American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 69 Golden Mask and Little Golden Man

On February 5, 2003, Powell presented a test tube containing white powder at the Security Council, claiming that Iraq possessed chemical weapons, and from then on, the shadow of war loomed over the world.

Since the general public dislikes war, after the "laundry detergent" incident, peace organizations in many parts of the world planned anti-war marches. Then, on February 15, large-scale protests broke out in several major Western cities such as London, Rome, Paris, and Berlin. The total number of participants exceeded 6 million, and is estimated to be around 10 million.

When an explosive social event occurs, entertainment is immediately destroyed.

Isabella became this year's Oscar nominee for Best Actress at the age of 12 years and 329 days.

Aside from fans and die-hard Oscar supporters, who cares about you?
Right?

Once the public's attention shifted away, all the turmoil vanished, a fact that suffocated Isabella's rivals.

“Oh—No—”

"How come this guy is so lucky???"

Everyone was puzzled.

But it is not important.

Because they lack the ability to change the status quo.

No matter how resentful or jealous they are, it can only be impotent rage.

Because the world's progress will not stop because of human will—

On March 23, 2003, seven days after the protests began, the British Academy Film Awards were held at the Odion Cinema in Leicester Square, London. At this year's Academy Awards, *The Voice* received a total of 13 nominations, making it the best film of the year.

Finally, The Voice awarded Best Original Screenplay to Isabella and Catherine, Best Original Music and Most Promising Newcomer to Isabella, and Best British Film to the entire cast and crew.

As for the rest?
Isabella said she shouldn't be ostentatious.

So J.K. Rowling granted her wish.

Otherwise...

As mentioned earlier, the British Academy Film Awards are under the direct control of the Royal Society.

If Isabella is willing to go all out and be shameless, then the princess would dare to award all the awards, such as Best Picture and Best Actress, to her best friend, and everyone in the industry would just stand up and applaud.

Because many people in the British entertainment industry, and even in Hollywood, have received funding from the Royal Film Fund.

Since the British Isles were Isabella's own territory.

Therefore, names like Miramax and Harvey Weinstein completely disappeared from this year's awards ceremony.

Pathé Films' "The Pianist" won Best Film;
Roman Polanski won Best Director for this film;
Adrien Brody won the Best Actor award.

The Best Actress award went to Salma Hayek, a Latina actress whose film this year was Frida Kahlo.

The Best Supporting Actor award went to Christopher Walken for his role as Frank in "Catch Me If You Can".

The Best Supporting Actress award went to Meryl Streep for her role as Susan Orleans in Adaptation…

Although the results made Isabella very happy, she did not attend this year's British Academy Film Awards ceremony.

As for the reason?

It's not that she's too proud to show her face.

She's British, and she's not going to attend a royal awards ceremony because she's proud? That's just plain stupid!
But right now, she's extremely busy—

"Oh—is this our country's most promising new film talent this year? And the winner of Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best British Film? Good heavens—I've finally met a living legend—"

"Yes, yes—Ms. Isabella Heywood, could you give me an autograph?"

"I want an autograph too! I want an autograph too!"

"Ms. Isabella Heywood, could you sign your name on my dress? I want to wear it everywhere! I want to take it home, frame it, and treasure it! Perhaps a hundred years from now, it will be an antique!"

"..."

The cacophony of shouts made Isabella's eyelids twitch.

Looking at the troublemaking little rascals... uh... middle-aged rascals?, she frowned and shouted, "Are you guys crazy? Is this the first time you've met me?"

"Radish! Were you the one who started this uproar?"

"Egg Girl! You must have supported it too, right?"

"And you! Young master! Pull your chest back! You little punk, and you're asking me for an autograph? You're not even half as strong as Neville! Don't believe me? You can bump into him."

"hahahahaha~~~"

Before the little girl could finish speaking, Matthew Lewis, who plays Neville Longbottom, raised his head like a rooster.

The fact that she wanted to challenge the young master made everyone burst into laughter, and it also made the young master roll his eyes. He shook his head and reached out his hand to Isabella, saying, "Congratulations, Isabella, you did a great job filming 'The Voice'..."

