….
The [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets] will be released tomorrow.
And currently the hotel conference room has been transformed into something between a press junket and a living room.
Chairs arranged in a loose semicircle, no podium, no formal barriers. Just people who had made something together, sitting down to talk about it.
The moderator - Julia Chen from Entertainment Weekly - smiled at the assembled group.
Chris Columbus finally seemed a little relaxed, compared to the past hectic promotional schedule.
And the main trio:
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Lily Watson - are now experienced actors used to large crowds.
Alfred Molina had the self-possessed air of someone who had done this a thousand times.
And there is Regal.
"Let's start with the obvious question." Julia said. "Regal, you directed the first film, and now Chris has taken over for [Chamber of Secrets]. How does it feel to hand over the reins?"
Regal tilted his head. "Like watching your kid go off to college. Proud, relieved, slightly worried they will burn the kitchen down."
Chris laughed. "I promise I only burned down one kitchen. The Burrow. And that was scripted."
"Mostly scripted." Rupert interjected.
"Mostly scripted." Chris agreed.
Julia turned to Alfred Molina. "Professor Snape has become one of the most iconic characters in the series. You originated the role in the first film and continued it here. What's it like working with two different directors on the same character?"
Alfred smiled slightly. "It's like having two different conductors for the same symphony. Regal established everything - Snape's cadence, his physicality, his relationships. He built the foundation. Chris then took that foundation and added new dimensions. In this film, Snape is more unsettled. There is an undercurrent of fear that wasn't as present before."
Julia glanced at her notes. "Chris, what was it like stepping into a franchise that Regal had already established? That must have been intimidating."
Chris leaned back. "Terrifying, honestly. The first film set such a high bar. But Regal was incredibly generous during the transition. He walked me through every major set, explained his vision for each character, and made sure I understood the tone he had established. Then he stepped back and let me make it my own."
Julia turned to Lily. "This is your second film as Hermione. What was different working with Chris compared to Regal?"
Lily thought carefully. "Regal is very... precise. He knows exactly what he wants from every scene, every line reading. With Chris, there was more room to explore. He would give us the framework and then let us play within it. Both approaches taught me different things about acting."
"Can you give an example?"
"The scene where Hermione figures out the basilisk is using the pipes - that was Chris encouraging me to show her excitement at solving the puzzle. Regal probably would have kept it more contained, more internal. Neither approach is wrong. They are just different colors of the same character."
Daniel spoke up. "I think the difference is that Regal was building a world from scratch. Every choice he made in the first film created the template for everything after. Chris got to work within that world, which gave him different freedoms."
Rupert nodded. "Yeah, Regal had to teach us how to be film actors. Chris got to push us further because we already had the basics down."
Julia smiled. "It sounds like there is mutual respect all around. Alfred, you mentioned Regal cast you as Snape before you became known for Doctor Octopus. Can you talk about that?"
Alfred's expression grew thoughtful. "Regal saw something in my audition that I didn't even know I was showing. He told me later that he cast me because I could play intelligence and pain simultaneously. I don't want to reveal much more than that, as there are more films to follow. All I want to say is that insight shaped everything about how I approached the character."
"And then you went on to play Doctor Octopus in Regal's Spider-Man?"
"Correct. By then, we had shorthand. He knew I could handle complex villains who believe they are heroes. Otto Octavius and Severus Snape aren't that different - both are brilliant men who made terrible choices and can't find their way back."
Regal leaned forward slightly. "Alfred has this ability to make you sympathize with characters who do terrible things. That's rare. Most actors play villains as if they know they are villains. Alfred plays them as if they are the heroes of their own stories."
Julia flipped a page. "Let's talk about the basilisk. Chris, that's a massive technical challenge. How did you approach it?"
Chris sat up. "Regal insisted we build as much practically as possible, and I agreed completely. We built a full-scale animatronic head - weighed about two tons. For wider shots, we used CGI, but having that practical element meant the actors had something real to react to."
