American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 32 Nathan Bailey: Life is a series of ups and downs
Nathan Bailey was born in 1962 and will turn 40 next year.

Since graduating from Brown University at the age of 23, he has been working for Warner Bros. Initially, he worked at Warner Bros.' subsidiary, Television and Film Studios, and due to his good performance, he was promoted to the film group at the age of 28.

Perhaps he was lucky. At the time, his direct supervisor happened to be a subordinate of Barry Mayer. As a result, due to his outstanding performance, he was transferred to the group company before the age of 35. His position was in the production department, where his main job was to review and approve film and television projects submitted by various parties. Moreover, he had three three-million-dollar projects available to him each year.

To be honest, this job is already the ceiling that countless people dream of. This is not only because his annual salary has exceeded 300,000 US dollars, but also because the signing power of 9 million US dollars is not small. To put it bluntly, as long as the producer who comes to him knows how to behave, his actual annual income cannot be less than one million.

Of course, he never did that.

He still has dreams and wants to keep climbing higher.

However, all those hopes came to an abrupt end on December 22, 2001.

Because he said something extra during an informal meeting convened by the group's big boss.

To be honest, the reason he jumped out at the Boss meeting to mention the connection between Endeavour and Isabella was to get Barry Mayer's attention. Anyone who's been in the workforce knows that in the workplace, those who are good at talking are worse than those who are good at doing things, and those who are good at flattery are worse than those who are good at talking. If you want to climb the ladder, you have to be good at (flattering) and (smoothing) your way up, right?

He thought his speech this time would be like before, leaving his boss with a good image of being dedicated to his job, but to his utter surprise, the big boss actually asked him to solve his problems.

Furthermore, the challenge lies in finding Chris Columbus in England and securing his new project.
Negotiate with Isabella Heywood to get her to renew her contract for five HP movies at once?

thick--

present--

crab--

Does he deserve it?
When these two tasks appeared, Nathan Bailey suddenly realized that a countdown had appeared in his world, and as the time expired, he might have to leave Warner Bros.

Even though he himself knew that these two jobs were Mission Impossible for him, but...

The big boss has spoken, so what can he do?

With Barry Mayer's confirmation, Nathan Bailey could only fly to London with a seemingly happy but actually utterly miserable face amidst the congratulations of his colleagues. When he discovered that he would arrive in London on December 23rd, he really wanted to slap himself. "Serves you right for being so talkative!" he thought. A business trip during Christmas? Oh—this is a nightmare!
Although Livingston's vacation was on the 24th, without seeing the specific filming schedule, he didn't know if Isabella was on set. What if Isabella had taken her vacation earlier? Wouldn't he have made a wasted trip?
Perhaps even God felt sorry for him. When he arrived in Leavesden, filled with trepidation, even though there were hardly any members of the Harry Potter crew left—except for those who were still filming today, everyone had gone home for the New Year—…

Fortunately.

Isabella is still in the group.

"Director, I think this scene is a bit illogical."

The interior of Studio 13 in Leavesden is Hagrid's cabin.

In front of a set that looked messy and full of tools, a blonde girl in a Hogwarts uniform was holding a script and talking to a man who was listening attentively beside her: "In the scene we're going to shoot next, Hermione's performance is completely out of character."

"Our storyline focuses on the reaction of the trio when they first heard the word 'Mudblood.' In the book, neither Hermione nor Harry understood the meaning of 'Mudblood.' Only Ron, from a pure-blood family, did. That's why he pulled out his wand and fought Malfoy when Malfoy insulted him."

"But in the script... Oh—director—forgive me for being frank, but I don't understand why the writers had to give Ron's role to Hermione? Why show Hermione understanding the meaning of 'Mudblood' in this scene?"

"Is this to highlight her 'know-it-all' attribute?"

"Whether it is or not, I think this kind of grafting is unreasonable."

"In my opinion, the word 'Mudblood' is the wizarding world's equivalent of 'Nigger.' Aunt Anne wrote in the book that it's a highly insulting word. When everyone dislikes it, it should only exist in word of mouth among wizards, not in books. So, even if Hermione is an all-knowing person, even if she has read a lot of books, she couldn't possibly know about 'Mudblood.' As for whether others would tell her the meaning of it verbally? I don't think so."

