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Chapter 48.5: One Blue Over the Canary’s Nest
🕑 Added 2024-09-17 07:02:39 +0000 UTCChapter 48.5: One Blue Over the Canary’s Nest
Leavesden Studios, UK. September 2009.
Contrary to popular belief - and as contrary as I could consciously be to popular relief, we weren’t as grown up as we pretended we were.
Although, I ought to exclude myself handily from that equation. In all honesty, I had startlingly few qualms or compunctions about strangers out in the wild polishing themselves into sexually gratified sheens in front of effigies dedicated to me.
In case the analogies hadn’t clicked yet, I was talking about flicking the bean, stroking the stalk - jacking off. Specifically, fans doing it to the thought of us. Fee fi fo fum, I know that I’ve made perverts cum.
Where I, rather hypocritically, drew the line was when my friends were also subject to it. So what if they were both my elders? I’d done the math; in comparison I’m a senior citizen at heart. Just because I was an eternal fourteen-year-old in mentality was no excuse. They needed a guiding hand - that wasn’t slathered in scented lotions - to steer them down the right track.
So it was only natural that mommy made herself known once in a while to hover over us. “My, my, isn’t this just so achingly nostalgic? The golden trio before me, all together; potentially one final time.” Rowling had swept into town like an unseen tsunami, throwing the set into a disarray. A flood of pestered PAs followed in her wake; brewing tea, buttering crumpets, and dusting off a meeting lounge; until our quad squad was successfully sequestered behind closed doors at her behest.
Jojo’s impromptu arrival alone wasn’t what drove them helter-skelter.
Now that the filming was ramping up to meet deadlines, the wider cast filming disparate scenes - where, regrettably for the audience, my handsome face wasn’t gonna be on screen - were also in full swing across the various sets. So, plenty of the usual suspects, and even an unusual guest here or there, had the production staff beleaguered.
It felt familiar sitting here in this slightly musty smelling room. The three of us squeezed tightly onto a single sofa, while JK presided over us from her single wingback. I could almost see the afterimage of our dangling feet. Where once upon a time they’d be hanging inches off the ground, now instead three pairs of knobby-knees were jostling for every millimetre of free space. “As our modest franchise enters its twilight-” The clinking of her teaspoon against the sides of her steaming cup called out to me like the signal for a toast. I obliged.
“Since you brought it up, speaking of twilight, just imagine how much more successful we’d have been if you’d expanded the lore on vampires. Hell, we had Robert playing Diggory. We should’ve had the forethought to toss him in a vat of glitter and reap the teenage girl funded rewards.” Had this been a couple years from now, no doubt I’d be quipping about Harry being a bit more stylish with his wand work to compete with the conspicuous copy of Fifty Shades of Grey sitting squarely in every mum’s bedside drawers.
“Careful there, mate. You almost sounded jealous.” Rupert cried envy. He was absolutely right.
“Almost? I bloody well am!” Pattinson’s fairly recent fame had his glittery feet stepping all over my hard fought turf. I refused to relinquish my hold on the collective hearts of the globe’s housewives.
Flecks of tea suddenly spattered over the side of my cheek. Shocked and appalled by the assault, I ripped my face away from Rupert’s and whipped towards Rowling. Her fingers floated above her cup, still dripping.
Successfully gaining our attention again, she cleaned herself up - not bothering to hand me a tissue and leaving the tendrils of sticky tea to follow the contours of my face and into my mouth. My tongue swiped up. Not nearly sweet enough. What’d she do, replace the honey with vinegar? “I fear we’ve veered away from our original topic of conversation. There’s only about a year left, which will have meant that we’ve spent a decade together. Our successes and failures have always, up to this point, been tied to one another. Now, however, as you make your own ways into the big, bad world - find your own feet and voices; I thought it prudent that we air out any… ah grievances, while we still have the opportunity.”
Hmm. Now wasn’t this interesting? I adopted my thinking pose. Leaning back, I relaxed my posture, slung my arms across the sofa backrest, and smoothly weaved my fingers through the ginger and brunette heads on either side of me. Fidgeting, especially with something in hand, helped me concentrate. My co-stars’ scalps were as good a toy as any.
