"BOSS, you're in for some trouble." Roy had somehow entered the office and was sitting at the desk with an apple in his hand, taking bites.
He was well aware of the conflict between Faiza and Laila, he knew that the young lady was using a movie to declare war on her. Seeing Laila's attitude and then hearing the ambitious speech above, how could he not guess that this was about the movie?
Laila rested her chin on her hand, smiling as she watched the live broadcast on the TV. "I dare not say we'll surpass Titanic's box office record, but their ambitions are quite grand."
Roy chuckled and hopped off the desk, squeezing next to her. "Everyone needs to have a dream, right?"
"Who knows?" Laila shrugged uninterestedly. "Which big production doesn't have full confidence before filming starts? If they didn't believe in it, they wouldn't have invested money. After all, money doesn't grow on trees."
"So, are you going to be in trouble?" Roy arched an eyebrow at her, but he couldn't see any worry on her face. He figured she was just paying lip service and wasn't actually concerned.
But that wasn't the case.
If this were before the press conference, Laila would have certainly confidently replied with "That's impossible." However, after seeing that star-studded cast list, she changed her view. If Faiza's investment had enhanced the cast lineup, were the script and other elements also different from the original film in her previous life?
Top-tier stars in Hollywood represented not only acting prowess but also immense box office appeal. Many moviegoers and fans were willing to buy tickets just to see a particular star in a film. Looking at the cast list, Laila realized that even if the script was terrible, this film's final box office might surpass that of her previous life simply due to the star power.
The appeal of those stars was so strong that countless fans would wave their money to watch their performances, just for the sake of their faces.
However, she wasn't the type to admit defeat, especially not before even starting.
"Don't assume you're going to fail before you even do anything. A movie made with a failure mindset will surely be a failure." Laila gazed at the live press conference on the television with a calm expression, her eyes flickering as she thought about something.
At this moment, journalists from various media outlets were chasing after the degree of accuracy in the box office predictions, acting as if they were crazy. They loved speakers who made bold statements, as controversy attracted attention, which in turn led to sales and ratings. Whether the movie would achieve such high box office numbers wasn't something they were concerned about right now.
When the box office results came out, if they exceeded Titanic's, the journalists would undoubtedly sing praises and elevate their work to a glorious status. But if the box office numbers were low, then it would become a game. They would definitely use the earlier statements to mock them and generate another round of attention.
Laila could foresee that since Faiza had invested in a film to undermine hers, they would likely clash over the release schedule. With both movies premiering at the same time, how could they make sure audiences chose to watch their film? This was a test of planning skills.
At this moment, another journalist posed a question.
"It's been said that Director Moran's new film has already started filming. Both of your movies are in the action genre. Are you deliberately avoiding each other's release dates?"
This was a delicate question, and the expressions of many people turned subtle in response.
Firstly, two films starting filming simultaneously didn't mean they would finish at the same time. If one film had more visual effects, it might take another two to three years to complete the effects after shooting wrapped. Additionally, Hollywood had films starting production every day; if they compared all simultaneously shooting films, it would be a bit exaggerated.
Secondly, Laila's film had an investment of a little over $30 million, while this one had $180 million, which was six times more. Putting them side by side for comparison was a bit unfair given the huge disparity.
Laila frowned, her gaze briefly passing over the logo on the journalist's badge, unsurprisingly seeing the words "New York Post."
This left her speechless. It seemed that this newspaper saw her as a cash cow. Regardless of whether it made sense, they pulled her out first to stir up attention and increase readers' purchasing desire.
"This journalist has asked a quite interesting question." Faaris smiled and nodded. "We did pay attention to the second action film by Director Moran. However, in our view, our two films don't need to be compared at all. Although both are action films, our investment and cast lineup are far superior. It wouldn't be fair to put that director's work side by side with ours."
Roy immediately became angry. "Is he looking down on us?"
"Exactly," Laila replied calmly. Her ice-blue eyes remained fixed on the TV screen, and a faint, enigmatic smile graced her lips.
"Do you just watch as they belittle our movie?" Roy couldn't read much from her expression, but he was willing to bet his head on it – this woman was not someone who would let others bully her without a response.
Laila looked at him with a playful smile. "Well, what he said isn't wrong. Our investment is only one-sixth of theirs, and our cast consists of newcomers from our own company. Compared to them, we do seem to have a disadvantage."
"But we have the best director! Can we lose to that whoever?" Roy couldn't remember the director's name and simply referred to them as "whoever." He knew it was the film Faiza was using to mess with them, but he couldn't be bothered to remember. It was evident he didn't take them seriously at all.
Being trusted like this made Laila quite happy, although she didn't show it on her face. "Who knows? That's how movies are. Before they're released, you never know whether what's waiting ahead is success or failure."
Roy was about to say something, but he heard the reporter on TV ask, "So, are you saying that Director Moran's film is inferior to yours?"
Faaris didn't confirm or deny, he simply looked at the questioning reporter with a knowing smile.
"Luck won't last forever; true strength is something to be truly proud of. We have the strength to stand here and speak confidently. As for Director Moran's film, we won't comment," the reporter continued.
The journalists grew excited. This was the rhythm of provocation! Major news was on the horizon!
Roy almost threw the fruit he was holding at the TV. "Where did this bastard come from? What does he mean by 'luck won't last forever'? And 'true strength is something to be truly proud of'? Is he implying that we've been favored by the goddess of luck all along, which is why we've repeatedly succeeded?"
Laila looked at him with a smile. "He's not wrong. We've indeed had the greatest stroke of luck to get here. If it weren't for the favor of Lady Luck, how could I have experienced such an incredible rebirth?"