As early as February this year, when Isabella was lifting one trophy after another and making the global entertainment industry call out her name, all filming work related to Order of the Phoenix (Part 1) had already wrapped.
This was because the production process for Order of the Phoenix (Part 1) had been to shoot the effects-heavy scenes first, then the regular dialogue scenes afterward, and all of the effects-heavy scenes had already wrapped back in early November of last year.
That meant Order of the Phoenix (Part 1), with a full year of post-production time, would definitely be able to meet audiences this Christmas.
Then there was the release date of the final Harry Potter book, Deathly Hallows, arranged by various capital forces for November this year to create a crossover effect with Order of the Phoenix (Part 1). If Order of the Phoenix (Part 1) still failed to become this year's global box office champion, the problem would not be with the Harry Potter IP. The problem would be with the entire world.
So when Isabella said that no matter how hard Spider-Man 3, Shrek 3, and Pirates 3 tried, none of them would touch this year's global box office crown, Catherine and Margot had no objections.
But—
Isabella had also said that even if those three films went all out, they still would not take this year's global box office runner-up spot?
Because this year's global box office runner-up would definitely be her God of Cookery?
This—
The two of them could not quite hold it in anymore.
Because—
"Isa, you still haven't made good on the boast you made last year."
As soon as Catherine finished speaking, Margot picked up the thread. "If I remember correctly, you said last year that you would take both the global box office champion and runner-up spots. But—"
"What happened?"
"You only took first and third place for the year."
The moment that jab landed, Isabella's face instantly darkened.
With a gloomy expression, she glared fiercely at Margot and said, "If you don't know how to talk, then shut up!"
"I have a terrible temper!"
"If you piss me off, you can forget about ever being an actress again!"
"Oh~~~ that's perfect~~~ then I can properly and peacefully be your assistant!"
Margot was not afraid of Isabella's threat at all.
She lifted her smiling face and threw Isabella's words right back at her. "Honestly, I now genuinely feel that being your assistant has way more future than being an actress. Most importantly—being an assistant isn't as exhausting as being an actress!"
Hearing her seize the chance and run with it, Isabella frowned slightly.
Catherine, however, bared her teeth and started laughing with a "pfft, pfft" sound.
This made Isabella pout. Then she said viciously, "Margot! I think you're dreaming too beautifully! You think that if you can't be an actress, you'll be able to become my assistant? Stop dreaming! I'll send you back to your hometown in Australia to herd cattle!"
"Huh? You want to throw me onto your ranch? That works too!"
Even greater joy burst across Margot's face.
She clasped her hands together in front of her chest like a girl making a wish, her eyes sparkling with stars.
"Herding cattle is my specialty. I'll definitely raise your cows properly. That way, when you put on leather boots made from the cows I raised—wow~ just thinking about that makes me feel satisfied!"
"..."
Margot's lovestruck expression left Isabella completely speechless.
"Hahaha—"
Catherine slapped the table and burst into loud laughter.
Last year, Isabella had indeed said that she would sweep the yearly champion and runner-up spots on the global box office chart.
But the final result was—
Goblet of Fire (Part 2) was unquestionably the global box office champion of 2006;
The yearly runner-up was Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest;
Although Prada ultimately earned 810 million at the global box office, it could only rank third on the global box office chart.
To be fair, for a fashion film, Prada's performance was already unbelievably good.
After all, even The Da Vinci Code and the James Bond sequel Casino Royale could only rank behind it.
And Isabella's personal career box office total had also climbed to a terrifying 7 billion dollars because of Prada.
Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Azkaban, and Goblet of Fire (Parts 1 and 2) alone already added up to 6 billion.
Add The Voice and Prada on top of that, and breaking 7 billion was easy.
At this point, Isabella was the only person who could still play the movie box office game.
Because that 7 billion was only what she had earned as an actress.
If her identity as a producer was included, her reach in the box office field had already surpassed 10 billion.
Then, when she had Marvel in her left hand, DC in her right hand, Avatar in her pocket, and Star Wars within reach whenever she really wanted it, did movie box office statistics still have any meaning?