Yes ~
In the UK, within the entertainment industry, the only thing more important than the British Academy Film Awards is Harry Potter, which represents the resurgence of British culture and creates numerous jobs for the British entertainment industry.

The script for "Azkaban" was finalized at the end of January.

Because preparations were ongoing, the special effects props for the film could be made in advance, and Livingston never closed its doors. Therefore, the finalization of the script meant the start of filming. After speaking with everyone on the phone, David Heyman set the start date for "Azkaban" on February 16, with the official start date being February 24.

Although the timing did put Isabella in a difficult position to walk the red carpet, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts didn't care at all. After learning that Isabella couldn't attend, they immediately offered to send her the trophy.

Well, the awards ceremony hasn't even been held yet, and they're already saying they can deliver the trophy.

Sure enough, the awards ceremony just ended yesterday, and this morning, the golden mask symbolizing honor appeared before Isabella.

This is really...

No more pretending.

However, Isabella thought this was fine. Since I am strong, why should I hide?
"Oh~ Isa~ It's been so long, you've become even more beautiful."

"Thank you, Ms. Maggie! It was a pleasure to meet you!"

After arguing with her friends who were just stirring things up, Isabella turned her attention to the elderly woman who had just joined the group.

Well, Maggie Smith only arrived this morning because she was very busy.

After filming "The Secret Chamber", she took on several more jobs, one of which was a film at the Royal Theatre.

It's called "The Breath of Life".

The play officially premiered on October 3rd last year. It was originally scheduled to run for only two months and end before Christmas, but the audience response was so enthusiastic that they had to add more shows until February 1st this year.

Perhaps it's because it's genuinely beautiful?
As the end date approached, the Union Jacks of old London didn't want the play to end. They even wrote long essays to the Empress Dowager. After hearing them, the Empress Dowager said that since everyone liked it, it would run for a few more days until Maggie Smith continued to play Minerva. After this, the nobles were happy, and the old lady was ordered to work overtime again.

Yes, after parting ways last year and finishing filming "The Secret Room," she hasn't had a break.

"So, did you do your homework during my busy days?"

As the old lady walked towards the makeup area, she asked, "You didn't slack off, did you?"

"Oh, Maggie, do I look like the kind of person who would slack off?"

“I was always the first to read the script for Azkaban! How could I not have done my homework?”

Isabella also needs to go to the dressing room to put on makeup.

The filming process for "Azkaban" was quite different from that for "The Sorcerer's Stone" and "The Chamber of Secrets".

Starting with this book, J.K. Rowling's pen touched on many places outside of Hogwarts, so many scenes could not be filmed in Livingston. Therefore, it was inevitable to shoot interior scenes in the studio and then film outdoor scenes all over the world.

The interior scenes were mostly related to the academy and were filmed with everyone together, so...

Before April, right?
The main cast and crew members basically had to be in Livingston every day.

Waiting in the wings was actually quite easy for Isabella, because she didn't have to attend classes, while everyone else did!

Therefore, as she and the old lady entered the dressing room, she jokingly said, "However, Ms. Maggie, since you're not here this year, I don't know how my preparation went. If there are any problems..."

"Then that's your problem."

"You weren't here, so I didn't prepare properly."

"..."

Maggie Smith paused in her steps.

He glared at the little girl, who was already shoulder-high, and said in a low voice, "Isha, I'm giving you two choices. First, we go back and you repeat what you said. Second, we keep moving forward and I'll give you a hand."

"Which one do you choose?"

"I won't choose either of them," the little girl said with a grin.

“Why?” Maggie Smith’s eyes narrowed.

The feeling of a bad headmaster has returned.

"Because you won't hit me~" The little girl hugged the old lady's arm and shook it.

Her adorable appearance made the old lady raise her other hand and tap her forehead twice forcefully before she smiled and dragged the little beaver hanging on her body into the dressing room.

After a while——

"Wow~ Our Princess Granger has arrived~"

At 10 a.m., the main cast and crew gathered in the 'classroom' where they first met.

