The Moran family is a renowned media tycoon, and it's so easy to promote a movie through their channels. Haven't you seen the movie craze caused by Laila's first two films? Without the backing of the Moran Media Group, they wouldn't believe it!
Every year, they release and screen so many films, and as long as one or two of them reach a certain level, it satisfies them! So, having a pleasant collaboration with the media is a profitable deal.
Of course, even though they were prepared for the possibility of failure, they still had high expectations for the movie. If it made money, who would complain about having too much money?
After some pleasantries, everyone involved took their seats in New Line's small screening room.
Laila sat next to Jackie Chan, so she could see his tightly clenched hands and slightly hurried breath. Whether it was because of nerves or not, even she started to feel the air around her constricting.
She had seen the final product, and she believed it had improved from the original version she remembered. She avoided some of the flaws in the original and integrated some filming and performance techniques from the future, along with her interpretations.
She was eager to see how these people would react after watching the movie.
"Let's get started."
The screening was held in New Line's small theater, and the command was given by a senior executive from the company. With his order, the movie finally began.
The plot of "Rush Hour" was quite straightforward, with no deep exploration of human nature or complicated relationships. It told the story of a diplomat's daughter being kidnapped, and her friend's rescue mission due to mistrust in the American police.
It was a kung fu comedy, and as long as the action sequences were impressive and made the audience laugh, it would be considered a success. In simple terms, it was a popcorn movie, perfect for dates and leisurely viewing, suitable for families to enjoy together.
When Laila received the script, she never planned to add any "depth" to it. She didn't care about the critics' reviews; she only cared about whether the audience would find it cool and enjoyable. Only by pleasing the audience could they achieve good box office returns.
But that didn't mean the movie was easy to make. Indeed, it had no special effects, and almost the entire film relied on Jackie Chan's kung-fu skills. However, those in the film industry knew that predicting the audience's taste was extremely difficult. Many times, they believed a movie would make a fortune, but it failed to impress the audience. Conversely, some films without apparent selling points garnered unbelievable profits.
Take "The Blair Witch Project" as an example; the critics didn't review it well, but it earned an astonishing $300 million worldwide with a low budget. For the investors, winning several awards was less satisfying than sharing the tens of millions in box office dividends.
Soon, the movie screened on the small screen had finished its initial preparations, and the character played by Jackie Chan finally met his partner. Jackie Chan, who clearly understood English but acted like he didn't understand it, made the people in the small screening room chuckle. Even Tucker couldn't help but pat him on the shoulder and laughed. In his words, even he didn't know that this shot would be so interesting.
Continuing, Jackie Chan skillfully slipped away from Tucker to reach the side of the ambassador, and the two engaged in a thrilling chase, creating a wave of excitement for the film.
Chen Long's movements left people in awe, as it was hard to imagine a person's body could be so agile and smooth. His series of daring stunts elicited a few gasps of amazement and sparse applause.
The screening room only accommodated a few dozen people, all of them distinguished individuals related to the film. If they couldn't help but applaud, it was easy to imagine that the fans would have even more enthusiastic reactions when they saw it.
The most entertaining part of this sequence took place on the double-decker bus. When Jackie Chan landed on the open-air second level of the bus, elderly tourists wearing neatly arranged sightseeing hats applauded and exclaimed in surprise. Quite a few people rushed over to take pictures with him.
Playfully, he made a few cute gestures toward the camera, leading to another round of laughter in the small screening room.
Up until this point, Laila was satisfied with the audience's reactions. She knew not to expect exaggerated or overly excited responses from these individuals. As long as they showed a hint of amusement, she knew the real audience's response during the actual screening would be even better.
During the editing of this segment, she applied some techniques from the future. She used a slightly intense style to highlight the tension during the chase and combined it with a gentle approach to portraying the lighthearted moment on the bus. The collision of these two contrasting techniques resulted in a stronger sense of amusement in the film. It was like how the Japanese added a pinch of salt to watermelon to enhance its sweetness.
After watching this segment, Jackie Chan felt he had made the right decision by inviting Laila to be the director. He believed she did an excellent job.
The seamless and captivating connections between the shots made it seem as if each frame was conveying the essence of what needed to be portrayed. The intense and impactful visual experience created by the sharp editing was something he had never seen before, but he had to admit he loved this movie. Even though he hadn't finished watching it, he believed this film would be the most solid foundation he laid down in Hollywood.
Soon, the movie on the small screen came to an end. When the credits appeared on the screen, everyone applauded.
"Truly fantastic, Director Moran!" A senior executive from New Line congratulated Laila with a smile. "I'm honored to witness another great film."
Laila smiled slightly, "Thank you for the compliment. I also think I did a decent job this time, and it couldn't have been done without the cooperation of the cast. Jackie Chan and Tucker taught me many things I had never encountered before."
"Haha, you're too modest. This will be a classic kung-Fu film, and I believe the kung-Fu craze will rise again after the movie's release!"
"Indeed," Laila replied, maintaining a smile as she spoke with these people. In her heart, an idea arose, slightly exciting her.
Jackie Chan approached her at this moment, "Thank you so much, Laila. I think this is the best movie I've made since coming to the United States. I hope we'll have more opportunities to work together in the future."
Laila smiled and shook his hand, "I also think we have good chemistry. I hope we can collaborate again in the future." She couldn't help but add a sarcastic remark in her mind; with so few movies he had made in Hollywood, of course, it was the best one!
However, it wasn't just flattery. Their collaboration was indeed enjoyable, and she learned many things that should be considered in kung-Fu films.