But—
Third in the world was still third in the world!
Even if Prada had achieved a dazzling result in its own specific field!
It could not become the industry's second GOAT just because of that!
And although no one cared about these things—
When Isabella shouted that she would take both first and second place on the yearly chart, everyone had actually thought she was joking.
There was no helping it. Who told Dead Man's Chest to have such monstrous box office numbers?
Any normal person could understand that Prada could not beat Pirates of the Caribbean no matter what.
Isabella herself had not taken her own declaration seriously either. At the time, she had only said it casually to deal with an interview.
But—
She held the final right of interpretation over "whether she cared," didn't she?
When she felt that someone saying "your flex failed" was just joking and teasing, she could laugh along with it.
But if she felt that someone saying "your flex failed" was full of malice? Then—
"Hmph~"
"Margot, you don't want to be an actress, right?"
"Fine!"
"Enjoy your relaxed life while you still can!"
"Once Transformers is released, I'll push you out to work! When the time comes, I'll have Steven shoot the second and third films back-to-back, then have Susie find you a pile of projects—! What do you think about rebooting Resident Evil? You play Alice? Take a gun and shoot zombies? Bullets fly and blood splatters everywhere?"
"I'll make you roll around in blood and slime every single day!"
"I'll set up seven or eight projects for you in one go!"
"I'll work you to death!"
Although Isabella's tone was very fierce, and although her targeted attack on Margot's weak point carried a crazed feeling, as if she had wrapped an arm around Margot's neck, pried open her mouth, and kept pouring poison down her throat—still, maybe it was because Isabella was only threatening her, not really angry. Or maybe it was because she was too beautiful: even when she was gnashing her teeth, she did not look very scary.
In short, that somewhat comical look made Catherine drop her fork and clutch her stomach.
At that moment, she felt as if her stomach hurt from laughing.
Margot, meanwhile, showed a constipated expression as the corner of her eye twitched.
She looked at Isabella with an aggrieved, pitiful expression and said, "Oh~ Isa~~ don't be like that~"
Although she admitted her mistake coquettishly, Isabella ignored her.
Seeing this, Margot puffed up her cheeks, decisively leaned forward, hugged Isabella's arm, pinched her voice, and squeezed out a voice sweet enough to kill. "Isa~~~ I know I was wrong~ Don't send me off to act in Resident Evil, okay?"
"..."
Honestly speaking, could God of Cookery take this year's global box office runner-up spot?
Isabella actually did not know either.
But there was one thing Isabella did know: once Spider-Man, Shrek, and Pirates all crowded together for release, none of them would have any chance of attacking 1 billion.
And the reality was exactly that.
The day Isabella chatted about the box office with her older sister and Margot was the official release date of Spider-Man 3.
Then, on May 4, Spidey made 59.84 million dollars at the North American box office alone.
The next day, May 5, Saturday, Spidey took another 51.33 million dollars at the North American box office.
On the third day, May 6, Sunday, although Spidey's North American box office plunged by 22.2% as the workweek approached, its single-day box office was still 39.93 million dollars.
A three-day North American result of 151 million was already very impressive!
To describe its strength in a more vivid way: when Avatar: Fire and Ash was released in 2025, it took a full seven days to earn 153 million at the North American box office. So, if one only looked at Spider-Man 3's box office trend, any normal person with even a little understanding of the entertainment industry would think it had hope of attacking the 1 billion mark!
Unfortunately, Spider-Man did not have the chance to play the long game.
Because on May 18, Shrek the Third officially opened, smashing out 38.42 million dollars at the North American box office on its first day.
That seemed average, right?
Forget everything else and just take Spidey as an example. Spider-Man 3's first-day North American box office had been close to 60 million!
But on its second day, Shrek the Third rose against the trend, bringing in 47.07 million in a single day!
On the third day, May 20, Sunday, it took in another 36.12 million!
Adding the 900,000 earned from earlier limited previews, Shrek the Third's three-day result was 122 million!
