially unappealing expenditures had to be sourced from other areas.

This is also why many people can't understand why Hollywood can turn a project that seems impossible to lose money into an epic financial disaster. These projects are bearing burdens that are not their responsibility.

Hollywood has been using this formula for decades, and Spielberg has done it many times. So after a simple calculation, Columbus realized that Warner Bros. actually paid him about $80 million per film for the last two Harry Potter movies.

The base is 20 million, and with a 5% share of the profits based on 1 billion in box office revenue, that's 50 million. After deducting the revenue from "The Voice" according to the B-class standard, the proceeds from "Azkaban" and "Goblet of Fire" would still amount to 10 million.

If Columbus said he wasn't tempted by such an offer, he would be lying.

Even though he was very tempted, he hesitated at this moment because Warner's arrangements were too exploitative.

After filming "The Secret Room," they immediately started filming "The Voice of China"?
Then they'll all be released at the end of the year?
This method does allow him to reap the greatest benefits, but it also means that he has no rest.

Because after finishing "The Voice of China", "Azkaban" will start.

After finishing Azkaban, Goblet of Fire will have to continue...

After all, making a movie isn't something you can just do by grabbing a camera and shooting; you have to prepare!

The thought that there were three more films after "Goblet of Fire" was finished... He had already made four films in one series. Unless the box office was a complete flop, Warner Bros. would definitely stick to him and let him finish making the series... His head suddenly started spinning.

It's 2002 now, and he's about to finalize contracts for six movies all at once?

I'm sending this out specifically...

How long will it take to film this?
Wouldn't that kill him with exhaustion?
Columbus waved to Warner's negotiators, indicating that he wanted some private space.

But, as the other party left...

With a whoosh, he appeared at the door of the dormitory belonging to the Heywood family and knocked on the door.

Catherine opened the door. Once inside, Columbus found the usually mischievous little girl sitting on the sofa with her mother, staring at the contract on the coffee table with a troubled expression.

Upon seeing who it was, the little guy instantly perked up, excitedly inviting him to sit down and hoping he could offer some industry-related opinions on Warner's offer.

This was a perfectly normal request for help, but Columbus suddenly wanted to tease the little girl...

“Isa, theoretically speaking, I shouldn’t be able to see your contract.”

"So it can be seen in actual operation? Director, I understand what you mean."

"Well, you can't look at it during actual practice either."

"..."

Isabella felt like she was choking.

He pursed his lips and said, "So, may I ask you, Chris Columbus, what are you doing in my dorm room right now?"

Columbus came over late at night just to look at the contract, didn't he?

What else can he do?
Isabella just didn't understand!
Vivian and Columbus chuckled at the disrespectful remarks.

Vivian felt that her youngest daughter hadn't learned to control her emotions yet; she was like a firework, easily ignited.

Columbus, however, found her adorable. He smiled, leaned back on the sofa, and said nonchalantly, "Can't I come if I want to?"

"No."

"But you've already let me in."

"Sister—throw him out—"

Isabella put on a sullen, puppy-dog face.

She found this guy really annoying.

She really wants to talk business right now!
Upon hearing this, Catherine turned her head away, feigning ignorance, while Columbus laughed and waved his hand, signaling to stop.

"Okay, okay, I was just kidding, don't kick me out."

Why did Columbus like to make children's films?
That's because it's relaxing to be around cute little kids.

Film crews are also a society; it's much better to chat and laugh with children than to scheme and fight with adults.

and so……

Stay?

possible?

better?

After coaxing Isabella a few times, Isabella, knowing that Columbus was just teasing her, took the opportunity to show her magnanimity and 'reluctantly' forgave him. Then, the two talked about serious business, namely Warner's invitation.

In Columbus's eyes, Warner Bros.' offer of £2.5 million fixed salary plus 250% of the total revenue for Isabella's role in The Voice was already quite generous.

After all, no matter how good Hermione Granger is, it's just one movie when it comes to Isabella, right?
According to industry practice, for women, even with the best film credits, the maximum salary for a non-A-list project is only 30 yuan.

But what about Warner?

Putting everything else aside, they offered Isabella a million dollars to appear on "The Voice".

Still the pound!

To put it bluntly, if word got out about this price, every actress in the industry would be green with envy!
Because Warner is showing everyone through its actions that Isabella Haywood is our little princess at Warner!
Whether you acknowledge it or not, Warner Music acknowledges her as an A-list member!

Don't underestimate this kind of recognition.

On the surface, an actor's status is determined by box office performance, but if the production company doesn't buy into it, then it's all nonsense.