"Because Hogwarts is a great school, and its headmaster is Dumbledore, the greatest white wizard in the wizarding world. Under his management, the word 'Mudblood' will rarely appear in Hogwarts. Furthermore, the reactions of the crowd after Malfoy uttered the insulting word also confirm my point. If 'Mudblood' appeared frequently in Hogwarts, then pure-blood wizards would not be so indignant as to want to beat Malfoy up. Once everyone gets used to hearing the word, their reaction should be that it's no big deal."

"So, when Hermione shouldn't have known the word 'Mudblood,' I think this part of the plot needs to be changed back to the original story. Ron and Hagrid still explain what 'Mudblood' is, and Hermione doesn't react much after hearing it. She won't be sad or upset because... I'm the strongest!"

At this point, the blonde girl suddenly raised her head and looked at the director, who was taller than her.

His fearless expression drew chuckles from those around him.

Yes, the last scene before Christmas 2001 was 'Hermione being insulted by horse manure, Ron standing up for her,' uh... I don't know who arranged this scene, it's really disappointing to have someone film this kind of scene so close to the New Year.

However, since the work has already been arranged, everyone will take it seriously no matter how speechless they are. In the scene about the 'Mudblood', Isabella is very dissatisfied with Hermione's performance.

Because in the movie, the screenwriter had Hermione explain what a 'Mudblood' is;
Then, Hermione started crying as she spoke;
She felt she had been deeply insulted...

Honestly, in my past life, when Isabella saw this scene, she thought the screenwriter was out of their mind because Hermione's reaction was too strange. As a strong-willed academic genius, she shouldn't care about such things.

Yes, Hermione is a Mudblood, but at the same time, she can single-handedly sweep away all the other young wizards in her grade!

Malfoy is a pureblood, so what?

Can you beat me?

To put it controversially, whether in the real world or the magical world, what truly gives you the right to speak is never social civilization, but rather force. Furthermore, this phenomenon is even more blatantly displayed in the magical world; otherwise…

Why are people afraid of not having a nose?
Since the rule of the Harry Potter world is that strength is paramount, and Hermione has always demonstrated her strength, then J.K. Rowling's indifference in the novels is Hermione Granger's true reaction to hearing about the 'Mudblood'.

So……

“Okay, I understand what you mean.”

Columbus adjusted his glasses and chuckled, "Are you trying to rewrite the script?"

He is nearsighted and usually wears contact lenses, but he doesn't want to wear them today.

"I just can't cry."

The little girl, head held high, had an incredibly stubborn attitude.

The act of threatening the director made everyone laugh nonstop.

"Oh~ Chris~ Your authority has been challenged!"

"But I think Isha has a point, Chris, are you going to ask her to rewrite the script?"

"Chris, you're a director whose total box office gross has exceeded three billion! You need to stick to your principles!"

"..."

Columbus shook his head repeatedly at the incoherent jeers.

He glared at the people around him, and after they all shut up, he turned to Isabella and said, "Isabella, you know that the final approval of the script is in Joanne's hands, so if you think the plot is unreasonable, then call Joanne."

"As long as she agrees to the changes, okay, then let's film it in a different way, hmm?"

"no problem!"

The girl readily agreed.

Then he took the script and ran off to make a phone call.

Columbus turned around and said 'angrily' to the crowd who were jeering, "This is all your doing."

"So let's all work overtime together."

“hahahaha…”

Everyone burst into laughter—

“Oh Chris, if you can revise the script every time we work overtime, I think we’d be happy to do it.”

"Ha ha ha ha--"

The bursts of laughter from the audience made Columbus sigh and lean back helplessly in the director's chair.

Garlic bird garlic bird~
I won't bother arguing with these boring guys.
Although working overtime is a painful thing, no one cares.

Columbus didn't mind; that's because he was really serious about his work.

If there are problems with the script, then change it. It's better to spend time now than to be criticized by the audience after the film is released, right?

The other people didn't care because their homes were all near London.

It makes no difference whether you go back half an hour earlier or half an hour later.

Of course, this is also related to the fact that many people's children are fans of HP.

If their biological son or daughter likes Harry Potter, take good pictures; the children will be proud to see them.