“Ugh-Bas!” Rupert jerked forward and immediately swatted my hand away. “Grubby mitts to yourself, mate. S’far as it goes, don’t really have any grudges I need sorted out, or anything like that. I’m content.” He shrugged and returned to his previous position. I couldn’t resist tickling a few stray strands at the nape of his neck. He swatted me away again.
Emma piped up. “Well, I have plenty of complaints. Starting with him.” She jabbed a pointy nail into my rib. “His entire existence is a grievance!” Then why were you placidly allowing me to scratch your head?
“Serious questions require serious answers, please.” Jo cut in.
Emma cut it out. “Honestly, it’s nothing major. Ms Specter already given me the ins and outs. Really, the worst I’d have to say is about the gruelling time commitment; but even then that has more to do with my personal choices - especially university…”
I kept quiet, letting the three of them dive into dialogue, while I coasted along.
This little rendezvous wasn’t in service of righting wrongs or honest feedback. It was purely about securing the future. After all, the longevity of a movie franchise (while not solely dependent on, but certainly) helped along with a positive reception of those involved.
An oxymoronic - healthy obsession - was a key factor for a property to maintain a favourable relationship with its fanbase. It’s what spurred, even years after any new content for an IP, engagement. Merchandise purchase, event attendance, future project interest. You name it; the fandom was gonna buy it. Or at least they would if they still felt good about being involved and associated with us. Fact of the matter was, unless we had a good grip on our own reputations and held an overall chipper outlook on the whole experience, fans just weren’t gonna be invested in the Harry Potter brand going forward. No fanfiction, no cosplays, no flippant tattoos of my gob on hairy calves, none of that.
Twilight, inadvertently, ended up being a perfect stick to measure against. It had gotten just as big as us; the stars spoken about in that same breathy exultation as we were. But all of that fell away for them when the behind-the-scenes turmoils, sordid affairs, and disdainful cast candidness came to light. They were far from the last to have that fall from grace. The tabloids had a field day, but the people reading them soured on the whole thing, wiped their ass with those same pages, and flushed away any proceeding involvement.
We, though, ought to do our best to avoid that fate. For everyone’s benefit; fans, financiers and famous faces alike. The currents of influence weren’t omnidirectional “My time on Harry Potter? Oh, what a lovely experience! Now, come check out my new one man play about the wonders of male pregnancy. I call it the mangina monologues. Tickets are twenty quid, cash only.”
I glanced at JK Rowling as she sternly absorbed Emma and Rupert’s laundry list. She wasn’t doing this for the money. I knew that better than anyone.
This was for legacies.
Mine too.
Money wasn’t a concern for Richie Rowling. As far as numbers went, she had more than I did and I was absolutely swimming in it. Her digits, ironically enough, posed the greatest danger.
No one fully understood that threat yet. Once our contractual obligations were up in totality, nothing could legally compel any of us to sing false praises anymore. This was what gave production heads heart palpitations instead of the true (definitely not silent) killer; social media.
Everything had gone quiet. All eyes were on me. I stopped bouncing my knee. Clearly I’d submerged myself a tad too deep, there. “I’m sorry. What was the question again?” I won’t lie, there’s a special thrill I get when hopeful stares turn disappointed when looking directly at me.
Rowling sighed and stood. “It has been an absolute pleasure speaking with the both of you. I’m severely going to miss our little chats in the future.” Gathering the two next to me by their shoulders, she bundled them up, and blurred through bye-byes. “With Bas, unfortunately, it seems I’m going to have to twist his ear if I’m going to get him to use it. Would you mind giving us some privacy? Of course you wouldn’t.” And bamboozled them out the door before they had any chance to answer.
You’d think my minions had been doing double duty as Hedwig’s understudies, the way they’re owlishly blinking at being so effectively ushered away.
Rupert snapped to attention first and opened his mouth. “I changed my mind about not having any issue.” The door slammed shut. “This has always been ruddy unfair. Favouritism!”
“Some things just aren’t going to change, are they?” Emma’s muffled voice was punctuated by Jo loudly clicking the mechanical lock.
She pinned me through narrowed eyes all the way back to her chair. “Penny for your thoughts?”