If that number were placed next to Fire and Ash, Avatar would have needed five days to reach it!
So, the moment Shrek appeared, Spidey's dream of becoming a god was directly shattered.
Of course, Shrek could not become a god either.
Because on the seventh day after its release, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End arrived.
On May 24, 2007, Captain Jack drove his Black Pearl and smashed through everything. On the first day, Thursday, the North American box office reported 13.24 million dollars!
On the second day, Friday, the North American box office reported 42.91 million dollars!
On the third day, Saturday, the North American box office reported 37.70 million dollars!
On the fourth day, Sunday, the North American box office reported 34.12 million dollars!
Even under the pressure of Spidey and Shrek, Captain Jack still broke 110 million dollars at the North American box office in its opening weekend! That result could only be described as wild beyond wild!
But no matter how wild Captain Jack was, it no longer had any chance of climbing to 1 billion.
Because Captain Jack did not have enough launch power.
If a movie's screen count was not outstanding when it first opened, then afterward, no matter how beautiful its box office numbers were, its screen count would not rise by much.
Of course, there were exceptions. For example, the sequel to Zootopia.
The release of the Zootopia sequel was three weeks apart from Fire and Ash, so once Fire and Ash appeared, the screen count for the Zootopia sequel plunged sharply. But as Fire and Ash underperformed, major theaters once again gave the screenings that Fire and Ash could not fill to the Zootopia sequel. This allowed the Zootopia sequel, 55 days after its release, to defeat Fire and Ash, which had only been out for a month, and once again take the single-day North American box office crown.
But exceptions like that were rare.
So, honestly, as Spidey, Shrek, and Captain Jack were released one after another, Isabella actually found it strange too. She did not understand why Sony, Paramount, and Disney were pushing their films this way.
Leaving aside the fact that using your own flagship title to fight someone else's flagship title was an extremely foolish move—just take this year's summer season. When Isabella, the great demon king recognized by everyone inside and outside the industry—cough, cough, anyway, she only wanted July and August of this year's summer season. Since May and June were both available for releasing films, why did Sony, Paramount, and Disney have to cram their movies together as if they were rushing to perish? No matter how you looked at it, that made no sense, right?
As for this, it was not until Isabella saw the industry's release schedule for this year's summer season that the confusion in her heart gradually faded.
"Oh—so there are also three major films coming out in June this year?"
"One is Ocean's Thirteen?"
"One is Live Free or Die Hard?"
"One is—The Simpsons Movie?"
Yes!
The reason Sony, Paramount, and Disney had all placed their flagship films in May this year was not because they did not know that spacing them out would earn more. It was because this year's summer season was hell!
Aside from Spidey, Shrek, Captain Jack, Transformers, and God of Cookery, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon also had a film coming out. Bruce Willis was the same. Even the damn Simpsons were jumping in!
Then, when Transformers and God of Cookery were clearly going to occupy the latter half of the summer season, any movie squeezed into the middle—meaning June—would definitely end up attacked from both sides!
So, rather than challenging a dungeon with wolves in front and tigers behind, it was better to fight a grand and explosive battle right from the start!
Once this fact appeared, Isabella had no more questions in her heart.
After time entered June, Isabella also moved her gaze away from the entertainment industry.
This was not only because Apple TV had officially gone on sale.
Although Apple TV was not as explosive as the iPod, its first-week sales still reached 100,000 units.
This data sent Apple's stock price straight upward.
It also led countless analysts to predict that Apple TV might sell 1 million units in its first year on the market.
And as long as Apple TV could touch 1 million sales in its first year, YouTube would be the biggest winner.
Because YouTube's previous ads could only appear on the internet. But now, they could enter people's homes.
The value of online ads and offline ads were two completely different concepts!
It was also because the world's first smartphone, the iPhone, would officially go on sale on June 29.
As an ally of Jobs, Isabella received a review sample of the first-generation iPhone in advance.
The item was personally delivered to Leavesden by Tim Cook.