This was taken by my dad/mom!
Besides--

Actually, there's another reason—

“Hello? Aunt Anne, yes, it’s me, Isa…”

"Yes, I'm calling to talk to you about something. Director Columbus thinks there's a illogical part in the script, and he wants to change it..."

As she spoke, Isabella glanced in Columbus's direction.

Columbus was stunned by the blatant attempt to shift the blame!
A few seconds later, he sighed speechlessly...

'hahahahaha~~~'

The big guys pursed their lips and laughed silently.

Hmm, it's quite interesting to watch this little girl do something.

To most people on set, the atmosphere on set was quite warm. Columbus having Isabella make the phone call proved that he had already agreed to revise the script. Telling Rowling was just a heads-up before making the changes. As for why he didn't make the call himself, he wasn't the producer, just the director, so it wasn't appropriate for him to make the call directly. Taking a roundabout approach was more convenient.

Isabella understood everything, but because she was favored, she dragged Columbus into the water, making it impossible for him to remain uninvolved.

It's really 'bad'~
To Nathan Bailey, all of this was a bloody hell. When Isabella could so disrespectfully label the director and call the producer, it was practically the epitome of being the darling of the group!
To negotiate with Isabella in a place like this...

I'm afraid he'll be beaten to death by the people around him if he says anything even slightly outrageous.

Well, he's already trying to slip away before he's even started the work.

However, the thought of being hunted down by Warner Bros. if he deserted, since he was now taking the blame for Barry Mayer, and that not deserting would at least earn him a monument and some credit even if he died, left him with no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.

Led by the crew members on set, he found Vivian.

The other person is having tea with Dan Niu and Luo Bo's mother.

After revealing his identity and explaining his purpose, he was given the opportunity to chat with the other party privately.

I sat down in a small private room at the film crew's cafe, and then...

“Mr. Bailey…”

“Mrs. Haywood, you can just call me Nathan.”

“Okay, Nathan, you just said that the reason you came here today is to talk to me about Isha’s publicity work?”

"Yeah, yeah, yeah~~, Mrs. Heywood, Isaac's Hermione is currently the most popular character in Harry Potter, so according to the normal promotional schedule for movie sequels, she will receive a certain amount of promotional exposure when 'The Chamber of Secrets' is released, or rather, more media resources..."

Although Nathan Bailey's real purpose for this trip was to sign Hermione for a project, you can't start by talking about that, right?

Especially since Warner Bros. was in the wrong, establishing a relationship was essential. He had prepared his approach on the way here: to start the conversation by arguing that Isabella would gain more exposure in the future.

In his view, no normal person would refuse such international resources, not to mention that the Heywood family is now being supported by Isabella alone, so Vivian would definitely accept it.

But the truth is...

“Oh, Nathan, if this tilt won’t interfere with Isa’s normal life, then… I’d like to say thank you.”

Vivian picked up her coffee cup.

They simply sent him off in Nathan Bailey's direction.

Nathan Bailey smiled broadly at the gesture of gratitude. "Of course, Mrs. Heywood, we certainly won't interfere with your normal life. Rest assured, all interviews and filming will take place in London."

"Um... if you want to go to America, we will treat you well and give you a warm welcome."

He also raised his glass.

He also gave it a light farewell.

The friendly interaction across the room created a harmonious atmosphere.

Seeing that his first step had been successful, Nathan Bailey pressed on and played his second card.

"Mrs. Heywood, besides wanting to discuss the publicity with you, I've also come here to express Warner Bros.' As far as we know, Isabella hasn't received her payment for 'The Chamber of Secrets' yet?"

"Regarding this, I'd like to say that there seems to be some problem with our performance fee adjustment clause..."

Although Warner Bros. deliberately signed Isabella's salary increase clause to scam her, they can't admit it now. So, on the way here, Nathan Bailey pulled out all his hair before coming up with a clever plan: he openly turned the trap into a mistake, claiming that they hadn't stipulated a latest settlement date in the contract.

Since Warner Bros.' global release dates are not controlled by Warner Bros., and many countries require government approval for release, such as Singapore, where films must be submitted for review before being shown, the first month can be quite lengthy.

Okay, throw all the pots out.

therefore--

"Before coming here, we had already investigated the matter thoroughly. Last year, when the contract was signed, because your lawyers weren't professional Hollywood lawyers, there wasn't a mandatory timeframe agreed upon with us, and our negotiators..."