I spread both myself and my smile wider in my suddenly empty seat. “You can afford more than that.”
“Do we really have to needle each other before getting to the point?” No, but it is fun.
“M’not exactly fond of going around in circles, either.” Tell that to the donuts I occasionally do in the carpark to keep my drifting skills sharp. “Wanna just skip the rigmarole, and tell me straight what brought this conversation on?”
“Sniffed me out, have you?” I can smell blood. I’d become a shark long ago. “This stays between you and me.”
“I’ll just add that to the long list, shall I?”
“Hush! Truth be told, for the most part, it’s as I’d said on the tin. I just wanted to make sure we all move forward amicably.” Fair, but…. “But WB has approached me. They vehemently do not want these two films to be the last in a very lucrative line for them.”
“Oh? Fantastic!” Greedy little corporate beasts. “More movies, then? Can’t say I’ll be signing on as Harry again, though.”
“Movies, TV, stage, could be anything, really. Still working the details out. Not to worry, that’s not the part I’d like you to play. I haven’t forgotten for one second why I could tell the entirety of my story my way. They’re circling me, Bas.” Like thirsty dairy maids with empty buckets; raring to squeeze our every last drop of milk. “I’m prepared to give you anything you want - a stake in the core franchise, whatever. Please, Bas, I need you. Not all the time and not for everything, but always at my back.”
Can’t say I hadn’t anticipated this, though I thought I’d have to broach the course myself. There wasn’t a point deluding myself into assuming I’d ever get a final say. Ideas, advice, and vetoes could definitely be a possibility, however. As long as I’ll live, my name will be ubiquitous with Harry Potter. Besides my offered loyalties, it would only benefit me to preserve our rep. “I’ll have conditions.”
I scooted over, leaned forward, and extended my pinky. Jo was quick to wrap it around her own. “You need only say them.”
Fingers entwined, I swung them until I saw one side of her lip upturn. She was relieved to have me on lock. To me, it felt less like joining hands than shackling her twitter fingers - no way was I gonna let this canary sing.
Keep off the net Rowling, it’ll trap you.
Comments
Relayed
Games can just be card games and board games. Trying to figure out brand new videogames seems un necessary.
Relayed
There are lots of comments that Rowling has made about Potter that has been misquoted by numerous outlets. The most famous one is Hermione should have ended up with Harry. What she actually said was that she could have been with Harry but with where the characters ended up, Ron was the better choice based on his humor and the care he showed for her. The interview was with Emma Watson and the whole thing is available online.
Relayed
He's really good at playing shifty crooks that quickly change subjects to avoid suspicion.
Michael og
One thing I did like about fantastic beasts, was Colin Farrells performance as a villain, sad they changed him to Johnny depp
Rivo
Nothing would make me happier than not reading about more HP content after the final movie airs in story. This chapter just got me thinking is all
Rivo
If you want antagonistic... Have Bas take Shia LaBeouf's role in Fury out from under him. The man is a great actor, but also def unhinged.
Bar Calak
I dont use socmed so i've never paid any attention to stuff like this. BUt even I heard and laughed at the defecation debacle. That said i feel like iys a joke and people jsu didn't understand Jk's sens of humour. But then again I have very little confidence
Bar Calak
Very much with you. Bas is bidness minded
Bar Calak
I think by now every named character is essentially and OC in all but name. No one but them knows who they are IRL.
Bar Calak
Always easiest to help people who want to be. Plus i don't know how the actual people are IRL - their basically OC's with similar names for the purpose of the story
Bar Calak
Ramble at me baby. I'll do it right back haha. Pottermore (now wizarding world?) was good fun. Expanded tidbits, sorting, get your patronus and wand. all cool stuff. Rowling's perception of success got skewed with HP i think, thats why after her middling mystery novels she sort of gave up and went on to socmed imo. I hate the cursed shild. stage plays are fine, Ive seen a few and always enjoyed. People tedn to be fine with whatevr as long as the foundational aspect of the series are respected - which just isnt the case anymore. for a lot of diff series. Fantatsic beasts is always there, among other potwntial time periods. BUt I think Bas needs a bit of a breaher away from the magic stuff to grow beyond it. So many people want games in the story haha gonna be a bitch to figure out if i try.
