Laila could almost confirm that Al Nadeem was indeed talking about this movie, and the recently found investor was undoubtedly Faiza. It seemed she had made up her mind to give herself a lesson.
But why did she have no memory of this movie before? If there was such a major production in her previous life, she should have had an impression of it. She had admired directors who could spend over a hundred million dollars to make a film and had thoroughly analyzed those major productions. It was unlikely that she would overlook a big-budget film with a budget of more than $150 million.
"Do you know what it's about?" she asked.
"I don't know the specifics, but a friend said it requires a lot of props and is probably an action film with a fantasy flair."
Laila squinted her eyes and after a moment, found a similar film in her memory. It wasn't called "The Thirteenth Warrior" but "The Ultimate Warriors," which told the story of a group of people battling cannibals.
Upon closer examination, the director and writer of this movie were indeed the same people. As for the name difference, it wasn't surprising; translated names often varied slightly. Just like "SAW" was translated to "电锯惊魂" (Dianjū Jīnghún)[Chain Saw], and "The Thirteenth Warrior" had become "终极奇兵" (Zhōngjí Qíbīng)[Ultimate Warrior].
Seeing her thoughtful expression, Louise curiously asked, "Do you want me to look up more details?"
"Forget it, no need," Laila waved her hand. "It's not a big deal anyway. Handle the matters you mentioned earlier. If there's nothing urgent in the coming weeks, I won't come by. If there's anything, let Demi know. I'll be at home working on something."
"Sure, I'll take care of it." Louise nodded with a smile. She didn't mind taking on more administrative tasks if it meant that Laila could focus on writing scripts and making films, occasionally breaking box office records.
In the following days, Laila secluded herself at home to write and create. While her absence from entertainment news might have diminished the buzz, the ongoing summer box office battle remained lively.
Major film studios were employing various tactics to secure more box office revenue, and Laila and her company were observing and learning. They watched the intense competition, intending to gather insights for future reference when they eventually aimed for the summer box office themselves.
However, not to sound conceited, the promotional methods used by these movie companies weren't worth considering at all. They fell far short of what Laila had seen in her previous life.
It wasn't just her perspective; the executives of those movie companies were also dissatisfied with their strategies. After witnessing Laila's promotional tactics on multiple occasions, their methods seemed childish in comparison, devoid of technical depth, and reliant solely on spending money for impact.
But look at the techniques Laila had used. When had she ever spent a significant amount on marketing? Every time, it was journalists and various media outlets clamoring to promote her. Unfortunately, she had her own company, backed by the Moran Media Group; otherwise, those movie companies would have long extended olive branches to her.
As time went on, as the end of the summer season approached, the full-fledged promotional campaign for "Rush Hour" officially launched.
When it came to this movie, the reviews from major media outlets were not very positive.
First, it was a kung fu film starring Eastern actors, but it wasn't the "hard-hitting" kind of kung fu, like Bruce Lee's style; it was more of a fluid and humor-infused "soft kung fu." American audiences preferred action heroes who engaged in tough, physical combat. Based on taste alone, this movie didn't align with American viewers' preferences.
Perhaps it could find some success in the East? This was the only aspect the media saw potential in.
Second, this was Laila Moran's first kung fu film.
Who was Laila Moran? Anyone in the film industry and film enthusiasts would be well aware of her talents. With a few thousand dollars, she had generated $300 million in global box office revenue. She directed several low-budget horror films, all of which had yielded astonishingly high returns. She was undoubtedly one of Hollywood's top horror film directors.
However, this time she was taking on an action film, a genre she had never tackled before, especially an Eastern-style action film. This made the media and critics doubt her ability to direct such a film, not because of her skills but because they thought she was too young and inexperienced in this genre. Could she really produce an authentic Eastern-style kung fu film?
If it wasn't quite Eastern, nor quite Western, it would please neither audience and yield mediocre box office results from both sides.
Whichever way one looked at it, the prospects for this movie were very dim.
But where there was criticism, there was also praise. Even though the media was largely negative, Laila's main base, "The Entertainer," NBC, and a series of companies under the Moran Media Group, rallied their efforts to support the upcoming film.
They presented a series of examples, listing Laila's achievements from the past couple of years, aiming to succinctly demonstrate how formidable she was and how her history of success suggested her new film was destined to succeed.
Surprisingly, these arguments did change the perception of "Rush Hour" for many people, making them believe that perhaps it could indeed be a good film.
Laila's fans were elated at this turn of events, expressing their support for her. They believed that even if she made a bad film, it would be the best bad film.
Seeing these supportive comments, Laila couldn't help but feel amused and exasperated. What exactly was the "best bad film"? Was it implying that even her bad films would be creatively brilliant?
On September 18, 1998, amid both anticipation and skepticism, the premiere of "Rush Hour" took place as scheduled.
Laila was the director, and even if she disliked such bustling environments, she had to make an appearance out of courtesy to the invitation.
It was well known that she rarely had a male companion on the red carpet. She either walked with her mother, walked alone, or accompanied members of her crew. In any case, she had never been seen with an actual male companion on the red carpet.
People understood this, given her young age and her already prominent status as a successful director. Whoever stood by her side would likely feel immense pressure.
Waving to the fans and supporters along the way, she hastened to finish walking the star-studded path. She moved so quickly that even journalists barely had time to request a few poses before she was already outside the theater's entrance.
For the occasion, she wore a new design by Janet, a shirt and pants ensemble that combined Baroque and pirate aesthetics. It gave her a touch of charisma without appearing overly rugged. It was fortunate that she wore pants; otherwise, given her fast-paced red carpet-walk, her gown might have trailed behind her and provided an amusing spectacle of stumbling.
She aimed to quickly reach the theater, but the emcee responsible for boosting the atmosphere outside the door wasn't about to let her off so easily.
"Director Moran, take it slow. Everyone isn't here to admire your back; you need to say a few words!"