....
Regal's objective for the next few days couldn't have been more focused.
He stood backstage, acutely aware of the crowd beyond the curtains.
...and no his objective isn't to win over everyone in the room - most weren't even ready to be won over anyway.
Beyond the curtains there were reporters scribbling more out of habit than curiosity, industry skeptics attending just to say they had seen it before it fell apart, and influencers waiting with their caras half-raised, hoping to catch sothing that looked off.
Regal didn't bla them.
Anticipation & Doubt - often arrived holding the sa ticket price.
But the mont the screen lit up on the sixth day of the event, everything would shift.
Because the teaser that he is going to launch that day isn't going to be like a normal teaser - not in the traditional sense.
It didn't exist to generate polite interest or spark a trending topic.
Every fra of the footage, every cut, every swell of music, and flicker of light will serve a singular agenda - to make an imprint so bold, so undeniable, that people would stop calling this an adaptation - and start calling it a turning point.
But for all the power he poured into the preview, Regal had co to acknowledge an inconvenient truth.
The frenzy surrounding [Harry Potter] - at least in this version of the world - was embryonic at best.
Yes, there was interest and people liked the book.
That part wasn't in question.
Book sales were staggering.
The data alone told a remarkable story - a novel scarcely eighteen months old was moving units like a franchise cornerstone.
The charts couldn't lie.
And yet, that was the rub.
....Just eighteen months.
Regal couldn't recall the exact ti span between [Philosopher's Stone] and its first film in the world he once knew, but it had been far longer - half a decade, at least - which was enough ti for kids to pass the book to their younger siblings, for teachers to recomnd it in classrooms, for libraries to wear out their first copies.
And back then, books still had cultural currency. People weren't drowning in streaming queues. A book could breathe.
Here? That breath was short.
And Regal, for all his ambition, never confused belief with blindness.
Delusion is the quiet killer of every creative endeavor.
A trap disguised as confidence, and he had no use for it.
Whether directing or dreaming - the rule held - face reality first
So to overestimate his audience's readiness just because he believed in a story?
That isn't him .
If anything, that kind of thinking - letting your passion blur your sense of scale - was what crushed most creative ventures before they left the runway.
He thought about [Solo Leveling]. The danger there had been the opposite - oversaturation, too much expectation too soon. It felt laughable now, in hindsight.
But with [Harry Potter]? There was no such problem.
If anything, the air was still too quiet.
Which suited him just fine.
Because when the expectations are low, and you still deliver sothing seismic, the world doesn't just pay attention - it reorients.
And that's what Regal had sworn to do.
Because this ti, there wasn't a wave to ride.
He had to create it from nothing.
And he was ready for that.
More than ready.
Whatever people expected from this adaptation, whatever image they had in their heads, he intended to deliver sothing that reset the standard.
Not louder. Not flashier.
Just better in every way that mattered.
And whether they realized it yet or not, this place - this room full of doubt and premature opinions - was where it would all begin.
"Boss... Boss... Oi, Boss."
A low nudge to his ribs snapped Regal from his thoughts. It wasn't aggressive, just firm - and coming from Rock, even restraint could land like a gut punch.
Regal flinched and winced, dragging a hand to his ribs. "What the hell, Rock?"
"You are making Madam nervous." The mountain of a man beside him looked confused by the reaction.
It took Regal a second to fully co back to the present, and when he did, he realized half the room, all the mbers of Everleaf Comics, were watching him.
No one had said anything - but their attention had drifted toward him, subtly at first, now undeniably.
Gregor stood near the far end of the setup area.
Alfonso, arms crossed, the lead artist.
Nick, their letterer, standing by the display table tapping a pen on his clipboard.
Samuel, the effects specialist, deep in thought but clearly listening.
Kevin, hands in his pockets, leaned near Amanda, who was already halfway through organizing the color boards for the Everleaf comics.
Further back stood Samantha, notebook in hand, talking quietly with Simon and Darren, both of whom looked like they had paused mid-discussion.
And near the display panels - Maggie, arms folded, lips barely curved upward.
Then finally, Gwendolyn, her eyes locked onto Regal, calm but alert.
All of them are waiting.
Regal let out a breath, half sigh, half laugh.
"Alright, alright. I was just thinking about what we should have for lunch." He muttered.
Rock blinked covering the obvious lie. "Oh. I want a sandwich."
"Haha..." It caught Gwendolyn off guard - she let out a soft, involuntary laugh before pressing her lips together - nothing forced, just a flicker of warmth.
And that was all it took.
The room shifted.
Gregor's lips twitched.
Maggie gave the smallest nod, more smirk than smile.
Alfonso looked down, pretending to adjust sothing, but his mouth betrayed him.