Isabella arrived a little late because she was with the old lady.

Columbus laughed and joked about his late arrival.

And since the director has spoken, how could the others not follow suit?

A burst of laughter immediately followed.

If it were a shy person, the continuous laughter would probably make them very uncomfortable, but Isabella?
"Oh~ thank you~ thank you everyone for the welcome~"

The little girl shamelessly accepted all the kindness.

Not only that, she also straightened the hem of her school uniform.

As she gracefully took her seat, she waved to Columbus and said, "Chris, you can continue. What were you talking about? I doubt it was anything important. Nobody talks about important matters before the princess arrives."

"Wowwww——"

The act of putting it on made everyone at the scene burst into laughter.

Columbus, sitting in the main seat, was almost laughing through his tears. He shook his head and said, "Not yet. How could I dare to work if you didn't come? But now that you're here, we can begin our first task of the day."

"Since many people only arrived today, let's start by talking about the similarities and differences..." This is the third year that everyone has been working together.

Under normal circumstances, once everyone gets to know each other, the differences between the script and the original work should no longer need to be discussed in detail.

Can we chat casually during the shoot?

However, Columbus didn't want to cut this part because only by understanding the story can one film it well. Moreover, the story of Harry Potter isn't a secret; the novels have already been published, and the general direction won't change. Discussing minor adjustments under these circumstances would allow for better immersion in the role.

It took two days to go through all the scenes using a scripted reading session while still in makeup.

When the time came to the 26th, the first scene of "Azkaban" was officially filmed.

It was the start of a new school year, and a new Dumbledore was welcoming new children to the new Hogwarts...

To be honest, Isabella's favorite thing to do right now is to act.

Once she's on set, all the troubles of the outside world become irrelevant to her.

Of course, this is actually a form of escapism, because Isabella can ignore the outside world, but that doesn't mean the outside world stops turning. The earth will continue to rotate regardless of who's gone, so—

The chaotic world continues to move forward:

On the same day that filming of "Azkaban" began, the British House of Commons passed a motion supporting the opening of fire.

Dai Ying and his eldest son still stood together.

As March arrived, the conflict escalated. On March 5, the Pope of the Vatican gave a public address, calling on all parties to exercise restraint, publicly advocating world peace, and stating that war is a defeat for humanity and cannot bring happiness to people.

But Da Piao Liang ignored him.

Moreover, on March 17, the government issued an ultimatum to regions with oil reserves.

They demanded that its top leader leave the country within 48 hours.

Otherwise, we'll have to use physical means to help them maintain their dignity.

The other party didn't even acknowledge the beauty.

Therefore, on March 19th, Haomian Da Piaoliang chose to keep his word and deliver on his promises.

The Iraq War is imminent.

Previously, even before the war started, anti-war demonstrations could become explosive social events, completely disrupting all forms of entertainment.

Once the war officially began...

The raging flames of war instantly engulfed everything!
Faced with the brutality of war, everything else had to take a backseat. So, when the time came to March 23, 2003, the Oscars ceremony was severely impacted, with its ratings hitting an all-time low when it premiered.

after?

It simply can't go up.

Of course, the Oscars also capitalized on the war's popularity. As a stronghold of liberals, they condemned the actions of the opposition after the outbreak of war, but they did something rather bizarre.

That means canceling the red carpet at the awards ceremony.

The reason for the cancellation was that anti-war protesters in the United States wanted to use the global live broadcast of the Oscars to call for peace, so they booked the Dolby Theatre, the venue for the Oscars, and held demonstrations with signs and banners.

So……

Isn't this just the left and right hemispheres battling each other?

You condemn the Elephant Party's actions while simultaneously avoiding showing images of anti-war activists.

Are you trying to please both sides?
Or is it because your butt is so big that you need two stools to sit on it?

Oscar's questionable actions immediately landed them on the front page of major news outlets!
That's right.

While the Oscars were being broadcast live, the political news anchors were already starting to rant.

And both those who advocate war and those who advocate peace are criticizing it.

