Isabella, of course, knew she was very talented.
As always—
Once Warner set the investnt budget for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone at $250 million, no one would risk pushing her onto the project if she couldn't deliver.
As long as the producer, the original author, and the director were willing to hire her, it proved she t the project's requirents.
So…
Other dia outlets attacking her?Then we'll just let our work speak for itself.
We'll make a good movie—you all just wait to be proven wrong.
No big deal.
A few days after talking with the director, Isabella received the second paycheck of her life.
Still £64,054.
Because filming of HP1 was already more than halfway done.
Yes, according to director Chris Columbus's filming schedule, if all went smoothly, the Leavesden studio crew would disband at the end of March. That didn't an Sorcerer's Stone would finish in six months—after March, the crew would continue to operate, but only in a reduced capacity to shoot minor scenes, with official wrap-around July-ish.
The disbandnt on the schedule referred to finishing all the major scenes—no need for so many people anymore.
Labor in the West is very expensive.
Spend where you need to, save where you can.
Hollywood accounting can be shady, but if an A project with over $200 million total investnt fails, the investors would go crazy.
Isabella had no objections to this arrangent—of course, she didn't really have the right to.
She was paid a flat fee, not hourly, so whether the large crew disbanded or not didn't affect her inco.
Plus, Warner's allowance for her mother was based on total shooting days. As long as Columbus didn't officially wrap, Isabella could be called back for reshoots, and Warner would have to pay Vivian a standby allowance.
So…
Just work hard.
On set, under Columbus's leadership, everyone worked in an orderly fashion;
Off set, on January 18—three days after receiving her paycheck—it was her sister Catherine's birthday.
Even though there was filming that day until 5 p.m., and it had gotten dark, Isabella and her mother rushed ho with a pre-ordered cake to wish her sister a happy birthday.
It wasn't that she didn't want to buy other gifts—Catherine had warned her last year when celebrating their mother's birthday not to waste money on her birthday, or she'd be beaten. Isabella couldn't win against her, so she complied.
Compared to previous years, this year's birthday celebrations for their mother and sister were simpler, but no one cared.
After celebrating her sister's birthday, Isabella's remaining tasks were cleared.
Just as she was fully imrsed in work, preparing to wrap up HP, a good piece of news arrived.
As Columbus had said, negative comnts outside? Don't worry—Warner would take care of it.
After holding back over the Christmas holiday, Warner finally cracked down on the dia that had posted negative reports.
Only then did Isabella realize that defying a giant like Warner was common in the Western entertainnt industry. It wasn't that other dia feared Warner—it was just that all the public criticisms were a subtle way to demand money.
Want to promote a new project?
Then pay a little!So I can cheer for you!
As long as the money arrived, it didn't matter—even if I had to eat the critical articles myself!
Sigh.
Comrcial dia have no scruples.All they do is take quotes out of context to create conflict.Don't believe ?
Just look at the BBC.
In the past, facing such situations, Hollywood giants would settle to avoid trouble.
But today…
Warner struck hard.
What choice did they have? The Harry Potter IP was just too strong.
So strong that Warner had a thousand ways to crush criticisms.
For example, in early February, Warner officially announced a partnership with Coca-Cola.
They reached a strategic cooperation agreent: Coca-Cola would purchase fast-moving consur product licensing for the first two HP films for $150 million. This ant all imagery from Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets could appear on Coca-Cola products worldwide, including soda bottles, juice drinks, all advertisents, and even delivery trucks.
$75 million per film—already the second-highest licensing fee in film history.
The first? Star Wars, which earned $100 million back in 1980.
Although HP lagged slightly behind SW, Coca-Cola's move silenced most critics.
The movies hadn't even been released, the second hadn't even started filming, and yet Coca-Cola was putting real money on the table. If investors are willing to put $150 million on an expectation, you really think Warner's casting was a problem?
Ha—
Idiots—
Coca-Cola knows consurs better than all you journalists.
Honestly, upon hearing this, Isabella instantly felt happy.
So dia think I'm not good enough?
No problem.
Coca-Cola thinks I'm good—that's enough.
Of course, Coca-Cola wasn't a philanthropist—they wouldn't pay without seeing the rough cut. Warner and Coca-Cola's cooperation was still tentative. After viewing the rough cut of Sorcerer's Stone, Coca-Cola would decide whether to execute the contract, no later than September 2001.
But that didn't matter. Even with the contract pending, the dia couldn't continue criticizing.
Attacking Warner and attacking Warner plus Coca-Cola were two different things.
Once the situation changed, the dia tried to downplay things—but Warner wouldn't let them.
Warner struck again, openly mocking these idiots.
In mid-February, Warner and Hasbro held a joint press conference.
Warner announced that the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone movie IP was officially licensed to Hasbro, allowing them to produce related dolls, puzzles, candy, and other rchandise.
As soon as the news broke, all dia who had criticized Isabella were silenced.
When all the capital is already on the table, and you want to bet big on HP, what are you journalists going to pick apart now?I guarantee—you won't dare.