And when he handed the item to Isabella, he also said that only five media outlets in the world could publish reviews: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, USA Today, and Isabella Haywood.
Mm.
Isabella was the only individual in the world who could publish a review of the first-generation iPhone.
She was also the only person in the world who could publish a video review of the first-generation iPhone.
Since Jobs had shown her this much respect, how could Isabella possibly refuse the biggest gimmick in the content world?
On the very night she received the first-generation iPhone, she dragged Tim Cook, who had not yet left, into filming a review video with her.
In her previous life, she had never used the first-generation iPhone, so every touch felt fresh to her now.
After playing around with it for a while, she discovered that the first-generation iPhone had many problems. For example, it did not have 3G, could not use email, and could not connect to GPS. It could only use built-in applications and could not install other apps.
So, if she had to give it a true definition, the first-generation iPhone could not really be considered a smartphone in the full sense.
Even if it had no keyboard, even if it opened the era of full touchscreens, it was still only a feature phone.
"Can I tell the truth?"
After finishing her study of the first-generation iPhone, Isabella gave Tim Cook a polite fake smile.
Tim Cook understood what Isabella meant and spread his hands awkwardly. "Isa, Steve wanted to ask you to promote it."
"..."
"Yeah, I understand what Steve means, but my reputation is also important, isn't it?"
"Oh—then—should I give Steve a call?"
"Sure."
Tim Cook decisively left the room.
After a while, when he reappeared in front of Isabella, he smiled and said, "Steve says that apart from calling it a feature phone, you can say everything else. But we need to confirm the wording."
"For example, you can say it cannot connect to 3G, but you also have to say that it uses AT&T's EDGE technology."
"It cannot install third-party SDKs, but its existing functions are already enough to describe it as a handheld computer—"
As long as something was a consumer product, it could not escape marketing.
So Isabella could understand why Jobs hoped she would deliberately avoid certain shortcomings when reviewing the iPhone.
Isabella could accept that.
However, at the end of the review video, she still gave what she considered to be a very objective evaluation. "Although the iPhone has many advantages, I still want to say that it may be the most expensive phone in the world."
"The 4GB version starts at 499 dollars, and the 8GB version starts at 599 dollars."
"And from what I understand, no matter which version you choose, you have to sign a two-year service contract with AT&T."
"..."
"This has a little bit of a—uh—bundled sale feeling."
When he heard those words, Tim Cook's face turned green!
The first-generation iPhone really was expensive!
The mobile phone industry in Europe and America had actually always been tied to carriers!
This was also why, when the iPhone entered China, it directly partnered with China Unicom on contract phones!
This was not China forcing Apple to do this. It was how Apple had always operated in Europe and America!
What China did was actually halt the long-term cooperation between Apple and China Unicom!
Once a phone manufacturer became deeply tied to a carrier, they could use an unlimited discount model—spreading the phone's purchase cost into the mandatory phone bill—to squeeze out other phone manufacturers that did not play the bundling game!
Most importantly, after the bundling, phone manufacturers and carriers could also team up to create perpetual loans!
For example, when the 13 came out, you could take the 12 you had used for one year to the carrier and exchange it for a contract phone by paying only half the price of the new phone!
On the surface, you seemed to have gained something!
But in reality, this was the phone manufacturer and carrier forcing you to only use their phones and their network!
And the other half of the money you paid less was all spread into your phone bill!
This was also the real reason why, when the United States and China compared accounts, many Chinese people could not understand why people in the West were already almost starving to death, yet still had to pay such expensive phone bills!
More than sixty percent of the iPhones in the United States were contract phones!
Failing to repay a contract phone on time was a breach of contract!
Once you breached the contract, your credit card could no longer be used!
And then you could join the glorious evolution!
In capitalist society, once phone manufacturers and carriers fused together, they would create blood debts!
Why did Warren Buffett accept Apple? Wasn't it because Apple had already evolved into an immortal form like the medical complex and the military-industrial complex? It was still the same saying: suffering hardship would never make you someone above others!
Since these things could not be said, Tim Cook wanted to interrupt after hearing Isabella's words.
