King of Hollywood-Chapter 562 - 283 Show me the proof!

"Magic! What I need are children who can do magic, children who have that kind of power that you recognize at first sight, that says ’it’s them!’ But among these hundreds of children, I can’t feel even a trace of that kind of magic!" In the rented office of the Harry Potter crew, director Chris Columbus spoke somewhat excitedly to Adrian.

Adrian shrugged his shoulders, then looked over at JK Rowling beside him, who similarly shrugged with a smile. Clearly, Columbus had said this more than once, and moreover, Rowling was very satisfied with him being the director.

She had always wanted Spielberg to be the director, but Adrian convinced her that Chris Columbus was the top Hollywood director for all-age movies. Not to mention, the two Home Alone films not only made Macaulay King a star but also became classics in the all-age movie genre. Although the Harry Potter series would inevitably begin to mature, the first two books were indeed full of childlike fun, so Columbus was more than suitable to direct them.

After Columbus arrived in London, Rowling quickly approved of him, and the crew’s preparation and casting work also proceeded smoothly. However, finding the right actors was still a challenge. As Columbus had said before, he wanted to find those "magic" children, but this kind of personal feeling can sometimes hinder the progress of work.

It can’t be said to be a bad thing; after all, the director is responsible for the entire crew. But it can’t be said to be a good thing either, as this would prolong the production time of the movie. One of the main reasons Adrian started preparations half a year in advance of the original plan was that children grow up fast, especially after the age of ten. A year of shooting, and their appearances could change noticeably, and that is not good for the movie.

However, the problems weren’t too many. If there was trouble here, it could be compensated for from other aspects. The British response to the Harry Potter series being adapted into movies was undeniably enthusiastic. At least tens of thousands had come to apply, the British media had also reported a lot on the crew’s open auditions, and the government was even more supportive—after lobbying by PR personnel sent by Adrian, the Blair government was already officially considering amending the Child Labor Law.

The UK Child Labor Law has strict requirements for minors under the age of 16 participating in film shootings. For instance, children under the age of 13 can only work for 7 hours a day and must take 3 hours of lessons each day. If the shooting goes smoothly, such regulations are manageable, but if not... Moreover, as I’ve said before, children in development grow quickly, and if the delay is slightly longer, there might be a need to reshoot earlier material, so these laws had to be changed.

Since it was already officially under consideration, what the outcome would be is needless to say. The potential value of the Harry Potter film series was at least over a billion. If the laws couldn’t be amended, leading the crew to return to the United States for filming using American actors, it would definitely be a loss-making deal for the UK government. This was not only an economic issue but also an outright slap in the face. Even if the Blair government refused, as long as the news got out, they would inevitably become enemies of all of Britain.

Alright, back to the topic. Aside from these, Adrian was also ready to push forward, which was his purpose for coming to London.

"By the way, I have a great candidate for Hermione," Adrian said after inquiring about related affairs, getting a general understanding of the current situation, and discussing with Columbus, Rowling, and several heads for a while.

"Really?" Columbus and Rowling both showed curiosity immediately. With so many applicants, and even after excluding thousands, there were still thousands more children to interview; otherwise, Columbus wouldn’t have complained.

"Uh..." Adrian tapped his head with his fingers, then looked at the other two, "Mollari, have the Hogwarts uniforms been designed? Do you have any ready? Ones that fit children aged 9 to 11?"

After getting an affirmative response, Adrian asked for a Gryffindor girl student’s uniform as a sample, then also asked the props department for Hermione’s bushy wig. Then he smiled at Columbus and Rowling: "Sorry, due to some reasons, I need to make some preparations. When I bring her over tomorrow, you will understand why I had to do this."

What Adrian needed to do didn’t need to be said. In his heart, aside from Little Emma, who else could be more suitable for the role of Hermione?

"Will this uniform be too big for me?" In Emma’s bedroom, the little girl gestured at the Gryffindor uniform spread out on the bed and said, then sighed while turning her gaze to the wig beside her, "And I have to wear this."

"Any problems?" Adrian asked with a smile as he watched her fussing.

"Of course," Emma said as she picked up the wig with two fingers and shook it, "It’s bushy. Don’t you think I’ll look like a... lion dog wearing this?"

"Not at all." Adrian took the wig and helped her put it on, and after some fumbling, he finally got it right, but the effect was...

"I was right," Emma shook her head as she placed her hands on her hips and looked at herself in the mirror.

"You know, I’m not a makeup artist, so..." Adrian scratched his head from behind her, "How about this, once we get to the set tomorrow, I’ll have professionals take care of it for you—now, try on the uniform."

"Okay, okay." The little girl stuck out her tongue, grabbed the wig off, and tossed it aside, then started to take off her shirt.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Adrian quickly called out.

Emma looked at him, somewhat puzzled, but her hands didn’t stop moving for a moment, "Of course, I’m changing clothes, didn’t you just say so?"