"Daniel, what was it like facing that animatronic?"
Daniel grinned. "Genuinely terrifying. The first time they fired it up, I jumped. Everyone says I screamed—"
"You did scream." Lily said.
"I made a noise—"
"A high-pitched noise." Rupert added helpfully.
"Thank you, Ron." Daniel said drily. "But yes, having that physical thing moving toward you, jaws opening, teeth gleaming - it made the fear real. I wasn't pretending. I was actually scared."
Chris nodded. "That's why practical effects matter. You can't fake that reaction to a tennis ball on a stick."
Julia turned to Daniel and Rupert. "You two have a much bigger role in this film, especially after Hermione is petrified. Daniel, what was it like carrying those scenes without Lily?"
Daniel shifted in his seat. "Honestly? It made me realize how much Harry relies on Hermione. Ron and Harry together - we are brave and loyal, but we are also kind of idiots sometimes." He grinned at Rupert. "No offense."
"None taken. We are absolutely idiots."
"But when it was just the two of us trying to figure things out, there was this genuine feeling of being in over our heads. Which is exactly what Harry and Ron feel. So in a weird way, Lily not being there actually helped the performance."
Lily raised an eyebrow. "I am not sure if I should be flattered or insulted."
"Definitely flattered." Daniel said quickly. "We missed you terribly."
"Every single day." Rupert added with exaggerated solemnity.
Julia checked her notes. "Let's talk about the Chamber itself. Regal, you designed most of the practical sets for the first film. Were you involved in designing the Chamber for this one?"
"I sketched initial concepts." Regal said. "But Chris took those ideas and made them his own. Made the space feel more claustrophobic, more hostile. The snake pillars, the statue of Salazar Slytherin - those were collaborative efforts."
Chris nodded. "We wanted the Chamber to feel like a tomb. Ancient. Forgotten. But also like it had been waiting. Like it knew someone would eventually come back."
Julia flipped a page. "Alfred, there has been some discussion about Snape's treatment of Harry in this film. Some critics think he is unnecessarily harsh, especially in the Dueling Club scene."
"Did Regal discuss that subtext with you?"
"Endlessly." Alfred shot Regal a wry look. "He sent me a fifteen-page character analysis before I had even signed the contract."
Regal shrugged. "I wanted to make sure we were on the same page."
"Fifteen pages is not a page. It's a novella."
"Consider it backstory research."
Julia laughed. "Speaking of backstory, there has been a lot of speculation about Regal's process. You wrote the screenplay, produced the film, directed the first one, and now you are shepherding Chris through the second. That's an unusual level of control."
"Control is a strong word." Regal said mildly.
"What would you call it?"
"Collaboration… With standards."
"High standards." Chris added. "I have never worked with someone who cares more about every single detail. The color of a potion bottle. The specific Latin root in a spell. Whether a character's robes should be charcoal or midnight blue."
"Midnight blue." Regal said. "Always midnight blue for Ravenclaw. Charcoal reads as gray on film."
Chris spread his hands as if to say, See?
Julia grinned. "Alfred, you have worked with a lot of directors. Where does Regal rank in terms of... let's say intensity?"
Alfred stroked his chin. "He is not intense. He is relentless. There is a difference. Intense directors yell, throw things, create chaos. Regal just quietly expects perfection and waits until you deliver it. Which is somehow more terrifying."
"I have never yelled on set." Regal protested.
"No, you just give people that look. The disappointing one. It's worse than yelling."
"I don't have a look."
Everyone at the table laughed.
Julia smiled. "Rupert, you have been quiet. Any favorite moments from filming?"
Rupert stretched, thinking. "The scene where Ron burps up slugs. Definitely that one."
"Really? That was your favorite?"
