"Oh, Susie, I'm so sorry. I admit, before inviting you, I'd already had some friction with Chris Columbus. But I never thought things would escalate to this point…"
"I never intended to drag you into a dispute that had nothing to do with you. Everything that's happened was… an accident."
—Six hours earlier.
12:30 PM, in a private dining room of a restaurant on Park Lane, London.
Susie Figgis and J.K. Rowling sat facing each other.
This was Susie's first day after officially resigning. Rowling had wanted to treat her to a farewell meal, and to thank her for all the help she'd given over the past few months. When she extended the invitation, she thought it would be a bittersweet goodbye. But once they actually sat down, she couldn't stop herself from launching into a tirade against Warner Bros. and the director.
"Susie, you know this is my first time dealing with Hollywood. Before this, I had no idea how shameless those big studios could be. Yes, Warner promised me Harry Potter would have a full British cast. They even wrote it into the contract. But they've never taken it seriously—and now they're trying to force me to give it up entirely."
"Do you know? Before I even received Warner's official project notice, Chris Columbus had already started casting for Harry Potter in the U.S. I even found out who was in charge: Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins. You must know them, right? They're part of the Hollywood insiders' circle!"
"When I heard this a few days ago, I nearly went mad!"
"Warner has never respected me! To them, there's only Spielberg! Chris Columbus never takes my words seriously. He just wants to steal my child and use it to promote his own people!"
At first, Rowling managed to keep her voice calm.
But as she went on, her tone rose higher and higher.
Had this not been a public space, Susie was sure Rowling would have been shouting.
"Oh, Annie, it's not too late to know all this. Things haven't reached an irreparable stage yet," Susie soothed her. "You may not be able to change the director, but when it comes to casting, you still have power to do as you see fit. In fact, it's precisely because of your persistence that Warner has had to back down, isn't it?"
The prep work for the Harry Potter films was essentially one giant battlefield. Disputes broke out over everything—not just casting, but even the choice of director.
Neither Spielberg nor his protégé Columbus was Rowling's choice. The person she had wanted most was the British-American director Terry Gilliam.
His best-known works: Brazil and 12 Monkeys.
But commercially, Gilliam was no Spielberg. Then again, who was? The only one who could rival Spielberg's box office power was Canada's James Cameron. So the moment Rowling suggested Gilliam, Warner vetoed it. Once they embraced Spielberg, the usual Hollywood package deal appeared:
If you want my talent, my fame, and my ability to carry your box office, then you take my whole team—or nothing.
Otherwise, if the project flops, don't blame me.
And in situations like that, the easiest move was to push the author aside.
That was how Hollywood had always done it.
But no one had expected J.K. Rowling to be such a hard bone to chew.
"You're right. The director can't be changed. Which is exactly why I can't compromise when it comes to casting."
Rowling nodded firmly. "Susie, even though you've left, all future casting will build on your work. I will fight Columbus and Warner to the very end!"
Susie was touched.
She understood what Rowling was doing: making it clear to the industry that Susie's work on Harry Potter had not been for nothing. Even if Warner's internal fights were messy, Susie had borne pressure and still delivered results.
To outsiders, that proof might not matter. But in the film industry, with its strict division of labor, it mattered a lot.
Hollywood was producer-centered. Casting directors usually answered to producers. If they couldn't stand up to a director and deliver the choices their employer wanted, then they would quickly be seen as unreliable and unemployable.
Still, Susie turned serious.
"Annie, thank you for trusting me. But there's something I must remind you: what we've done so far can only serve as reference. It cannot be the final word. I think you understand what I mean?"
"Yeah, you're telling me to be cautious before making the final choice? I will. Harry Potter is my child. I won't treat it carelessly."
"Oh, your understanding is correct. But that's not the only thing I mean."
"What?"
This time Rowling really couldn't guess her meaning.
Susie opened her bag, pulled out a file folder and a DV tape, and pushed them across the table.
"What I mean is—Hermione Granger."
"The previous candidates can all be passed over. Because I think I've found her—the real Hermione."
Though Columbus and Rowling's conflict had stalled casting, Susie hadn't been idle. After months of searching, plenty of candidates for the golden trio had already been unearthed.