"You should wait for me to leave before you start undressing, or go to the bathroom to change," Adrian sighed, "You are 9 years old now, Emma."

Despite his words, the little girl didn’t listen at all and managed to strip down to her underwear in a matter of seconds. Adrian rolled his eyes and then turned away, his back to the girl.

"Really, it’s not like you haven’t bathed me before," Emma grumbled, prompting Adrian to roll his eyes again, and then he heard a few mocking chuckles.

"I’ve changed." After some rustling, the girl’s voice rang out again, and Adrian turned halfway to glance at Emma, confirming that she had indeed dressed completely before turning fully around.

The clothes were a bit big, after all, they were designed for an 11-year-old child, but they still made her look very cute and stylish, almost exactly as Adrian remembered.

"Perfect, isn’t it? It would be more fitting if the clothes were a little smaller." He pulled her in front of him, straightened her clothes, and adjusted her tie, then said, "This role is practically tailored for you, Emma."

However, the girl pouted, "Do you really think I’m suitable to play Hermione, Ed?"

"Of course, don’t you love this novel?" Adrian asked her.

"Liking it is one thing, actually playing the part is another, it makes me..." Emma thought for a moment, "feel kind of confused."

"Is that so?" Adrian narrowed his eyes and after a moment sighed, "Well, if you really don’t want to..."

"I didn’t say that," Emma quickly interrupted him, puffing out her chest with an air of righteousness, "I said I would do it if you want me to, how could I possibly break my word!"

"That’s the spirit," Adrian said leisurely, his narrowed eyes still not opening.

Emma immediately felt something was amiss, it seemed... he had already seen right through her, but before she could attempt to run away, she was pressed down on the bed by him.

"Help! Help me!" The playful cries for help soon emerged from the room.

The next day, when Emma appeared before Rowling and Columbus, dressed in Gryffindor school uniform with a wig and a little makeup, both of them were stunned. Especially when Emma stood proud and tall, confidently shaking their hands in a very Hermione-like manner, complete with a little arrogance, their jaws dropped uncontrollably.

"My God, I can’t believe I didn’t think of the most suitable..." Rowling covered her mouth, then turned to Adrian, perhaps trying to save a sliver of face: "You’re cheating, Ed, you know her get-up..."

"Do you really think so, Joe?" Adrian asked with a smile.

After hesitating for a moment, Rowling had to admit, "Alright, Emma does really seem... as if she’s walked right out of the novel, oh, I really didn’t think that the most suitable person was right under our noses, this is unbelievable."

While she was marveling, Columbus had already begun quizzing Emma, "Have you done any film or theater performances, Emma?"

"I have performed in a few plays at school, and I often visited the set when Ed was filming in London, so I’m very familiar with movie production, you don’t have to worry, Mr. Director," Emma said with a smile, maintaining her slightly arrogant demeanor as if all these experiences were merely trivial, which made her seem both endearing and amusing.

No matter who she was in front of or in what situation, she always called Adrian as Ed, not like some person who seemed to be a bad girl who liked rock but was actually quite innocent and insisted on adding "uncle" before their name.

"Ha, is she your niece, Ed?" Columbus asked in surprise.

What happened next goes without saying; both Rowling and Columbus were very satisfied, especially Columbus, who, after learning about the relationship between Emma and Adrian, was filled with both sympathy and admiration for the little girl.

"The disasters of her childhood made her mature early, but under your influence, she didn’t become introverted. Instead, she opened up, while still being adorable, possessing a wise and approachable magic power. She is Hermione," Columbus finally said.

That was that, but Emma still had to go through the audition process to avoid any gossip, although this was quite normal. Many films with open casting calls usually had their main roles filled through recommendations from people within the industry. That’s why an actor’s network and their agent were so important. Wasn’t the original Harry chosen the same way?

Who knows who would get those key roles in this version now. Additionally, the production team needed to be reminded: Ginny had to be a sweet and lovely little girl, unless Rowling decided to change the plot outline; it was better to be prepared in advance. However, Adrian, although he wanted to stay in London and see the casting of other roles for this version, had films in production he needed to attend to; he couldn’t stay away for too long. So, after confirming Emma’s role as Hermione, he stayed for another two days before preparing to return to New Zealand.

But, before going back, there was one more thing to do.

"It’s such a pity, if only I were a little younger, I’d definitely try for the role too," Keira said as she flipped through the Hogwarts design diagrams handed to her by Emma in the production office.

"You could still do it now, there are lots of roles, like Angelina Johnson or Katie Bell and so on," Emma said.

Even though Keira was five years older than Emma, they had always had a good relationship. So when Emma invited her to visit the Harry Potter set, Keira accepted without hesitation.

"I wouldn’t want to play a small, insignificant role," Keira shrugged her shoulders, "You know, movies adapted from books tend to focus on a few main characters. They use supporting characters when needed and cut them when they’re not."

"Really?" Emma asked, curious.

"Of course, my mom’s a screenwriter," Keira continued to shrug, "Didn’t Ed tell you?"

