Spin-Off Blogathon by Cinematic Corner

Dealing with the loss of a beloved family member, Margaret's blogathon at Cinematic Corner was a welcoming challenge to say the least. As instructed by her post, participants select a minor character from any film that they would wish to see a movie made of their own story and provide the reasons why.

Emma Watson in This Is The End is the first "character" that came to mind. The movie mostly focuses on Seth Rogen and his pals surviving the apocalypse in James Franco's house. Every time I watch this movie, she is definitely one of the major highlights, and I can never stop asking the question how did she get here?



As perhaps one of the best cameos in 2013, Watson shows up at Franco's fortress for a huge block party with some of today's biggest comedians and Franco's closest friends. Mostly because her career comprises of the Harry Potter series, which was produced and filmed in London, hanging out with celebrities like Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Franco are not some of the first people we'd probably think to catch her partying with.

The scene and her relation to any of it just seems completely out of whack and character. No arrests, no drugs, not showing any big signs of an uproarious or partying personality. Here's a young woman who left London during filming the Harry Potter series to earn an education at an American college as a form of rebellion to being famous. How is she invited to Franco's party where Michael Cera is snorting copious amounts of cocaine and Rhianna and Craig Robertson are singing about taking panties off?

When the apocalypse strikes, and Franco's fortress rests safely on a Hollywood hillside, the hole of the Earth sweeps up his entire backyard. Numerous friends are sucked down into a ginormous hellish pit of fire, chaos ensues, but where is Emma Watson? Time goes by as the six friends argue about the last milky way, they film a sequel to Pineapple Express and Jay Bruschel makes himself an enemy feeling he is superior to the rest of the group. What entity that makes them more terrified than the end of the world?
Emma Watson. Well, first she shows up at their make-shift barricade wielding a fireman's axe. They ask her about how she has survived for so long on her own...and surprisingly, she took up residence in a drain pipe consuming rats. Everything is cool between Watson and these guys until Franco sets her up in one of his bedrooms to let her rest, and the group decides to argue in the nearby hallway (uncomfortably and awkwardly) about which one of them looks more like a rapist. Overhearing the conversation, Watson axe in hand butts Rogen in the face, threatens them downstairs to hand over them the rest of their supplies and then takes off. I think it speaks a lot when a girl would rather face off whatever damnation could throw at her rather than stick around here. (Her cameo also brings the iconic movie line: "Hermione just stole all of our ****.")

In the films' third act it is revealed that people can only gain entrance into heaven after confessing their sins and sacrificing themselves. From what we as film goers know about the rest of the movie is there was supposedly meant to be another scene with Watson towards the ending. During the filming of the unexpected cameo with Channing Tatum playing Danny McBride's pet, Watson was originally involved in some capacity. The crew and stars of the movie haven't shared any details except for James blabbing Franco - who hints that Watson's disappearance was all her fault. Go figure.

Some rumors speculate that the on-set atmosphere and the scene they were filming was getting out of control (drinking, partying, some speculate Channing Tatum getting high) and Watson decided it was best for her to leave. Apparently the disagreement wasn't so horrid since Rogen (who also served as director and writer) kept the rest of her scenes in tact, Watson wasn't replaced, and other castmates weren't very outspoken about the mishap. (Perhaps their professional relationship was ruined after all, or they just really wanted her for the movies' publicity?)

Whatever the cause of reason the ending is a shameful lackluster. There are many questions in the film that don't come close to answering how Watson ended up at Franco's place or has ties with them as comedians considering the rest of the chaotic animalistic party contrasts to her introverted personality. One has to wonder what was Watson's sin that kept her on Earth as long as Rogen and his pals? How or why would she trust Danny McBride, if she somehow ended up with his cannibalistic clan at the end? Some questions and food for thought that could really only be answered with her own movie! (Or perhaps even a female version of This Is The End?)