For Hermione, there were two main contenders: Katherine Brian, a London drama school stage regular; and professional actress Hatty Jones, the lead of the 1998 film Madeline.
Until today, Susie thought they were both strong choices. Especially Hatty Jones—Susie believed she would likely reach the final selection.
But after today…
"Wow~ is this your new girl? Her performance is miles ahead of the others!"
Rowling flipped through the DV tape quickly, and Isabella's appearance immediately caught her eye.
What she saw was a worldliness beyond her years—that precocious cleverness was exactly Hermione's defining trait. And her confident bearing during the audition brought the beaver-like spark to life in full.
Rowling's sudden excitement made Susie smile and nod. "Annie, I knew you'd love her."
"She only auditioned this morning. I was about to leave the studio when she stepped off the shuttle bus. The moment I saw her, I was drawn to her. She felt like an angel. Meeting her was pure luck for me…"
Susie explained briefly.
And when Rowling learned the girl had snuck out to Leavesden without telling her family, she burst out laughing.
"Oh~ doesn't that sound just like Miss Granger, running away from home to go to Hogwarts?"
"Yeah~ yeah~ exactly what I thought!"
Susie clapped her hands in delight.
In the film industry, casting was really about chemistry.
One glance, and if you feel the spark, the actor gets the chance to shine.
If not, it's goodbye.
As Rowling turned more pages of Isabella's profile, her delight only grew. But then, her brow furrowed.
"Susie, as brilliant as this girl is, don't you feel she isn't quite right for Hermione?"
"Because she's too pretty. Not like the Hermione I wrote."
"Exactly."
"Oh, Annie, I don't think that matters."
"Why?"
Rowling pressed pause, raising her eyes with a puzzled look at her friend.
Susie spoke seriously:"Because literature and film are two different things. The reason adapting a novel into a movie is called an adaptation is that what works brilliantly in literature doesn't necessarily translate into a golden idea in the film industry, right?"
"When you want to turn a novel into a movie, what you make has to fit the standards of cinema."
"And for Harry Potter, I believe the appearance of the main characters is extremely important."
"Because Harry Potter is a commercial film."
Though Susie stood firmly on Rowling's side, as an industry veteran she understood that when adapting a book for film, the author's opinions could be a reference—but never the sole authority.
After all, authors were not insiders. They didn't understand all the taboos of the trade.
Take Harry Potter for example. Everyone already positioned it as a commercial film. And what was the golden rule of commercial filmmaking? Looks sell. That didn't mean every single actor had to be beautiful, but the main cast—the faces of the franchise—absolutely had to be.
To put it bluntly, if you insist on making a "Black Ariel" or a "Black Snow White"… well, the silent majority will vote with their feet.
Susie's words made Rowling's eyes flicker.
After holding her gaze for a while, Susie continued, sensing what she was worried about:
"Annie, I know what you're thinking. You're worried that any concession you make will make Warner think you're easy to push around, and that they'll slowly chip away at your influence until they reshape Harry Potter into their own image."
"And on that point—you're right to worry."
"The Hollywood giants have always played dirty. Take Chris Columbus, for instance—the very man you're clashing with. Didn't they want to push Haley Joel Osment for the lead? And what was Haley's breakout film? Forrest Gump! Sure, Forrest Gump won the Oscar, but we all know the film and the novel were barely even related."
"In order to tick boxes of political correctness, Robert Zemeckis twisted Forrest Gump beyond recognition. The original author was livid. So in my eyes, your refusal to compromise isn't wrong."
"But the way you're fighting Warner? It could be gentler."
"Warner chose Spielberg over you because no one understands the commercial game better than Spielberg. If your strategy to claim control of the project is just to emphasize fidelity to the books, then your relationship with Warner will only grow more hostile."
"But if you change your approach—if you actively demonstrate your understanding of film, your sense for commercial appeal—then even if Warner thinks Spielberg is better, they'll have no grounds to fault your commercial decisions, will they?"
"At that point, no one can take Harry Potter away from you."
Susie winked at her.
After thirty years in Hollywood, she already saw the root of Rowling's conflict with Warner.
Warner had invested hundreds of millions into Harry Potter. They couldn't afford failure.
At that moment, Rowling's insistence on fidelity to the original was exactly what Warner hated most.
Of course, neither side was wrong. They simply stood on different ground, with different priorities.