Nathan Bailey paused, then said apologetically:
"To be honest, if we delay payment by one day, our funds can circulate for one more day. A million pounds is enough to start a project at Warner. So, our people, based on the principle of benefiting themselves, did not tell you about this."

“Legally speaking, our contract is valid, and neither of us has violated any rules, but…”

"Because HP is going to make seven movies, and our cooperation has only just begun, based on the principle of friendly cooperation, our chairman, Mr. Barry Mayer, said that even if Philosopher's Stone is not fully released, it is certain to break 500 million in the first month. Therefore, we will not wait any longer and will settle the payment with you directly at the highest amount in the contract."

"Furthermore, as an apology, we will settle your payment in full within a week after Christmas."

"Oh~~~ Is this true??" Vivian was pleasantly surprised.

“Of course!” Nathan Bailey nodded with a smile.

"Thank you so much!!" Vivian couldn't stop smiling.

Nathan Bailey breathed a sigh of relief.

He suddenly realized that things weren't as difficult as he had imagined!
Because Isabella's mother is a complete idiot; she believes whatever he says!

Most importantly, when he wanted to settle his payment, citing the long road ahead for future collaborations, it seemed like Vivian only had her eye on the £1.2 million? Did she not consider the five more films to come?
Wow……

Is this person just like Macaulay Culkin's parents, only interested in making money through their child?
The biggest difference between the Heywood family and the Culkin family is that Isabella is willing to support the family?

Nathan Bailey narrowed his eyes slightly.

At that moment, he felt incredibly strong!
With the mindset that he could win, Nathan Bailey chatted with Vivian for a while longer, about this and that.

Then, he changed the subject and inquired about Fenjin's situation. When he mentioned that Isabella needed Warner's approval to take on acting roles outside of Warner, and coincidentally, he had the authority to approve projects at Warner...

“Nathan, do you mean you want to see Isa’s notebook?” Vivian asked.

“If it’s convenient… I’d like to,” Nathan Bailey said with a smile. “Because we at Warner are also quite curious about what kind of proposal could make our ambitious partner travel to London twice.”

"It's certainly convenient, but I need my eldest daughter to bring the notebook over."

Vivian pointed to her phone beside her. "The notebook isn't with me."

“Oh, of course. Your eldest daughter is Catherine Heywood, right? I know her. I think she went to school in St. Paul's before? And she likes to paint? Both of your daughters are absolutely wonderful, really…”

While the two were chatting, Catherine, who had just received a call from her mother, also took the crew's shuttle bus to deliver the script.

As soon as Nathan Bailey entered the room, he noticed that the girl was looking at him with curiosity.

It seems they don't know who he is?

As Vivian explained, the girl's doubts gradually disappeared.

Nathan Bailey considered this change normal and didn't pay much attention to it, but after receiving the script—

'What the fuck?'

His gaze was immediately fixed on the script.

After being guided by Chris Columbus, the script, with its positive message, correct pacing, and strong commercial appeal, was simply an excellent example. Even without the threat from New Line, Nathan Bailey believed the company would invest.

And today's visit has a backstory—

Honestly, his mind was working at high speed, and he even saw the possibility of winning the Oscars in the script!
This might not even require a major overhaul of the script, but simply adding an ending!

At present, the story of "The Voice" has come to an end with the protagonist receiving the world championship entry card.

If the story could be extended further, for example, the World Championships were held in the United States, and at the end of the film, a family of six representing the English countryside would fly to the United States and then see the luxurious New York...

Uh, that's not right!
We can only see Los Angeles because some buildings in New York are going out of production this year.

Showcasing New York's glitz and glamour is like rubbing salt into the wounds of the American people.

Let's change it: A family of six from England saw luxurious Los Angeles and became captivated by it...

Wow!
The overall message of the film will be elevated once again!

The theme of pursuing dreams will be amplified infinitely!
To put it simply, this is actually the ending of "The Big Ship," where Rose sees the Statue of Liberty—

sublimation!

Alas, there's no way around it. The relationship between Britain and the United States isn't as peaceful as it seems. The change of hegemony is never tranquil. As a former British colony, after formally challenging Britain, the United States wanted to surpass Britain in every aspect.