Given this fact, who will receive the Oscars this year?
No one cares.

This……

In fact, this also provided a natural shield for Warner and Disney's actions.

Because this year's award results are as follows:
Like the British Academy Film Awards, among the four major awards, the film that won Best Picture was Pathé's "The Pianist".
Roman Polanski won Best Director;
Adrien Brody won Best Actor;

The only change was that Julianne Moore became the Best Actress winner, for Universal's "Far From Heaven".

The Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress awards went to Chris Cooper for his role in "Adaptation" and Kathy Bates for her role in "About Schmidt," respectively. As for the Best Original Screenplay award…

"The winner of this year's Oscar for Best Original Screenplay is—"

At the center of the stage, Ben Affleck, who was in charge of presenting the award, raised his voice—

"The Voice of the World, Isabella Haywood, Catherine Haywood."

"Aaaaaah—Isa won an award? Isa won an award?"

"Oh my God! This is Isha's first Oscar, right?"

"What a pity—Isa couldn't come—she's in England filming 'Azkaban'—"

No matter how loud the noise from the outside world is, children will still pay attention to their idols.

The fact that Isabella won the trophy thrilled them and brought joy and enthusiastic applause from her peers in the industry.

Everyone understands what Warner means.

Isabella's failure to win Best Picture or Best Actress wasn't because she couldn't, but because she was too proud to admit it.

So, Warner Bros. respected her and then gave her the Best Screenplay award.

To the general public, this award may not seem particularly outstanding, but within the industry, it is actually associated with Best Picture.

Because the script is the beginning of everything.

Because movies tell a story by manipulating light and shadow.

No story, no movie.

Therefore, the Best Screenplay award is essentially Warner Bros. flexing its muscles to the outside world.

Moreover, this was a development primarily driven by Isabella's will.

At once……

"Outrageous!"

Besides Best Screenplay, Isabella also won an Oscar for Best Original Score.

When the Warner Bros. representative returned to the stage to accept the award on behalf of Isabella, who was absent, the children watching the ceremony erupted in another sharp burst of cheers—excitement! Joy! Pride! And above all—

"Click."

At the same time, in Los Angeles.

Eminem is watching the Oscars live.

The announcement of the Best Original Music award instantly lit up the lighter in his hand.

The leaping flames seemed to tell the story of the restlessness in his heart.

He had indeed wanted to win an Oscar, but when Universal Music stated that Warner Bros. had made it clear to everyone that they would be taking home the pork this year, he knew his chances of winning were slim.

Uh……

He didn't think about Best Picture.

What he really wanted was the best original music.

Because his main profession is music.

If his work wins an Oscar, it proves that he has been accepted by mainstream society.

Yes, hip-hop is still a niche genre in the US right now.

But when the theme of "The Voice" is also music...

Warner's tough stance greatly increases the likelihood that Isabella will win this year's Best Original Song award.

That's why, even though he received a nomination, he didn't attend the Oscars today.

Why go if you can't win an award?
Isn't this a disease?

Even though he had foreseen everything and was mentally prepared, he was still very unhappy when the fact actually happened, because he felt that his "Lose Yourself" was great, while Isabella's "The Climb" was...
No matter how excellent it is, it can't compare to his greatness!

and so……

He lost?
"Ah--"

"What kind of garbage is this—"

He grabbed the remote and angrily turned off the TV.

With a forceful wave of his right hand, the black remote control flew rapidly toward the wall beside him.

After emitting a sharp crack, they scattered and fell in all directions.

This situation frightened Brittany Murphy, who was standing beside him.

"slim Shady--"

She spoke with a flicker in her eyes.

"Ok?"

Eminem turned his head away.

"You wouldn't attack Isabella, would you?"

Brittany Murphy whispered a reminder: "We can't mess with her. She's not Mariah Carey."

"Hahahaha-"

Eminem grinned at the girl's words.

He opened his arms and pulled her into his embrace, squeezing her breasts twice before burying his head in them, inhaling deeply the gentle fragrance that intoxicated him. "Don't worry, I understand everything you're saying..."

(End of this chapter)