"Yes," Adrian’s voice came over, "although Emma is very smart, she might not understand everything."

"That was before, now I definitely understand," Emma made a face at Adrian as he walked over.

"Of course, of course, you’ve grown up now," Adrian laughed heartily and kissed her on the forehead before turning to Keira, "Sorry, Keira, I have to leave London soon, so there’s a lot to do."

"It’s okay, I... know, you’re always busy." Keira forced a smile, the depression that had disappeared while chatting with Emma was back, accompanied by obvious anxiety and resentment.

After a few words of conversation, Adrian, who saw all of this, then asked, "You seem very unhappy, Keira. Is something bothering you?" freёweɓnovel_com

"I..." Keira opened her mouth, then closed it again, biting her lip as she turned away with an increasingly strong look of irritation in her eyes.

Adrian didn’t speak; he just watched her quietly waiting, and so did Emma.

"I’d like to talk to you in private, Ed," Keira finally said, clenching her teeth as if holding back something.

Adrian found a room with no one around and closed the door. Once Keira took a seat, he sat opposite her, "Is this okay?"

Keira didn’t speak, her head lowered as she fidgeted with her hands, seemingly at a loss for words.

"Relax, Keira, there’s no need to be so nervous. It’s just the two of us here," Adrian coaxed gently, "I’ve always been a good listener, right? So you can tell me anything you wouldn’t want your parents or someone else to know. I won’t tell anyone."

"I’ve talked to my parents, but... it’s completely ineffective." Keira said, her voice laced with irritation, "Apart from them, you are the only one... who gives me the urge to talk—even though I didn’t use to like you. You... seem very approachable, and you indeed haven’t told anyone what we talked about before... But..."

She lifted her head, her gaze at Adrian filled with doubt and hesitation.

"I owe you an apology, Keira," Adrian promptly began, "When I came to visit the set in London at the start of the year, I noticed your mood was off, but I had matters to attend to at the time, so I couldn’t talk to you then. Now, even though I’m still quite busy, I have a bit more free time, so I asked Emma to invite you out."

Although it was none of his business, he still apologized. Troubled by dyslexia to this day, Keira was an extremely sensitive girl, harboring deep inside her a strong belief that "it’s not me, it’s the world that’s wrong." Therefore, whenever a conflict arose, starting with something that agreed with her viewpoint was the key to solving the problem. A confrontational approach would only make things worse.

Having gradually changed under Adrian’s influence and after becoming friends with Emma, she seemed to have become sensitive again, according to what Emma told Adrian. Thinking back to her demeanor when he was previously in London, with that desire to confide in someone, that’s why Adrian had Emma invite Keira over.

"It was you who had Emma invite me?" The girl asked, somewhat surprised. With Adrian’s confirming nod, her earlier skepticism visibly faded, but she still hesitated, seeming to struggle with her words.

Adrian didn’t press her, simply waiting patiently. Finally, Keira spoke, catching him off guard.

"What kind of women do you like?" That was her question, followed by, "Or I mean, what kind of women do men like?"

"Why are you asking this?" Adrian looked at her, perplexed, "And isn’t that question a bit too general?"

"Okay," Keira closed her eyes and took a deep breath, figuring that since she had already broached the subject, it wouldn’t matter to elaborate, "Do all men like women with really good figures? Do they particularly like women with big breasts? Does whether a woman is attractive, and how attractive she is, depend on the size of her breasts?!"

If it had been someone else, they might have been befuddled, but Adrian quickly understood. After all, in his previous life, Keira’s nickname of "flat-chested princess" was well-known. Whichever thing had set Keira off this time was anyone’s guess, but wasn’t she overreacting a bit? She was still so young, and yet she was already concerned about such things. On the other hand, it was indeed the time when Western girls began to develop, but she looked...

"Of course not." Adrian smiled, trying to keep his expression as gentle as possible.

"You are lying!" Keira’s lips tightened as she crossed her arms, staring at him like a hedgehog curling up after being provoked.

"I’m not, men’s affection towards a woman is multifaceted; bust size isn’t a decisive factor," Adrian explained, but Keira still seemed unconvinced.

"Alright, speaking of busts, some men do really like women with large breasts, but some also like flat-chested women, they might find them more attractive," Adrian shrugged, "If you want a more specific answer, well, I quite like you as you are, flat-chested, Keira."

The girl first looked shocked, then her cheeks flushed red as if indignant, "You are still lying to me! Don’t think I don’t understand you, those tabloids..."

"Do you think reading tabloids gives you an understanding of a person?" Adrian spread his hands, "I do like women with the right curvature of the bust, but why can’t I like flat-chested women too? That’s a different kind of charm."

Keira looked at him in stunned silence, her tense expression gradually easing, "Prove it to me."

"Huh?" Adrian blinked, not quite catching on before she grabbed his hand and pressed it to her chest, looking at him with determined eyes, "Prove it to me!" (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to head over to Qidian.com to vote for it using recommendation votes or monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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