Nick chuckled under his breath.
Amanda tilted her head, grinning at Kevin, who returned it with a silent thumbs-up.
Simon laughed the loudest, of course, unfiltered as ever.
In that one mont, the air lightened.
Regal couldn't help but glance at Rock. Sotis he wondered if the guy did this on purpose. A kind of secret social judo, defusing tension with clueless honesty.
But when he looked again, Rock was glancing around, mildly confused by the laughter, then - after a long pause - shrugged like none of it had anything to do with him.
Yeah. Definitely accidental.
Regal clapped his hands, snapping the mont back into focus. "Let's move. We've got a full stack before the teaser even goes live."
This was just the first stage of the day, and there was a long list of things to handle before the teaser ever made it to the screen.
But the team was here. The work was ready.
The event contains many things including the teaser launch, and followed by a Q&A session.
Now, during the first two days of the event, Regal also wish to make so announcent regarding his comic ventures of [Solo Leveling], [ORV], [Lord Of Mysteries] - and even -
His future wish is to make [MarvelDC Film]'s.
Nevertheless, he made sure the last day, the final day of the event - will completely belong to [Harry Potter].
- Announce all seven films while revealing the official title for each entry in the [Harry Potter].
It would be really sothing else even for the novel fans to look forward to, as Regal hasn't announced the titles of the novels yet.
And despite it might co across as a little spoiler, he wanted to do that as it will also establish sothing, and will be able to project their seriousness towards making it all real.
- Showcase a sizzle reel, or more like first entry to the magical world of [Harry Potter], completely built in CGI by Unique FX Studio.
The video contains many spells, broomstick flying, wands, huge landscapes, present architectural designs for Hogwarts, and the iconic Platform 9 ¾ of King's Cross Station in London.
And one final touch, subtle but unforgettable–
Regal had chosen - Dobby - the House Elf, the most unanimously beloved CGI character - as the voiceover for the reel and the magic spells casted.
Of course there is no CGI render of him, and it was only a voice.
Right, it is voiced by the actor Regal planned to use in the actual films, though no one would know it yet. But when it happens and people revisit it - it will be sothing to reminisce about.
Overall, by the ti the final presentation ended, everything would be in place.
Regal's last and most important goal wasn't asured in applause or headlines.
It was sothing deeper - to make the world believe in sothing it couldn't yet see.
....
12, July, 2012.
San Diego Comic Con Event. Hall H.
Friday - 2:45 PM.
....
It was the final day of San Diego Comic-Con.
Hall H reached its capacity as the audiences occupied their seats.
....and the air was alive with anticipation. Fans packed in shoulder to shoulder, so draped in cloaks, others clutching handmade wands, while a few looked like casual passersby caught in the storm of sothing bigger than them - drawn in by the buzz.
But nothing stood out more than the wide-eyed wonder of the children - eight to twelve, maybe, scattered through the rows. They weren't old enough to understand how lucky they were to be here, witnessing the birth of sothing new. Their excitent was pure, infectious.
Outside the hall, it was no different. Crowds surrounded the massive outdoor screen broadcasting the event live. So wore fan-made T-shirts that read 'Believe in the Boy', even though - oddly enough - the boy, Harry Potter, hadn't been shown in any form.
With no confird actor revealed... not because Regal wanted to keep it wrapped up but it was not finalised yet.
All there were were posters - simple ones - just a lightning-shaped scar, round glasses, and no face to claim them. Staff moved around with banners and flyers, building the mystery.
And yet... that was all it took.
For the book fans, that was more than enough.
The mont they had waited for.
And those who couldn't make it to San Diego? They were tuned in by the thousands, watching the livestream on Tube from around the world.
Regal had said it before - the hype currently wasn't like what it used to be in his old world.
And he was right.
But he ant sothing more specific.
The general public - those who hadn't read the books, who didn't know what a Muggle or a Patronus was - they weren't excited.
To them, Harry Potter might as well be just another kid with glasses.
But the readers?
Their excitent burned hot and loud.
They weren't the largest group in the world, but they were impossible to ignore. They showed up.
They brought signs. They wore their fandom on their sleeves - literally.
And now, it was Regal's turn.
The job was simple on paper.
Make the rest of the world care.
Reach the moviegoers who'd never turned a single page, and make them feel the magic. Make them believe this story mattered - just as much as the fans here did.
Make them believe in the boy, too.
Back inside Hall H, the lights dimd slightly, drawing attention to the stage. A massive black banner hung behind the curtain, its text barely visible in the shadowed glow:
"LIE STUDIO PRESENTS..."
— The Future of Magic —
.
....
[To be continued...]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
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