"No, it was disgusting. But it was hilarious to film. They had this whole mechanism with tubes and fake slugs, and I had to sell it like I was actually vomiting them up. After take five, I looked at Chris and said, 'My mum's going to be so proud.' He just shook his head and said, 'Welcome to cinema.'"
Even Regal cracked a smile at that.
Julia glanced at the clock. "We are running short on time, but I have to ask about something that's become industry legend. Chris Columbus had directed Home Alone and a few other films before Philosopher's Stone, but the Harry Potter franchise turned you into, as some outlets are calling it, a 'billion-dollar director' seemingly overnight. Regal, how did you know Chris was the right choice?"
The room went quiet.
"Overnight success?" He smiled faintly. "I would like to see what that looks like."
He let that sit for a moment before continuing.
"Anyway… when I took Chris on board, I was absolutely certain he understood children. Not how to manage child actors - that's technical. I mean he understood how children see the world. The magic in ordinary things. The terror of not being believed. [Home Alone] is about a kid who everyone dismisses, and he proves them wrong. That's Harry Potter."
"But it was still a risk."
"Everything worth doing is a risk."
Julia leaned forward. "And there's talk that you are doing it again. Your new assistant director, Lena Crawford, is rumored to be making her directorial debut soon with you producing. Your previous AD, Alexander, had [Whiplash] released to incredible reviews. Why do you keep investing in new directors instead of focusing solely on your own projects and growth?"
Regal was quiet for a long moment.
"Huh..? My assistant directors - yeah, if they want my help bringing their stories to life, I will help them. The reason?" He paused, choosing his words carefully. "It's about growth. If I just focus on making my own films and choose not to engage with other people's potential, it probably won't affect me much professionally. I will still make good films. I will still develop as a director."
He looked around the table - at Chris, at the young actors, at Alfred.
"But real growth isn't just personal. If someone works alongside me for years and they are in the exact same place they were when we started - same skills, same opportunities, same trajectory - then what have I actually achieved? What's the point of all this growth if I'm not able to change the lives of the people working with me for the better?"
The room had gone very still.
Alfred was watching him with an unreadable expression. "That's remarkably idealistic for this industry."
"Maybe." Regal said. "But I have never been particularly interested in how this industry usually operates."
Chris smiled. "For what it's worth, you changed my life. I am not exaggerating. Before [Philosopher's Stone], I was doing fine. Making family films, paying my bills. But you took a chance on me with something massive, something important. You trusted me with a franchise that millions of people care about. That kind of trust—" His voice roughened slightly. "That changes a person."
Daniel spoke up suddenly. "You did that for us too."
"You guys auditioned brilliantly." Regal said simply.
"Hm, no. I still remember how adamant I was to act in films. You practically dragged me, with loads of candies as bribes."
Julia smiled. "I think that's a perfect place to end. Thank you all for your time."
As they stood, Daniel lingered near Regal. "Hey, that thing you said about growth - did you mean it?"
Regal looked at him, at this twelve-year-old kid who'd just carried a massive film on his shoulders. "Every word."
"Good." Daniel said. "Because I want to be better than I am now. A better actor, I mean."
Rupert joined them. "We all do. You have got us for at least a few more films, assuming the books keep coming. We want to do them justice."
Lily nodded seriously. "We want to make you proud."
Regal studied the three of them - these children who had become the faces of something magical. "You already do. But yes, let's keep pushing. Let's make each film better than the last."
"Deal." Lily said, and stuck out her hand solemnly.
They shook on it, all three of them, and something about the gesture felt significant. A promise made. A standard set.
As they filed out, Alfred hung back, waiting until it was just him and Regal in the room.
"You know they are going to hold you to that, right?" Alfred said quietly. "That whole philosophy about growth and community. People will expect you to live up to it."
"I know."
"And if you fail? If Chris's next project flops, or Lena's debut bombs, or one of your protégés doesn't pan out?"
Regal smiled. "Then I will have helped them take a shot worth taking. That's enough."
.
….
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
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