Cultural admiration and mutual exchange in works are simply because they lack a solid foundation.

This is why they have significantly reduced their adaptations of British works after acquiring their own intellectual property.

At the same time, they also like to film stories about British people coming to America to pursue their dreams.

The Titanic wasn't really that contrived, because real ships did have first, second, and third class cabins, and third-class passengers were indeed immigrants planning to start a new life on the other side of the Atlantic. Jack's image as a dreamer was historically accurate. Of course, his meeting with Rose, and Rose's view of America as a land of freedom, are things that you can hardly deny have been artistically embellished.

But besides The Big Ship, there are many other movies that tell the story of the British having the American Dream. For example, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's The Good Earth is a popular movie with a more biased story and some discrepancies with history.
Those without fire, and those with a pure black connotation, are even more numerous, for example—

The title itself is unpretentious: "The New American Dream".

The incredibly heartwarming movie, "Angela's Ashes".

Hollywood is America's propaganda window; this needs no further explanation.

That's why, when Isabella's story was about pursuing dreams and contained the core of the World Championship, Nathan Bailey felt that if the script was changed to the American Dream, it would be 100% successful!

And he encountered a project that was 100% guaranteed to succeed?
Oh——

So, God sent him to England for Christmas to give him a promotion, a raise, to marry a beautiful and wealthy woman, and to reach the pinnacle of life?

This really is—

So spicy!
When Vivian gave Nathan Bailey the impression of being a money-loving woman, he even considered stuffing the script into his pocket and going home to report back. But when Bailey confidently indicated that Warner Bros. could submit the script…

"What did you say?"

Nathan Bailey, who was gazing at the bright future ahead, suddenly looked up, wondering if he had misheard.

"Mrs. Haywood, you're saying you don't want Isabella to act in this project for the time being?"

“Yes.” Vivian smiled.

Two dimples were visible on her well-maintained face.

Under the indoor lights, her eyes gleamed with a cunning light.

"Why???"

Nathan Bailey was puzzled.

"Because Isha is only an 11-year-old child."

Vivian parted her lips slightly, smiling like a fox, and said, "I don't want her childhood to consist only of work."

"So, after filming 'The Secret Chamber' is finished, I will give her a long vacation so that she can relax properly."

"After all, there's no age limit for this book, is there?"

“You can film at 11, 12, 13, and even… 18.”

"Because everyone can pursue their dreams, as long as you are full of hope for life, then every day in the future will be a sunny day."

"..."

Nathan Bailey was stunned!
'Isn't this woman greedy?'

Why am I suddenly being given so much value?

'Oh no—'

'How am I supposed to get promoted and a raise if you guys don't work?'

'Also, you want to take a long vacation after filming "The Locked Room" is finished?'

'Oh my God! Are you guys not even planning to bring Harry Potter back?!'

Nathan Bailey felt his heavens—

It collapsed again!
　PS: Let's review the historical development of Hollywood box office and actor salaries. Hollywood box office calculations can actually be divided into three stages: The first stage was the exploratory period, when Hollywood films were only shown in North America, so box office figures from today's perspective are all North American box office. The second stage was the expansion period, during which Hollywood films were able to be sold to the UK and Europe. To differentiate box office figures in different regions and to highlight the international influence of Hollywood films, the concepts of North American box office, UK box office, and European box office emerged during this period. The third stage is the mature period, when Hollywood films were officially distributed globally, and the North American box office, overseas box office, and global box office that we are familiar with today officially appeared. When box office calculation algorithms evolved through three stages, Hollywood's actor compensation algorithms also evolved through three stages. The first stage involved fixed salaries, as studios could afford to sign actors quickly. The second stage included bonuses and profit sharing. However, due to technological limitations—the lack of modern distribution keys and global releases—bonuses and profit sharing were anchored to box office revenue in a single region, primarily North America. The third stage, dating back to the 1990s, saw Hollywood gain the ability to distribute films globally within a year, leading to the formal establishment of global box office revenue sharing. Furthermore, due to issues with payment speed, distinctions were made, such as calculations based on the first month's revenue. In short, the diversity of Hollywood's box office and actor compensation algorithms is a historical issue in the industry's development. While it may seem abstract from today's perspective, its algorithms are sound when viewed in the context of its evolution.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)