Yes, you starred in a movie that grossed over a billion, but the production company felt that your contribution to the movie was not significant, so they didn't pay you the corresponding salary. At that time, you lost not only your status, but also your reputation.

It's vulgar to measure a person's status with money, but it's still more direct than fans just shouting slogans, isn't it?

"I think this is a good opportunity to sign."

After reviewing the contract, Columbus shared his opinion.

“Oh, Director Chris, I think the same thing.”

Vivian chimed in, "I also think this contract is very sincere. In addition, Warner Bros. has promised that Isa's salary in future HP works will not be lower than Daniel's... I personally think this is the best promise."

"Is such that."

Columbus nodded and smiled, "So what were you all arguing about just now?"

He pointed at Isabella, then glanced at Vivian, "When I came in, you..."

"Oh~ that's because Isa felt it was a bit of a waste to sell the copyright..."

Vivian smiled and explained.

Yes!

No matter how sincere Warner is, the contract they offer is just a standard copyright transaction.

To put it simply, once the contract is signed, all the copyrights belong to Warner.

Such transactions are indeed common in the industry, but...

"My God, Isa, are you reminiscing about what I said earlier?"

Columbus understood Vivian's meaning, and looked at the little girl with a wry smile, saying, "Child, what I said before was the best-case scenario. In our current situation, getting the copyright... will be very difficult..."

Ok.

Before Columbus arrived, Isabella looked conflicted because she wanted to control the copyright.

Control the copyright of the script and control the copyright of the songs.

As for film copyrights?

She wouldn't even consider that.

What's the difference between controlling film copyrights and owning your own film studio?

She's not capable of doing this job.

Even so, Isabella knew that her thirst for copyrights might be a bit greedy, but isn't it true that everyone looks out for themselves? Besides, Warner Bros. had tricked her last year! How could these people, the world's largest media conglomerate, try to outsmart a young girl like her? They'd be laughed at if word got out!
So, it's okay for her to hold a grudge, right?

And the grudge was remembered...

"Director, is there really no other way?"

Isabella gazed intently at Columbus.

Because Columbus just described controlling copyright as 'difficult'.

There must be a solution.

Columbus liked the girl's intelligence, "but you have to answer one question for me first."

"what is the problem?"

Isabella perked up.

Do you want me to stay?

Chris Columbus went straight for the ball.

Since Warner Bros. wanted the two to develop "The Voice" together, and the script for "The Voice" was even created under Columbus's guidance, it was inevitable that they would share information in the contract.

Since Warner Bros. bundled The Voice, Azkaban, and Goblet of Fire into a single project, reviewing all the contracts became an unavoidable task.

Well, to put it simply, that means Isabella also read Columbus's contract.

It was given to us by Columbus.

So when she learned that Warner wanted Columbus to stay...

"Director, this is a really difficult question to answer."

The little girl sighed.

"How difficult is it?"

Columbus asked with a smile.

“It’s very difficult, because everything I have now is thanks to Aunt Anne.”

Isabella's meaning was clear: without J.K. Rowling, she wouldn't be where she is today. Therefore, before J.K. Rowling made her stance clear, she couldn't express her opinion on Columbus's fate.

"What if there's no such reason?"

Columbus knew this was true, but he wanted to hear the results, so he said, "Let's make an assumption."

"Assuming there's no grudge between me and Joanne, and you were just chosen through the motions, you know I don't care who gets the other roles besides Harry. That's the honest truth, and I have no problem with you..."

"If that's the case, I hope you'll stay."

Since Columbus had put it that way, Isabella no longer hesitated. "It's not only because we've had a pleasant working relationship, but also because... you're a good person. At least that's how I see you."

"Or rather, in the eyes of our whole family, that's how you are."

"Hahahaha~" Columbus laughed heartily.

Not only that, he also patted the sofa armrest twice.

Vivian, standing to the side, hugged her daughter and gently patted her head with a slight smile.

Isabella wasn't lying; she genuinely thought the Columbus people were nice.

This wasn't because Columbus taught her anything, but because when Columbus and Rowling had a conflict, he was still able to uphold his professional ethics and make a good film. This alone is enough to prove that he clearly separated work from personal grudges.

Or perhaps, his love for movies is purely platonic.

When a person can purely like something, they are likely to be kind, if not 100%. Because pure liking without grudges or self-interest is truly rare in society; generally, it requires a childlike innocence.

Of course, besides the fact that Columbus was a good person, Isabella's reason for wanting him to stay was also related to her memories from her past life.