If it were only that, Warner still gave peers face—just hit them hard enough that they dared not speak.
But anyone who knows giants knows: the giants like to finish the job completely.
So, on March 2, 2001, Warner released the first HP1 trailer.
Though the thirty-second trailer revealed little, only featuring Harry, and the young actors weren't allowed to take interviews, everyone could see Warner's financial muscle.
Alongside the trailer, Warner revealed a collaboration with Mattel, established last year.
After the look of the main cast was finalized, Warner licensed the Iron Triangle, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape to Mattel to produce 1/6-scale action figures—about 30 cm tall.
Barbie dolls were Mattel's expertise.
By November last year, molds and manufacturing were ready, and months of preparation had accumulated a substantial stockpile.
So, when the trailer dropped, the toys went on sale simultaneously.
Then…
"Oh~ Joanne, you an the best-selling figure is Hermione?"
On March 19, just before the main crew disbanded, Rowling brought her daughter to the set.
The final scenes were battle scenes.
Rowling's daughter wanted to see how the Iron Triangle fought the giant dog in her mother's book, so she ca along.
She also brought news of the toy sales.
"Yeah~ The best-selling action figure is your Hermione. Jessica loves it too because—"
Rowling elongated her tone.
"She's beautiful~"
Jessica, sitting beside her, shouted enthusiastically.
The little girl waved the doll, "Isabella~ Your doll is the prettiest of all~"
She was holding Hermione in her hands, trying to prove she wasn't exaggerating, even handing the doll to Isabella.
Smiling, Isabella took it—its delicate craftsmanship made her reluctant to put it down.
Mattel's figure was faithful. Though the facial lines were a little stiff, failing to fully capture her beauty—yes, a bit narcissistic—but in action figure terms, the mold was excellent.
Other accessories were refined too: Hermione was a studious girl, so the toy had two books, with carved covers, not printed; a quill she could hold; and the Gryffindor uniform perfectly matched the costu.
Even without asking, Isabella could guess Hermione's doll passed Barbie-level quality control.
And now, with Hermione's toy bearing her face…
Who dared say being a good model in HP was a debuff?Who dares! Hmph~
"How much for the set?"
Isabella was thrilled, returning the figure to Jessica while giving Rowling a curious glance.
"£99."
"What???"
Isabella couldn't believe her ears.
Rowling smiled, "You heard correctly. £99 in the UK, $149 in the US."
Isabella was stunned! Hermione Granger's action figure could sell for a hundred pounds???
Oh! My! God!
Why isn't Warner just grabbing all the money?!
But then she noticed sothing odd.
"Joanne, did you just say Hermione is selling the most?"
"Yes."
"So how many sets did Warner sell?"
"The first batch was 300,000 units, and they sold out in less than two weeks. They imdiately asked Mattel to restock. Next were Harry and Dumbledore—about 250,000 units each, almost at the point of needing a refill."
"…"
Isabella's breath caught. She felt like she needed an ambulance.
A doll costing £100, selling 300,000 units in two weeks? MFxxk…
That's thirty million pounds in revenue right there! Sure, everyone knew that success was boosted by the HP novels, but Warner was selling the movie IP, and Mattel was using her face. So if she were ugly—or even just plain—the Hermione figure could never sell that much. Therefore…
Her face alone could bring in that kind of money?
Oh—
This is ridiculously insane!
Isabella couldn't help herself; she shook her little feet in delight.
The fact that HP fans voted with their wallets made her ecstatic.
But soon, she felt a tinge of disappointnt.
Yes, Hermione's toy selling so well proved that HP fans accepted her beauty.
But she couldn't touch any of that support! To put it bluntly, she couldn't get a share of the money! Right—anywhere in the world's entertainnt industry, paychecks are a complete buyout of the actor's image, no matter how talented you are.
Even the strongest actors only get box office bonuses.
At most, a little extra from subsequent video releases or streaming rights.
Want a cut of rchandise revenue?
Dream on. Not even Robert Downey Jr. could manage that.
Iron Man's toy craze made Disney tons of money, and Downey got nothing.
Scarlett Johansson's toys sold extrely well too, but she only received $25 million for Black Widow.
So…
So small regrets, I guess.
But, on the other hand, the entertainnt industry is all about fa.
As long as you're popular, the future has unlimited possibilities.
And now?She was already far ahead of her peers.
Fans paying with their wallets turned all previous negative dia into a joke and let Isabella enjoy her 11th birthday on set—her birthday was March 19. A few days after that, on March 28, the large crew disbanded, and her work on HP1 was basically finished.
She still had a few minor shots left, but Chris Columbus scheduled those for May.
That ant she could rest for a whole month.
Not bad at all.
The UK has a three-term school system with three holidays: Christmas, Easter, and the sumr break. So finishing work in late March…
"Let's go, let's go!"
"Let's go have fun!"
Having just celebrated her father's anniversary, Isabella dragged her on-leave sister and mother out for a vacation.