But before he could speak, Isabella continued, "Although the iPhone is very expensive, I still want to say that I personally think it is worth the price. So, to let those of you watching this video, those of you who have always supported me, experience the coolest iPhone, I want to hold a giveaway at the end of this video."
"As long as you follow my channel, watch this video in full, like it, and leave a comment, you will have a chance to win an 8GB iPhone provided by me, worth 599 dollars."
"..."
"The total quantity is 10,000 units."
"The drawing will take place one week after this video is posted."
"At that time, my account assistant will directly send private messages to the winners through the backend."
"As long as you provide your real information, you will be able to go to the nearest Apple Store to your home and pick up an 8GB iPhone after the iPhone goes on sale. If there is no Apple Store near your home, then we will send the iPhone to you."
"There are no regional restrictions on this event. Even if you are a penguin in Antarctica, I can still have someone send you an iPhone."
"Of course, I cannot guarantee that you will be able to use the iPhone normally in regions where the iPhone has not yet launched."
"I do not make phones, and I am not a carrier."
"Lastly, I will publicly disclose the identities of all winning viewers. If you are unwilling to appear under your real identity, then I will only disclose your winning account ID. If you cannot accept this kind of exposure, please do not participate in the event."
The moment she announced that she was giving away 10,000 units, Tim Cook immediately suppressed the thought of interrupting her.
There was no helping it.
Who told this event to be so outrageous?
Outrageous enough to let people all around the world learn about the iPhone in the shortest possible time.
"Isa, you—"
After the video was finished, Tim Cook's face also showed a bitter smile.
Isabella understood what he meant and smiled. "Since you agreed to let me evaluate the iPhone objectively, I will naturally find a way to help you promote it. This is not only because we are allies, but also because I also hope Apple's stock can soar."
"Not to mention, 10,000 iPhones—even with worldwide delivery—the cost here is only around 10 million."
"That is pocket change to me."
"And this 10 million can also bring traffic to YouTube."
"Oh—alright—then I'll thank you on Steven's behalf first," Tim Cook said, accepting Isabella's idea.
Of course, even if he did not accept it, there was nothing he could do.
At present, within the whole of Apple, only Steve Jobs could give Isabella suggestions.
Mm.
Even Jobs could only give Isabella suggestions.
As for whether she would adopt them—this was not her showing off. It really depended on her mood.
Since Leavesden had professional editing staff, the vlog "First-Generation iPhone Review" was completed very quickly.
After Isabella uploaded the video to YouTube, in less than half an hour, she appeared in breaking-news reports from global media:
[Isabella Spends Money Like Crazy! Vows to Give Away Ten Thousand iPhones!]
[A Gift Worth Ten Million! The Biggest Giveaway in History!]
[Ten-Billion-Dollar Tycoon Throws Money Around Like Dirt! Ten Thousand iPhones Given Away With One Click!]
[Isabella Haywood Says: The iPhone Is the Gateway for Humanity to Enter a New World!]
[—]
Isabella was used to making headlines.
So now, the media was praising her again? In her view, that was only natural.
However, after posting the vlog, she still felt happy about it.
After the news about giving away phones spread, YouTube immediately received explosive feedback.
The review vlog had only been posted for 24 hours, yet its total views had already exceeded 26 million.
Likes broke 5 million, comments exceeded 3 million, and everyone's faces were filled with desire.
The public's enthusiasm made Isabella very happy. And after the iPhone officially went on sale, YouTube employees and Apple employees immediately became as busy as dogs.
Isabella would not handle things like the lottery and statistics, so they were all handed over to YouTube.
Isabella also would not concern herself with prize redemption and shipping, so they were all handed over to Apple.
Honestly, doing this kind of thing where she only had to talk and took no responsibility was truly satisfying!
Pulls up pants.jpg
Hehe~
Of course, Isabella was not really slacking off.
She also had other work to handle.
As June passed and July arrived, Transformers gradually entered the public's world.
On June 30, the London premiere of Transformers was officially held in Leicester Square.