Bar Calak
God the tacked on lore was just dumb
Bar Calak
Bas is learning Taekwondo - which incidentally means he's quite good ad the legendary and undefeatable SIDESTEP
Bar Calak
Parents like to pretend this isnt the case. but they lie haha
Bar Calak
Alan will get his curtain call, I assure you
Bar Calak
The thing with Rowling is I don't think she started off that way. Both parties sort of made mountains out of mole hills and now mutually hate each other.
Bar Calak
Bas defo needs competition in his generation. Which is what im slowly building up int the Bg (hopefully) of diff types. E.g friendly v antagonistic.
Bar Calak
Steve Irwin is still alive as a consultant maybe?
Bar Calak
I'll do my best
Bar Calak
Twitter sort of acts as the downfall receipt for so many just because they don't learn when to shut up. Bas wants to preserve the HP rep as much as possible. he also understands that people are who they are, there's no point trying to change them - easier to hide them. It's like loving your grandparents, but also realizing you can't bring certain people around them if you're scared about them going on an unhinged rant. I'm surprised how many people want Bas to talk to his costars about the favouritism. I just thought it'd be taken as "it is what it is". Something to think about.
Bar Calak
Something like Kevin James when he did the sound guy youtube videos. those were fun.
Bar Calak
I made a promise ages ago in a chap. Crsed child (the greatest lore breaking culprit) won't be born
Bar Calak
Some things are best left under the rug
Bar Calak
I endeavour to make you laugh and cry in equal measure
David Karlsson
There is also some canon hints already. They have bathrooms and toilets everywhere, the chamber of secrets was adapted by a Gaunt to use the sink there. But the room of requirement is full of chamber pots. If they could vanish the waste that'd made sense
Jeff
I honestly don’t care about her politics as long as Bas can help say no to some of the lore changes in later films. As long as JK knows her online tweets can potentially be hurtful to her legacy? (cause she still rich as fuck with more media deal coming out today) then go full ahead with what you say. People seem to have forgotten Jk has rights to her IP and her word is law surrounding it. Don’t like her world or what she says don’t buy. I mean Disney has been saying that to us for years and so we did, it works.
Zerak
Which is stupidity since even before toilets were invented rich people use to shit out of whole in the castle wall under the toilet to let it drop down (I think). And other cultures had their own things. Like you know digging a hole, or a latrine. We know wizard culture in Europe dates back to the Roman Empire, so that means they had more culture than 18th century British folk. The pure bloods opinion on muggles isn’t wrong, it’s just outdated. Being a peasant in Europe was shit compared to the magical world at the time. This might not be the same elsewhere, as a lot of cultures had their peaks before the First World War, so you might see less discrimination between magicals and not in their culture. Specially since the statue of secrecy being a relatively new thing indicates they lived together. I imagine most big shrines in Japan would have genuine magic users. The oracles in Greece would have been actual oracles. And African nations would have had tribal shamans.
David Karlsson
Cant really expect them to back her up. Should they lie down in the hole JK has dug for herself? Luna's actress handled it with the most grace
Rivo
Hard disagree that she would get similar criticism for being pro trans or w/e. Of course there will be some criticism of her regardless, even if she says absolutely nothing, but that comes with the territory of having such a famous piece of work. Turned their backs on her? That's a stretch. There's being anti-something, and then there's the level obsession that is Jk Rowling.
McLuvin
While I agree with you Kirsten Stewart has some good roles and a good range, and I definitely disagree with Scott on A LOT of things (see his Netflix take further up) I disagree with you on Kirsten doing nearly as well as Pattinson. She hasn’t been in a movie that’s made a profit in almost ten years, while critically loved, she’s commercially been a failure, and she HAS made dedicated efforts to get back to commercial success with movies like Charlie’s Angels and Underwater, which are explicitly attempts at mass appeal movies. Meanwhile Pattinsons been making profit most of the time since Good Time, and while he hasn’t got Stewart’s critical love, he’s still looked upon very favourably by critics. It’s not just Batman that brought him back, it’s the movie that solidified him as a true A lister again, but Stewart is a C lister at this point kept relevant mainly through critics buzz
David Karlsson
Most of her lore is whimsical and not thought through. It's a shame a supporting writer with extensive knowledge of British history as a whole couldn't cowrite a background for the series with JKR keeping veto powers. She has a degree in mythology of some sort I believe, but I'm not sure how extensive it is. Many countries have their unique mythology of supernatural creatures. A team of writers could probably flesh out the universe much more. There are many mysteries through history of odd events or weird decisions or behavior they could compile and give magic explanations for.