In her previous life, Azkaban was directed by Alfonso Cuarón, right?
Isabella doesn't even comment on how well the movie was made.

Anyway, this person openly stated that he had never read Harry Potter before making the movie.

That's right!

I haven't read "Dream of the Red Chamber," but Hollywood has made films based on it!
And they are just as proud of it!

Later, after a change of cast, "Goblet of Fire" regained its quality—or rather, its box office performance.

And *The Order of the Phoenix*, *The Half-Blood Prince*, *Deathly Hallows*...

Those are all works by David Yates.

Anyone who's ever been a fan of Harry Potter should know where the title "Class A War Criminal" came from.

Leaving aside the fact that David Yates abandoned Chris Columbus's meticulously crafted British style in terms of costumes, makeup, and props, let's just talk about his cinematography. The fact that a film can contain so many Ubisoft-esque static dialogue sequences is truly...

To put it bluntly, I could do that too!
When the last six Harry Potter movies were indeed not as good as the first two, Isabella genuinely hoped that Columbus could stay.

She knew that embracing history was the safest way to achieve success, but...

She definitely liked the Harry Potter story in her past life.

"Okay, let's stop here for today. Get some rest, we have filming tomorrow morning."

After laughing, Columbus slapped his thigh and stood up with a satisfied expression.

This situation left Isabella puzzled. "Director, you haven't told me what to do yet."

"Huh? You believe what I just said offhand?"

Columbus shrugged, looking utterly astonished. "Obtaining copyright is a huge deal! How could I possibly do that?"

"..."

Isabella was stunned!
So this guy is just fooling kids!

She put on a puppy-dog face again.

This time, she was truly angry.

Columbus laughed and ruffled her hair, then turned to her mother, Vivian, and said, "Mrs. Haywood, could you please comfort Isaac?" The next second, he looked at Catherine and said, "Bye-bye, Catherine."

The fact that she wasn't allowed to say goodbye to Isabella made the little girl pout, but after her mother and older sister coaxed her to sleep...

Within a few days, the entire crew's attitude changed.

Because J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. reached an agreement to expand their collaboration;
Warner Bros. acquired the film adaptation rights to "Azkaban" and "Goblet of Fire".

Meanwhile, David Heyman, who doesn't usually come to Livingston, also appeared in the group;
We discussed the contract renewal with everyone;

And asked everyone if the collaboration was going well...

"Oh, Bonnie, you seem to be having a good time on set?"

"Yes." "And do you want this comfort to last?"

"of course."

"..."

"Rupert, our collaboration will continue, so what areas do you think the production team needs to improve?"

"Um...can I have more delicious food? I want to eat ice cream every day..."

"Of course, I agree. Is there anything else?"

"Uh...can I skip doing my homework?"

"No."

"That's gone."

"..."

"Okay, Tom, do you have any suggestions for me?"

"I have no objections. I think everything is fine on set. We're happy and enjoying our work."

"What if there are personnel changes? Can you accept that?"

"What? You want to replace them?"

"No, no, no, what I mean is, if someone is gone for some reason, you..."

“I can’t accept it. I think the current state of the production team is quite comfortable, but I respect the production team’s choice.”

"..."

David Heyman's interactions with everyone were all conducted openly and honestly.

Therefore, his inquiry was seen by many as pure concern.

But Isabella knew that he was gathering opinions from the masses.

Since that was the case, Isabella was prepared to launch into a tirade, however...

David Heyman didn't even bother to ask her.

I didn't even ask Daniel.

This left them staring at each other, completely bewildered.

So they're not part of the masses?
Just as the two were confused about what was going on, another guest came to the set that night—J.K. Rowling.

She brought gifts for everyone, saying it was a celebration of their continued collaboration in the future.

After having dinner with everyone, that night, David Heyman, under the guise of visiting an old friend, sneaked into Daniel's dorm, while J.K. Rowling, under the pretext of checking if the girl was slacking off, visited Isabella's room. As the lights came on...

"Isa, do you want Chris to stay?"

Rowling sat on the edge of the little girl's bed, looking at Isabella with a smile.

"Aunt Anne, I'll listen to you."

Isabella's stance was very firm.

Rowling shook her head at his earnest expression. "Darling, I'm here to understand your thoughts."

“I know you are a grateful child, so no matter what happens, you will always stand firmly on my side. But I also want to say that I chose you because you are very honest.”

"Your honesty and straightforwardness are what I like most about you."

"Because it made me feel a sincerity that is rare in society."

"So, can you tell me if you want Chris to stay?"

