"Mr. Blackwood, Mr. McNichol, it's a pleasure to see both of you again."
As soon as Chris Columbus walked into the hotel room, he greeted Zane and Old Bill with a huge smile.
"I'm also very happy to see you again, Director Columbus," Zane said, shaking his hand warmly.
"Chris!" Old Bill laughed. "You're finally here. If you were any later, I would have come to your house and dragged you here myself!"
Zane chuckled. "Director Columbus, forget about work for today. I heard you love fine drinks. I'm ready to keep you company all night!"
"Good drinks?" Columbus's eyes lit up. Everyone in Hollywood knew he loved a good drink.
"Chris," Old Bill whispered with a grin, "you're the first person our boss has ever brought out the good stuff for. Even when Jeff Bezos came to visit, the boss wasn't this excited!"
Zane shot Old Bill a playful look. Hey! Are you calling me stingy again?!
Zane and Bill were thrilled to have Chris Columbus. He was the perfect director for kids' movies. He had directed the Home Alone movies, which were classics! He was the best person in the world to tell a bedtime story.
Of course, he was also very expensive. His fee for directing the first Harry Potter movie was a giant $9.8 million. And he refused to sign a contract for more than one movie at a time. If they wanted him for Harry Potter 2, they'd have to pay him even more! But Zane knew he was worth it.
March 9th.
The casting for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone officially began!
There were 8,723 kids (aged 8-12) trying out.
There were going to be three rounds of auditions in four different cities: London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Edinburgh.
At one point, Zane had thought about just picking the actors he remembered from his old life right away. It would save a lot of time and money.
But then he thought, "Wait... this crazy casting process is great advertising! It makes people talk about the movie. Without big publicity, even a good movie can fail."
So, they did it the hard way.
London Division.
Over 3,000 kids showed up just in London! Zane and the other big bosses didn't need to be there for the first rounds. The staff handled it.
"Will I be picked?"
"Even if I get picked, will I be Harry, Ron?"
All the kids were worried. And their parents were even more worried! Being in a $130 million movie was a chance to become famous overnight.
The newspapers loved it. "Who Will Be the Lucky One?" was the headline everywhere.
Days went by. The first three rounds took 9 days! Over 95% of the kids were sent home. Only 400 were left.
Because of all the excitement, book sales for Harry Potter went up, too! In the UK, they sold 1.5 million copies, which was even more than in America.
"This kills two birds with one stone!" Zane thought happily. "Great news!"
Round 4.
On this day, Zane decided to visit the auditions.
"Mr. Blackwood!"
"Boss!"
The staff all jumped up to greet him. The big boss was here!
"Carry on, carry on," Zane said, waving his hand with a friendly smile. "I'm just here to watch. You guys are doing the work."
Everyone nodded, but they knew better. When the boss is in the room, he's in charge!
"Hmm?" Zane looked at the list. "Emma Watson?"
In 1999, no one knew that name. But Zane knew that in the future, she would be world-famous as Hermione Granger. She would be a "goddess" to millions of fans.
(Zane also knew she would have a very busy dating life in the future, but that didn't matter right now.)
Soon, Emma Watson walked into the room. Her audition was... excellent.
It wasn't that she was the best actor in the world. But she fit the role of Hermione perfectly.
"Why do you think I must choose you for the role of Hermione?" Zane asked suddenly. (So much for "just watching"!)
Everyone else stayed quiet. No one dared interrupt the boss.
"Uh..." Emma said, looking a little dazed. "I think I can do it? I'm very cute."
"Not enough!" Zane said, shaking his head. "That reason doesn't convince me."
Emma thought for a second. Then she looked right at him.
"I know who you are," she said. "You are Mr. Blackwood. You are one of the best writers, directors, and producers in the world. And... I am a fan of the Manchester City Football Club. Just like you."
Zane laughed out loud. She was smart! She knew exactly how to flatter him.
"Congratulations," Zane said with a big smile. "You've advanced to the next round."
"Thank you, Mr. Blackwood," little Emma said with a polite bow.
Zane was impressed. Not every kid knew how to play the game like that. She was going to go far in Hollywood.
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