Secret Weapons
Obviously I hope Bas can wrangle her in and stop some of the most ridiculous lore she dropped in later years...... but there's one I just cannot decide if I want him to let her say or not... the whole "Wizards didn't use toilets before plumbing, they just squatted down and grunted out huge shits on the floor, wherever they were, then vanished the log of shit before toilets were invented" piece of lore is so fucking STUPID, but it sheer absurdity makes me giggle like a child every time I think of it lol
Secret Weapons
I want another scene with Bas and the Rickman, Carter, McCrory trio. He needs to chat up Carter at least a little bit, if only so he can honour the OG HP, Dan, who very obviously wanted to nail HBC back in his Potter days lol
Secret Weapons
Just to clarify, this "no acting range Kristen Stewart you mention..... are you referencing the Kristen Stewart who was just nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress like 2 years ago? Major L of a take chief. I'd argue Stewart's done similarly well to Pattinson... except Pattinson's recent turn as Batman has launched him ahead now.
Relayed
The question is what Bas will get out of this. A stake in the core franchise would mean that he gets a peace of the pie so long as the franchise continues to succeed. I believe up to this point everything he did to change and edit the books have been for free. This is nice and noble since they influence the films that benefit him but continuing to do so while you were supposed to have moved on with other commitments would be ridiculous. On the other hand, if she publicly announces that the money earned from the franchise is used to support hate groups and a rabid fan base used to threaten and attack normal people, then that also becomes his problem. If the author can find a way to make a deal like this believable then great, otherwise I think it’s best to smile, say your good byes and then focus on your own life. She desperately needs Bas at the moment but how long will that desperation last? Bigotry and prejudice can come out in more than one way. Unless he is going to sit down and subtly change her mind over time, an outburst is inevitable.
Pope Yoda I
Multi-million dollar idea: Make a YouTube miniseries starring Harry Potter's life as an auror. Throw in a bit with RDJ in his role as Sherlock Holmes and a time turner. Have it all lead up to advanced marketing for Harry Potter world. End up with literal metric tonnes of cash. Set the stage for a sequel heptalogy to be filmed by the ghost of Peter Jackson 40 years in the future.
David Karlsson
It probably won't be the same offer. But doing HP related charity work or a minor role decades later for a sequel, maybe.
David Karlsson
It's more to do with her being Bas's weak link in future. Any controversy she's involved in reflects on MC and will affect his career.
Anonimacho
Reading the comments, I couldn't help but notice that apparently Rowling is the bad guy in the story because of her social media comments. When most celebrities have a similar level of activity, only they do militancy for the opposite side. But it seems that in her case, there's nothing wrong with that. Frankly, even without social media, she will get similar criticism just for not positioning herself in favor of trans ideology. The only difference is that you won't get the respect you get from the other group. I'm much more interested in what the cast of this universe will do when the world turns against Rowling. In our universe, everyone turned their backs on her. I'm much more interested to know what will change.
W T N
Honestly, I like that JK is turning to Bas for help. It also shows growth on her part, as she recognizes that Bas was integral to the success of the movies while letting her tell the story she wanted to. If Bas can keep her from becoming like she is IRL, even just a little bit, I’d call that a huge success.
JE OP
Honestly, I think a little favouritism is justified when one takes into account that Bas broke bones for the good of the movie when he was like 12. He just needs to clear the air out with them and maybe Jo, I wonder if she'll extend a similar offer to them lke she did with Bas about continuing working with the franchise.