In such cases, for Harry Potter to move forward, both sides had to seek common ground while accepting differences.
"Susie, thank you."
"Hm?"
"I understand. You want me to make casting choices with commercial appeal, to show Warner that my goal in steering the project is to make it better—not to sabotage it."
"Yeah~ so?"
"Oh, Susie, that was my plan from the start. That's why I invited you in. But Warner…"
"…their behavior was disgusting?"
"Mhm."
"I get it. Warner is arrogant. But haven't they already taken the first step toward compromise? They've issued a statement saying they hope filming can begin before October. So maybe now's the time to… respond?"
"Mm."
Rowling was convinced.
Or rather, she too didn't want Warner to ruin the movie and turn Harry Potter into trash.
She hit play again and continued watching. The one-hour tape was soon finished.
Letting out a long breath, Rowling pondered for a while before saying, "She's wonderful. I want to meet her. When's good?"
"Tonight. How about we invite her to dinner?"
"What?" Rowling was surprised. "You already arranged this?"
Susie only smiled mysteriously. "Naughty kids who sneak off always deserve special attention—because you never know if they'll give you a wonderful surprise in the very next moment."
"After her audition, I had Jesse drive her home, and at the same time check into her background and invite her parents for afternoon tea."
"If nothing's gone wrong…" Susie checked her watch. "Jesse should be talking with her parents right about now."
Isabella might sneak away to auditions, but no production company could legally employ a minor without parental consent.
So while Isabella thought she was pulling off a great trick, Susie and her team—with their legal caution—saw through it instantly.
At 2 PM, Vivian had just stepped out of a West End theater when she noticed a missed call on her phone.
She returned it, and half an hour later met Jesse at a café in the West End.
They talked for hours. By around 4:30, they parted ways.
Back in her car, Vivian leaned against the seat in deep thought, until 5 PM when she finally started the engine and drove home.
By 6:30, after tidying herself up, Vivian took her daughters to Rules Restaurant at 35 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden.
It was one of London's oldest restaurants, its waiters dressed like characters out of Downton Abbey.
After giving her name to the silver-haired doorman in a top hat, they were escorted upstairs to a private room.
As the door opened, a rich English atmosphere spilled out.
The floor was covered in a thick red carpet, the walls paneled with dark wood, and a round solid-wood table draped in crisp white linen stood at the center. Around it sat three familiar figures.
At the head was, of course, J.K. Rowling, with Susie and Jesse on either side.
By custom, the newcomers should have greeted Rowling first. But Isabella ignored all that, staring at Jesse instead:
"So, Director Jesse, that blessing you gave me at lunch—'I hope you get called back for the second audition'—did you actually mean calling my mum?"
"Hahahaha!" Everyone burst out laughing.
Rising to greet them, Jesse spread his hands. "Isabella, it's illegal to negotiate work directly with a minor."
Isabella sighed. She knew he wasn't wrong.
That helpless look made Susie raise an eyebrow.
"Sweetheart, what's that face? Are you saying we've caused you a lot of trouble?"
As she spoke, she reached out warmly to shake Vivian's hand. After greetings, she winked at Isabella.
"I don't think so, do you? Look at your mum—she doesn't seem mad at all."
At that, Isabella turned her head. Sure enough, Vivian was smiling gently at her.
Just as Susie said, they hadn't brought her any trouble—because Vivian hadn't scolded her.
Yes, Vivian had been surprised by Jesse's call.
But after their meeting, she quickly accepted Isabella's little act of defiance.
For three reasons:
First, Isabella's audition had gone smoothly. So smoothly that Vivian began to think her daughter was born for this.
Second, Jesse explained that the entire production would be filmed in the UK—no running abroad—and that once shooting began, J.K. Rowling herself, as executive producer, would be on set.
This implied that the dirt of Hollywood and old Europe wouldn't touch them.
Third—because the family really did need money.
A penny can stump even the strongest man.
Notes:
Note: 1. Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins were casting directors for Home Alone. They also handled casting for When Harry Met Sally, Jurassic Park, and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. They belonged to the Spielberg/DreamWorks/Lucasfilm circle.
Note: 2. Katherine Brian is the English singer Katy B, who at the time had also been a candidate for Hermione Granger.