Hogwarts: Legacy of the Necromancer

In Hollywood, countless people dream of becoming famous—men, women, the elderly, even children. As long as there's a chance to be in front of a camera, they'll flock to the opportunity, eagerly hoping to be noticed by an investor, producer, or director.

Director Guillermo del Toro merely let word slip that he was planning a new low-budget production and was still looking to cast the role of a young mother between the ages of 25 and 30.

Immediately, talent agencies began sending over headshots and résumés. But Guillermo del Toro simply handed the stack of profiles to Regulus Black to make the selection himself.

"Here! These are the actresses you asked for. Pick out the ones you like first, and then we'll bring the pretty ones in so you can take your time choosing," the chubby director said with a sly grin, clearly implying this sort of situation wasn't rare in Hollywood.

Often, it was a mutually consensual transaction. After all, who knew which film might suddenly catapult them to stardom, taking them from obscurity straight into the A-list spotlight?

Besides, Crimson Manor had already proven the value of both its actors and the director.

Crimson Manor was handed to Legendary Pictures for production. It was a thriller directed by Guillermo del Toro and starred Robert Downey Jr., Regulus Black, Richards Theron, and Jennifer Connelly. The film was released in the U.S. during the summer of 1993.

With changes to the cast, the plot naturally underwent a major revision. In the original version, ghosts were portrayed more as psychological projections. Although the film still featured supernatural elements, the idea that the ghosts might be imagined was implanted in the audience's mind from the start.

Regulus Black's version of the screenplay explained the origins of the ghosts. The protagonist, Edith Cushing, saw her mother's ghost in childhood and later encountered more in Crimson Manor—each of which would be clearly explained.

Moreover, Regulus Black also wanted to use the film to promote his own Crimson Ruby. It wasn't just a piece of jewelry worn by an actress—there would be detailed scenes in the movie, though all of it was fictional.

Like the legends of cursed gems, it was all just storytelling.

Regulus Black carefully flipped through the stack of actress profiles—there were quite a few. Some didn't match the character's age range, either being too old or too young.

As he read through them, he couldn't help but mentally complain about Western beauty standards. With many top stars, Western and Asian aesthetics could align just fine. But among the lesser-known actresses, the standards seemed bizarre. Did merely attending an acting class qualify someone to become an actress?

Of course, there were still beautiful women among the submissions—just that there were more "bizarre" types than expected.

Perhaps those agencies assumed the role was just a supporting character, not worth sending in better candidates for.

Though Regulus Black was meticulous, he was efficient in going through the files. He first selected the ones that seemed promising, then reviewed them again more carefully. A few faces were familiar.

One of them was Naomi Watts, born September 28, 1968, in Kent, England. A British film and television actress.

Holding her profile, Regulus Black was lost in thought. The record showed that in 1993, Naomi Watts had just arrived in Hollywood at the age of 25 and hadn't acted in a single film yet. She was truly an actress from the lowest rung.

Regulus remembered that it wasn't until David Lynch's Mulholland Drive in 2001 that she finally became famous.

During those years, she supported herself with odd jobs, spending most of her earnings on acting classes.

At 25, she was already considered old for a newcomer in the industry. After struggling for nine long years, she didn't hit her peak until age 34. Most people couldn't endure that kind of hardship. She belonged to that rare, strong-willed type. Think about all the women who gave up and fell into prostitution or started filming adult videos. It was all too easy to fall—but she had persevered.

Naomi Watts was undoubtedly lucky. Now that she had met Regulus Black, her life would change.

"It's her. Even though she just arrived in Hollywood this year and is only 25, I have a good feeling about her. She's the perfect fit."

Regulus Black waved her file confidently and declared to Guillermo del Toro.

"You're not going to shortlist a few more to test out? Regulus, if I had your looks and physique, I'd interview each and every one of them," the chubby director said with a wink, gesturing toward the pile of remaining profiles on the table. "Weren't we calling this a paradise of beauty? You sure you don't want a few more?"

"You lecherous fatso," Regulus muttered, though he was certain the guy wasn't joking. And why would he? It wasn't his daughter trying to be an actress—nothing to feel bad about. Word had it that when a certain producer's daughter auditioned for her first role, she was immediately asked to strip completely.

Flipping through the stack again, Regulus Black soon came across two more familiar faces.

Kate Beckinsale, born on July 26, 1973, in London, England, is a British actress.

In 1993, she made her debut in a film adaptation of Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing. A newcomer.

Milla Jovovich, born on December 17, 1975, in Ukraine, is an American film and television actress.

In 1991, she starred in Return to the Blue Lagoon, earning a nomination for the Young Artist Award. Also a newcomer.

"Wow! Regulus, it seems you have a soft spot for British actresses."

Director Guillermo del Toro glanced at the profiles in Regulus Black's hands—every one of them a beauty.

Indeed, they were all stunning, and in the future, they would become major stars.

Looking at the three profiles in his hands, Regulus Black could clearly see what lay ahead for them.

Hmm! It's always better to keep certain film rights in your own hands. If they become your women, why should you have to depend on others? Naturally, your own people should benefit from your own table.

The film rights to Resident Evil and Underworld must be secured for himself.

When it comes to casting, it's only natural to meet the actors in person. Auditions would be held at a designated location, with two to three casting directors and a cameraman present. Even though Regulus Black had only selected these three profiles, the necessary formalities still had to be followed.

Regulus Black had already registered a film company in the UK named Black Friday Files.

The company he helped Lucius Malfoy register was named Platinum Dragon, clearly intended for his son, Draco Malfoy.

Upon arriving in the United States and planning to expand the business, founding a new company naturally became a priority. The upcoming auditions would be conducted under the name of this new company.

The next day, Lucy Piddell brought over the documents, and Regulus Black's new film company was officially established.

It was located in a corner of Hollywood, where numerous new companies are founded—and just as many go out of business—every year. So, there was no shortage of office spaces available for lease.

But Regulus Black, in true extravagant fashion, bought an entire three-story building outright. It used to be a small, workshop-style factory.

Black Planet became the name of the new company, and an animated logo had already been commissioned. In the upcoming film, it would be played together with the Black Friday Files intro.

The animation begins with a silhouette walking past rows of file cabinets, each labeled from Sunday to Saturday. The figure stops at Saturday, then steps back to Friday, opens the cabinet, and pulls out a file from the black-colored section among the colorful folders.

Then, the words Black Friday Files appear on screen. Regulus Black had also added a detail: the file is labeled 001. With every new film the company produces, this file number will be updated accordingly.

The new film, Paranormal Sixth Sense: Golden-Eyed Lolita, will feature the Black Planet intro.

The silhouette opens file No. 002 of Black Friday Files, revealing an image that looks like a black hole in space. However, the surrounding asteroids form a ring, indicating that it is a planet, not a black hole.

When Naomi Watts, Kate Beckinsale, and Milla Jovovich arrived at Black Planet Studios, the TV ad they saw showed exactly that—a black planet, surrounded by a glowing ring of asteroids, devouring all light with its presence.

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