Relayed
An anonymous account is not going to get nearly enough of a response to match the attention garnered by an account with her name on it. Especially not for a twitter addict. She tried using a pseudonym to publish non Potter books and ended up leaking her name when the response was lukewarm at best. It’s much easier to switch an account especially on an app on her phone. People like Stephen Fry were fans of social media but were able to walk away from it when saw the direction social media platforms were going in order to retain and monopolize attention and engagement. Other users are simply too addicted to the platforms and have made it a part of their daily routine. I doubt money is enough to keep her away as she already has more money than she could realistically spend. I do agree that he needs to have a one on one chat with his two costars. Particularly in this chapter, it felt like they were being treated as children while Bas was treated as a respected equal for seemingly no particular reason. Even in the Grant and Felton perspective chapters, people are aware of the close professional relationship between Bas and Rowling but are not aware of the extent of it and why.
Relayed
From my experience, social media addiction among older people tend to take place when there is one major event that they have to comment on. It's something benign and is often a popular opinion. The validation that they get almost immediately from such a large number of people results in that website being an important part of their day, even if they went their whole life without it. What ever deal they make will be undone by a single Brexit quip.
David Karlsson
Yeah I don't see it working forever, maybe for a couple of years. It's a good way of killing that potential plotline if author doesn't want to go that route.
David Karlsson
Canonically she shouldn't be alive when the movie takes place
Relayed
It seems like we are entering uncharted territories once again with the intellectual property. Obviously the trio is unlikely to reprise their roles anytime soon so the new content would have to be a prequel or a sequel. I would say work on the prequels first and then build up the interest for the sequels through mysteries and clues hidden in other content. Prequels should be ideas that have already been covered that are flushed out. Other content could be websites, short stories/ quibbler articles and digital card games that are cheap to make and rake in cash. They could all hold subtle lore info and details that the super fans can make theories and iceberg videos on. People love a mystery based on vague clues. I have no idea how her bigotry is going to be held in check however. She might be desperate enough to disregard a new thing like social media now in favor of advice from Bas but how long would that last. She’s rich and surrounded by yes men. Eventually he’s going to say no one too many times.
David Karlsson
Another thing is, they don't lose money but have resorted to tactics used by many companies who are in their death throes like Premium tiers, you want 720p, 1080, 4K? How many screens? Difficult to unsub etc. The charges get ridiculous if you want the best. Is that to cover for the flops, competition or plain greed if they're doing so well?
Pontus
I read somewhere that McGonagall is the wrong age in the movies aswell?
Rivo
So these are just my rambling thoughts, but I think Pottermore was Rowling's attempt at keeping the HP magic alive? Like, not let the franchise die out. It's why she kept coming out with ridiculous lore, it was for the attention I think. Kinda sad/interesting that the fame clearly got to her, regardless of her attempts at writing under a pseudonym. Prob also the reason she goes nuts on Twitter... Anyway, the most obvious thing Bas is prob gonna veto is the the fan fiction like writing of The Cursed Child. While black Hermione is just a cheap attempt at the writers of the play at being diverse, the actual content of the story is far more problematic. The shit with the time-turner changed established lore. I also don't like how it clearly shows that maybe the death eaters had a point? Voldemorts daughter was OP as fuck, if that ain't blood purity and shit idk what is. The big one is obviously Fantastic Beasts. The first movie wasn't bad. I honestly thought (as someone who dislikes the movies) it was better than most of the OG movies. But I really think it should have been a stand-a-lone film used to introduce more of Dumbledore, along with what we saw of Grindelwald. Like, maybe Dumbledore giving advice to Newt in the movie via something I guess? As for more movies, I really think the Grindelwald vs. Dumbledore stuff can be finished with 2 more movies... with major rewrites. As for tv-shows? A new show, like the one being cast right now is obviously being made to create new fans, while catering to the now older fans... But I do think it's about 10 years too early. I'd be way more interested in a Marauders era tv-show. This is just me, and it probably wouldn't be popular, but I'd love to see James and Sirius being the absolutely awful people they were. Like, does anyone else feel the ick when they realise Lily married her childhood friends tormentor? She saw a lot of the shit they did right? And she was pretty fucking smart, so she had to have known there was more going on. But I think the most important thing here is to see the Star Wars franchise and what it's become. You can't oversaturate fans with content. There's just so much crap for Star Wars... C'mon. You gotta have people wanting more, not wanting less. As for games... was I the only one who loved that quidditch game and just rinsed it constantly??
