In Hollywood, many movie scripts were created using an assembly line approach. For instance, writers who specialized in comedic scenes were assigned the humorous parts, and those skilled in romance were tasked with handling the romantic elements of the main characters.
This approach had its advantages—matching the right people to the right tasks—but it also had downsides, as it could weaken the overall plot. With many people involved, the initial threads couldn't be too intricate, or else it would be challenging for others to incorporate their parts seamlessly. After all, why should other writers follow the threads you've laid down?
Laila preferred the method where a single screenwriter was responsible for an entire project. While it demanded more from the writer's skills, the resulting work was more coherent and smooth. It also made it easier to convey deeper meanings within the story.
The script for "Rush Hour" underwent several changes according to Laila's requests. Some were alterations present in the original version, while others were her additions based on the shortcomings she recalled from the original. Her version of the film could be considered the one that satisfied her the most, synthesized from various perspectives.
Amidst cheers and applause, the slightly over an hour-long film concluded smoothly. After the film's conclusion, a few cut scenes were played during the credits—scenes that had been removed due to failure. These small details kept many viewers seated until the very end, unlike in other films where they would leave once the credits rolled.
Fans who were left wanting more exited the theater and immediately used various means to share the movie with their friends. Some made phone calls, others used the internet. It seemed that if they didn't discuss the film's content with someone right away, they couldn't find peace of mind.
As Laila left the premises discreetly, she noticed more than one person holding their phones and talking excitedly to their friends about how fantastic the movie was. This sight eased her worries; at least it seemed like the film was well received, right?
However, the next morning, Demi had some bad news for Laila as she arrived for work.
"Genius Director's 'Waterloo'—we saw it coming," read the bold headline of the entertainment section in the New York Post, exuding a sense of schadenfreude.
The title was eye-catching, and the content went on to criticize Laila and "Rush Hour," almost pointing fingers at her for creating a terrible movie.
"4.2 million, that's the box office earnings for the new movie by the 'genius' director on its first day. Compared to her previous works, that's at least half the revenue lost. Many people predicted this outcome. Why, you ask? Firstly, this is an action film, and not even a familiar Western-style action movie. Director Moran herself is unfamiliar with this genre, so how could she create an authentic film?"
"Secondly, it's a comedy! Yes, a comedy! Did you really expect a horror movie director to make something funny? After watching the movie, I couldn't find anything that genuinely made me laugh."
The article was written in a highly aggressive tone, as though the author had a personal vendetta against Laila. But it was just a sensational tactic, a way to attract more readership to their newspaper. People loved such intense conflicts as they spectated.
For the author and the newspaper, it would be even better if Laila got angry enough to take legal action against them. That way, their newspaper would generate even more sales.
Laila read through the comments about herself, and by the end, she couldn't help but chuckle. "$4.2 million isn't small, is it?"
"It's not! Not at all!" Demi wasn't just trying to flatter. Back when her boss was Reynolds, none of the movies even made it to the theaters; they were all direct-to-DVD releases.
Though there were some especially good films that the company decided to put in theaters for a test run, those were mostly limited releases, shown in just a dozen or so cinemas at most.
It was only after Laila joined the company that the distribution department found its purpose. To Demi, earning over $4 million on the first day was quite impressive.
Over $4 million in a single day—wasn't that enough to recover the production costs in one or two months of screening? Looking at the rule that a film starts turning profits when its box office earnings reach twice the production costs, and considering "Rush Hour" had a budget of just over $30 million, it shouldn't be too difficult for it to achieve $60-$70 million at the box office, right? Not to mention the other sources of revenue.
Of course, box office numbers didn't work that way. Typically, there was a decline in earnings over time, with each subsequent day earning less. For a film that only earned 4.2 million on its opening day, it was unlikely to make much more.
In fact, Laila was a bit surprised by the low box office numbers. She had imagined it would be similar to her previous films. After all, it was a comedy and an action film. How could it be less popular than her R-rated horror movies?
However, the box office results reminded her once again of the unpredictability of Hollywood and its audiences. If this trend continued, it might not be long before the film was pulled from theaters completely, and that wouldn't be a good outcome for her.
What had gone wrong? She had received positive reviews at the premiere, so why were the box office earnings so low? Could history have gone awry due to her presence, leading to different developmental trends in certain areas?
Laila pondered this while Demi grumbled about the newspaper headlines.
"Boss, look at how over the top they're being. They think you don't know what you're doing, and that's why you made this mess. They even believe it was a mistake for New Line to hire you as the director. And then they're saying you made a bad investment by putting money into 'Rush Hour,' which ended up being a complete failure."
By now, Laila had mentally reviewed every scene of the film. Despite racking her brain, she couldn't identify any parts that were worse than the original version. She finally let go of her unease.
Upon hearing her secretary's words, she smiled faintly. "Let them say whatever they want. Eventually, the truth will speak for itself."
Demi could only console herself with the thought that "The boss can't be wrong."
"Anyway, this Cooper guy is really annoying. He was speaking well of you when he resurfaced, and I thought he had changed for the better. But now he's saying such unpleasant things."
"He's gotten smarter." Laila looked at the familiar name, Cooper, in the New York Post article, her smile taking on a profound meaning.
Cooper had indeed grown smarter. To re-emerge successfully, he had falsely praised her, adopting an image of objectivity. Yet beneath the surface, he had been lurking, waiting for an opportunity to strike when she faltered.
It had taken him months to find a chance to criticize her. It must have been quite an effort on his part.
Sighing softly as she looked at the name in the newspaper, Laila muttered, "Why do some people never learn? They'd rather suffer repeatedly than accept reality."