"..."

Rowling's gaze made Isabella take a deep breath. After a long silence, she nodded and said, "Yes."

"Why?"

Rowling wasn't angry, but continued, "Can you tell me your reasons?"

"Because we probably can't find a better director than Chris."

Isabella said, "The whole world knows that Chris is the King of the Kids. With him in charge of HP, HP can continue to be successful. So, when our task is to present the magical world you wrote to the fans and the audience to the greatest extent, it should be the best choice to have an outstanding director who respects the original work continue to make films."

"Then, I also want to say that I don't want the movie to be ruined while I'm still playing Hermione Granger."

"This is my career."

The little girl spoke her mind.

As the words fell silent, the large room became quiet.

Rowling didn't respond, quietly gazing at Isabella. After some time, a smile suddenly appeared on her lips.

He patted Isabella's bed with both hands...

It's quite soft.

Looking around, she noticed a pile of manuscript papers on the desk...

Even without reading it, she knew it was a script.

He got up and opened Isabella's wardrobe...

She was a little surprised, "Why did you put your costume back on?"

Isabella had several Hogwarts cloaks hanging in her wardrobe.

"Oh, this is what I usually wear. I just put it on when it's cold."

The young woman said, "Since I started working on set, I haven't left the set much. We do have heating here in winter, but sometimes I feel a bit cold wearing just a sweater, so... it's just something I do..."

Rowling was amused by this reason.

He glanced at the wardrobe a few times, then closed it, turned around, and looked at Isabella.

"Isa."

"Ok?"

Jessica will soon have a younger brother or sister.

"???"

“At this point, I don’t want to compete with anyone anymore, and I don’t have the energy to keep an eye on a project. Just like you said, Chris is indeed the best candidate for us right now, especially when I need stability, so…”

Rowling winked at the little girl, "Just relax and cooperate with him."

“I know you support me, and I know you want to do better, so you don’t need to worry that I will be angry.”

"Finally, come visit me sometime. You know, Jessica and Neil both like you, and of course, me too."

Is J.K. Rowling pregnant?

Isabella was stunned!!!
She truly hadn't expected Rowling's attitude toward Columbus staying behind to manifest itself in this way!
This is just too... too... too... too ridiculous!

Ok.

Isabella had actually wondered if Columbus left Harry Potter in his previous life because Rowling was against it.

Because Rowling is someone who can work with a director for a long time, like David Yates.

cough.

In that case, Columbus left? That can only be attributed to historical contradictions.

It was precisely because the two of them had a real conflict that Isabella had been very conflicted in dealing with their relationship in the past.

And now...

"You...you...you..."

She no longer knew how to speak.

"Four weeks."

Rowling understood what she meant and nodded with a smile.

When this confirmation came, Isabella was genuinely stunned.

But life is ruthless, and it simply doesn't give her time to process the explosive news.

On Saturday, June 1st, three days after Rowling visited the set.

Chris Columbus called the Heywood family out of the film set.

The three then spotted Robert Iger at a private restaurant in London.

The appearance of the Disney COO made Isabella feel like she had been kidnapped.

She feels like she's been sleepwalking lately.

Yes.

She knew that everything around her was moving rapidly, but she didn't know how it was moving.

This is very frustrating.

As they arrived, Robert Iger greeted her, her mother, and Catherine. Then, he got straight to the point: "I can help you get the rights from Warner, but I have two conditions."

"First, I want to add someone to your project."

"We at Disney want the role of the older sister in your script."

"Because we want to push people."

"Second, for the next non-HP project, Isa, you must put it at Disney."

“We don’t sign contracts; everything is based on verbal agreements.”

“As long as you agree, I’ll take care of Barry Mayer.”

"..."

Well, it feels more like a dream now.

What the hell is all this nonsense?!

Why did Robert Iger suddenly jump out and say he could help them get the copyright?
Dear!
You're the COO of Disney, not Warner Bros.!

So……

“Look in my eyes.”

Isabella looked at Columbus. "Tell me, what's going on?"

"The situation is simple: I didn't lie to you."

Isabella's helplessness made Columbus laugh, and he shrugged, saying, "Didn't you want the copyright? I got it for you."

"..."

Isabella's vision went black.

I turned my head to look at my mom and sister. Good, their eyes were also very clear.

"Okay, let's not waste any more time, it's very simple..."

Columbus's bewildered expression brought a smile to his face.

He stopped teasing the children and began to recount recent events:
Since Warner's offer was very reasonable, and Warner, David Heyman, Rowling, and most of the team wanted him to stay, he chose to stay. However, he did not sign a contract directly because Isabella wanted the copyright.