Rivo
I want to say... as someone who genuinely thinks Stewart is an awful person, she's a pretty good actress honestly. It's kinda weird, after that affair while dating Robert Pattinson came out, her career was kinda fine? Like, she hasn't been in anything huge, but she's worked steadily since then. It was Robert who disappeared after the affair, it was his career that suffered. It's only somewhat recently that he's been back.
Scott
I'm not saying they're losing money overall, I'm saying when they make those big production movies or shows, they haemorrhage money. I would bet when those shows and movies get made they lose amounts of money so large it'd make regular people have heart palpitations if they knew how much. But I do admit they are the biggest streaming service and they do platform "anti-woke" comedians, but I would wager that was only in response to when they started losing gobs of money and subscriptions in the late 20-teens. They knew they needed people like Dave to boost their numbers and it worked.
Rivo
While I agree that weak, 'woke' content is terrible. Netflix is not haemorrhaging money... It's still THE streaming service and profitable as fuck. As for diversity and inclusiveness, whether you like it or not, it's the way the world is moving. Art is simply going to reflect it. Also, as for Netflix making 'woke dogshit' decisions... they platform comedians, lmao. Like, have you watched any of Dave Chapelle's specials? He goes after trans people for 4 specials in a row.
Scott
That doesn't mean they don't lose fuck tonnes of money when their self funded shows and movies flop and get shit average viewing times. That's why they've slowed down on the big self funded movie and shows. You think they didn't lose millions with Rebel Moon?
McLuvin
Netflix is one of only two profitable streaming services and won the streaming wars late last year. What the hell are you talking about?
Scott
Kristen Stewart hasn't kept in the limelight because she has the acting range and emotional depth of a teaspoon, lol. And Hogwarts Legacy was a great game, I will agree the other stuff was garbage tho.
Scott
I get what you mean but there's been way more misses than hits, look at Rebel Moon, or Altered Carbon season 2 etc. Netflix has been haemorrhaging money for years because of their woke dogsh*t decisions.
David Karlsson
At this point it probably stings less and they're not as eager for JKR approval anymore. But you're right it's a good conversation to have about their own experiences. The whole Ellen thing showed they're still quite close knit and will stick up for one another so I doubt either are particularly bitter. Bas should probably clear the air about whether he'll date Emma or not as someone pointed out it's not kind to string her along like in that Lea Seydoux chapter.
McLuvin
If Credence had just stayed dead from the first movie it would’ve set the tone of ‘people can die’ and made the series a lot darker from the start. The second movie can be about finding Grindlewald and stealing the blood vial from him. Make it a heist movie but with magical creatures in a Paris being torn apart by warring Wizard Factions, instead of the mess surrounding LeStrange and Credence
David Karlsson
Thing is, many of Netflix specials appeal to that demographic. And quite a few of them were successful as well. It's hit or miss
Sweetsugar
I get from a business pov rowlings social media activity is poison, but i cant help but respect a billionaire actually standing up for what she believes in. Maybe Bas could also hamper some of the blatant latter lore changes on pottermore
Scott
Please tell me you're setting up a way for Bas to prevent, or outright ignor all the woke, virtue signalling, d.e.i. bullsh*t that's coming. I can see him eating popcorn and watching as all the big Studios keep releasing flop after flop and watching their stock prices keep falling, all the while he's making banger after banger and his stock just keeps rising.
David Karlsson
And Ezra miller's arc and inclusion can be cut out without a loss
David Karlsson
Think he can appeal to their greed? "Hear me out. A Zoologist and Grindelwald movie sounds great and all. 5 movies would be great for my 2% share. But hear me out. Why not make them separate? Newt can do a film or two, with a sequel in the pipeline a decade from now. But make the grindelwald movies more gritty and fleshed out?" Then suggest some writers who can handle writing a believable story about grindelwalds revolution. It can be difficult to get the tone right for that kind of stuff in fiction. If it's more adult maybe more serious writers would be interested in the challenge?