Other cast mbers did the sa: Rupert flew to Austria with his family, Daniel went skiing in Switzerland, Ginny went to Spain, and as for Dan? He had a lot of work left.
Not only because the remaining minor HP1 shots were his personal scenes, but also because before HP, Daniel fild The Tailor of Panama, which was set to release in April.
The crew would host a premiere in London.
In theory, after signing a long-term contract with Warner, Daniel shouldn't have participated in projects outside HP—any exposure would benefit other studios—but The Tailor of Panama had a strong lineup: John Boorman, director of Hope and Glory, and Pierce Brosnan starring. And yes, the project was arranged by Daniel's mother.
So… Warner allowed him to go.
Next…
Daniel's first public appearance after HP brought unprecedented attention—and so frustration:
[Oh! You don't know! When I stepped on the red carpet, the flashlights were as bright as the sun!]
[I couldn't open my eyes!]
[Wow… it was so uncomfortable…]
While filming on set, seeing each other daily made communication easy.
After wrapping and leaving the set, they couldn't et every day, but communication… was still convenient.
They had added each other on MSN and created a group chat.
When idle, they could check ssages.
Complaints from March 31 made Isabella, enjoying sunshine on the Apennine Peninsula, laugh. Scrolling down, others' happy vacation ssages and Daniel's envious replies made her even more cheerful.
Her big-sisterly antics caught Catherine's attention.
Leaning toward her sister, a variety of life scenes appeared before her.
"Oh~ everyone's having such different lives~"
"That's obvious, isn't it? If everyone lived the sa, what's the point of the world?"
"Uh… true…"
Though Catherine was used to her sister's aggressive banter, she still rubbed her sister's head in mild protest and asked, "HP filming should finish by June at the latest. What are you planning to do next?"
She asked because on MSN, Bonnie said HP made her love acting, and her mother had found her a new role, Survivor on a Deserted Island, expected to start before July.
Everyone congratulated her.
Then Rupert said he, like Bonnie, had fallen in love with acting and had a new project called Goddamn Astronaut.
Isabella had little opinion—she barely rembered these projects.
As for her sister's question, "What will you do next?"
"I don't want to do anything."
"Why?"
"Because work is tiring, and I'm lazy."
Isabella stretched.
"Hahahaha~"
Her bluntness made Catherine laugh nonstop. "Okay, then rest well~ until work calls you~"
Catherine was just casually asking after seeing the ssage, but Isabella…
She didn't answer casually.
Actor work correlates with fa—more fa brings more work. At her awkward age of 11, aside from endorsents, she didn't know what else she could do.
No one behind her to secure scripts, and no child project could match HP.
Better to rest than waste effort.
Waiting for Isabella's return to the UK—
In May, after receiving Columbus's call, she returned to reshoot so scenes.
In June, as Hermione's scenes wrapped, Isabella received her final paycheck. After taxes, £300,000 brought her £195,865 net. Taxes were high, but unavoidable.
She had already withdrawn £40,000 for daily expenses;then she focused on personal growth: her mother contacted her previous piano teacher at the Royal Academy of Music, she continued lessons, and spent rest days with Maggie Smith to refine herself.
In July, she was supposed to attend Rowling's wedding with the crew—a remarriage from true love.
But dia leaks forced cancellation of the Galapagos Islands wedding.Everyone was disappointed.
Rowling was angry—dia had also published photos of her daughter Jessica, violating privacy laws for minors in the UK. Rowling sued; the offender could face a year in jail.That's why Isabella and the crew could avoid the dia—film if they wanted, but any leak, and they'd face consequences.
Even busy, Rowling still gave Isabella the Chamber of Secrets script.Her instructions were clear, and Isabella efficiently went through it.
After spending over half a month noting character differences, Maggie Smith returned—
"Oh~ Isabella, can't you just self-study?"
Looking at the little brat refusing to leave, Maggie sighed.
"Oh~ Miss Maggie, I'm slow…"
Isabella pouted.
"Really? Then I'll charge tuition. I have a phobia of stupidity."
Maggie made a stern face.
"Ah? I have to pay? I thought my beauty had covered the cost."
Isabella was surprised.
"…"
They silently stared, then both burst into laughter—teacher and sharp-tongued girl alike.
"Okay, don't ever say I taught you—I've never had such a shaless student."
"Hahahaha~"
In August, after a year of study, her mother finally got her agent license, legally able to manage Isabella's business. But realistically, she couldn't work alone; a lawyer was still needed.Not important—mastery takes ti; a 21-year-old can't suddenly have 22 years of experience.
Co September…
A building in New York was declared obsolete.
Jas Harden's relative caused a global stir, triggering safety concerns and a downturn in entertainnt. North Arican box office fell 65%, Disney park revenue dropped 71%.
Just when the world expected an entertainnt winter…
November in the UK brought joy.
Not because soone was praying for their child, but because the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone world premiere would take place on November 4 at the Odeon Cinema, Leicester Square, London.
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