This might be difficult for others, but for him...

too easy.

Just have hands.

Previously, Robert Iger had approached Isabella, wanting to bring "The Voice" to Disney.
Okay, so let Disney and Warner bid against each other now. Let Robert Iger call Barry Mayer directly and show him that Disney is absolutely determined to get The Voice. Disney is willing to match Warner's offer and even raise the stakes by giving up the script and song rights in the project, clearly indicating to Barry Mayer to call. Wouldn't that solve the problem?

Because all the issues on HP's side have been resolved!

When Barry Mayer needs HP, they have no choice but to accept it!
As for why not talk directly to Barry Mayer?

It's very simple: negotiations without competition are just wrangling.

It takes a lot of time.

In competitive negotiations, you can win both sides.

You can get everything easily and happily.

As for why Robert Iger would help them do such a strange thing?
"Because Bob wanted to see Jobs, I called my teacher."

We met at noon and talked over lunch.

While munching on French snails, Chris Columbus mumbled, "Isa, do you remember the movie 'Dinosaur'? The one you guys skipped to see before. Disney and Pixar had a falling out... and right now, Bob wants to rebuild his friendship with Pixar, and my mentor Steven was a good friend of Jobs..."

Disney won't be able to produce computer animation anytime soon.

Therefore, after thinking for a long time, Robert Iger decided that he must get in touch with Steve Jobs.

Only by gaining Steve Jobs's friendship could Disney gain the space to develop its own products.

Furthermore, once he gained Jobs's friendship, he would have a ticket to the top.

Roy Disney wants to kick Michael Eisner out of the company?

Okay! If Roy Disney becomes chairman, then the position of chairman of Disney will be vacant, right? In this case, his friendship with Pixar would give him a direct opportunity to run for the position!

Because most shareholders want performance, and Pixar delivers performance!
Even if Roy Disney hadn't killed Michael Eisner, his friendship with Pixar would have allowed him to charge against the tyrant! After all, Toy Story and Monsters, Inc. are major IPs!

The shareholders will not give up!
As long as he can make money for Disney, the shareholders will support him, and if the live-action films can make a breakthrough while stabilizing the animation industry.
Who is the tyrant?
Tell me!

Now that the strategy is clear, we can just execute it.

Although he knew Jobs, there needs to be a middleman to make friends.

In the current situation, who is the best person to act as a middleman?

Of course, it's Lucas and Spielberg!

Steve Jobs knew them before Jaws was even released!

It was Lucas who sold Pixar to Jobs!

That's nearly thirty years of friendship. If he can get involved, what can Eisner do against him?
So……

When Isabella learned that Columbus could get Robert Iger's help simply by making a phone call to Spielberg, she really wanted to laugh.

Many things are difficult for you, but for others, they are just a word.

This is really...

Wait, something's not right?
She seems to be a beneficiary now!

So what's the point of her being sentimental?

Vivian exchanged a glance with her mother and nodded, which meant that the cooperation had been reached.

Immediately afterwards, in front of them, Iger made a phone call to Barry Mayer.

Then, upon learning that Robert Iger was going to be the troublemaker, Barry Mayer, who knew everything, didn't hesitate and directly stated that the new contract would be sent to England within a day.

At that time, they will have everything they want.

Game...

Over.

　Notes: ① Spielberg's *Schindler* and *Jurassic Park* are classic examples of packaged projects in Hollywood history. Spielberg didn't receive money from *Schindler*, but he did receive $250 million from *Jurassic Park*, regardless of copyright. This is common practice in the industry. ② Only big names like Spielberg receive a share of theme park box office revenue. His *Jurassic Park* still generates revenue from Universal Studios ticket sales, and he's earned more over the years than Universal shareholders. *Columbus* also receives a share, for *Gremlins*, which also has theme park projects overseas. ③ When studios use packaged projects to supplement creators' income, they don't bear project losses. For example, *The Voice* had a $20 million investment; the studios themselves contributed 20%, or $4 million, and then the project was handed over to Wall Street to become a film investment fund. Therefore, don't worry about whether *The Voice*'s offer was reasonable, because in reality, studios have never lost money on projects they've booked. ④ Rowling's first son after her remarriage was born in March 2003, and she was indeed pregnant at the time mentioned in the article. ⑤ Columbus did initially intend to make seven movies. In reality, he said he gave up Harry Potter to return to his family, but after leaving Harry Potter, he started two more projects, which were all just excuses.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)