McLuvin
The issue with Rowling is she is a bigot with so much money and public support she feels she can get away with anything. Restraining her is not, I don’t think, entirely possible, some of her stupid will slip out, but if it’s on the down low enough, people will be more willing to ignore it, unfortunately for the world, but fortunately for Bas
McLuvin
The first Fantastic Beasts was fine. Yeah there were smaller issues, but it’s like Force Awakens, except less offensive and more original, it sets up the plot and characters decently. Fantastic Beasts 2 is where stuff falls apart. The writing makes it sound like Gellert is trying to stop the Nazi’s and WW2 and end MACUSA’s segregation policies. It throws a wrench in the main romance for no reason, the side plotline with the Lestrange family and everything to do with Leta and all her connected plotlines just don’t work. The Nagini thing is weird as is the whole ‘Dumbledore’s secret brother’. Meanwhile Fantastic Beasts 3 doubled down on a lot of these issues and introduced new ones; as well as more nonsensical side plots that cramped the story, we had more new unnecessary side characters and bad explanations of the actual plot. New issues include Grindlewald being so stupidly powerful Voldemort seems like a nobody, really stupid Wizarding laws and rules that make little sense, and contradicting prior characterisation and history established by the original movies and books
David Karlsson
Such a wholesome scene until Emma and Rupert were reminded they were never the favourite child lmao
David Karlsson
Think we can get an Alan Rickman PoV at the end of this film or in promotions? Could be cool if he and Bas were invited on some talk show we haven't seen yet to promote DH. They'll show some scene, maybe the 7 Potters and we can get his view on how Bas has progressed as an actor. Not sure which host would be most fun?
David Karlsson
That was a clever solution. It could realistically even work. Still think she'll make some kind of statement later when Trump comes along and the like. Not many celebrities could resist when they felt it was their "moral duty". But maybe it can be more polished than a series of midnight tweets
McLuvin
“That filthy fat Pattinsonsis, stealing my Precious, my Milfses!”- Bas when asked about RPatz new Twilight success. Anyway, yeah the behind the scenes turmoil of Pattinson and Kirsten Stewart and the disdain the actors had for the source material certainly helped destroy the wider fanbase. However, while Stewart has largely failed to crawl back into the mainstream, Pattinson has been a big Hollywood name again since Tenet. Mainly because his weirdness is now marketable and nostalgia for the Twilight saga and acknowledgment it was goofy has made his comments funny and relatable. Twilight as a franchise is even having a bit of a renaissance because of it! Harry Potter meanwhile…I think that’s gonna be able to hold on for a few decades more, even with everything with Rowling, Hogwarts Legacy and the Fantastic Beasts and Cursed Child stuff, it was just so huge and formative across multiple generations, in a world where Bas gets her to stay off Twitter, keep the quality up a lot more, the franchise can likely keep putting out hits into the late 2020’s/early 2030’s. However that’s a big commitment.
Uncle Snoo
Can Bas help fix the many issues with the Fantastic Beasts series?
Pope Yoda I
Gonna' have to introduce her to anonymous trolling at some point. Maybe start a few online arguments himself so he can show her how ridiculous things can get. That said, good call. I'm sure the very literal mountains of cash will help ease any potential animosity at having her freedom of speech partially constrained. Maybe it'll even let your version of Rowling grow as a person. I wouldn't mind seeing MC have a private conversation with his two costars at some point to clear the air a bit on his relationship with Rowling. I realize it's been a long-standing joke at this point, but I feel that a serious discussion is long overdue for them.
Matt
Have the movies divert from cannon, let Harry bag the mud blood…given he’s saved her life twice it makes more sense she spreads her legs for him than his loser friend
Kieran M
Thank you
Michael og
Stop the extensive lore back tracking aswell, please 🙏🏿
Philip
See, I was wondering how the whole trans twitter tirades would be handled, personally idc but i know that it has affected the fandom to an extent. it got mildly annoying reading fanfiction authors intros saying "we don't support terfs" or whatever all the time. That being said, having more control over what is easily the biggest fandom online from a fanfic pov seemed like the logical move. Please don't make some new video games and other extended universe stuff that we don't have irl bc that'd just be depressing not to actually experience.
Rivo
lmao. what a way to keep her bigotry on the down low
