As she spoke, her gaze turned toward the window, as if through the empty space outside, she was recalling the experience of losing her childhood joy.
The photographer was captivated by her expression and instinctively raised the camera to capture her current look.
Susie diligently recorded her words on the voice recorder, then continued to ask, "Why did you initially choose horror films, and why did you choose to shoot with DV?"
"There's not much of an extraordinary reason," Laila chuckled. "At that time, I had just inherited my father's film company. Honestly, the company was in a terrible state, and avoiding bankruptcy was truly a miracle. I believed that to revive the company, I needed to produce my own films. But the company was on the brink of bankruptcy and couldn't afford to support the production of a high-budget film. So, I ended up choosing a genre with lower costs."
Susie reacted with a perfectly surprised expression, "So, that's how it was. So, how did you feel when the movie was released globally and achieved incredible box office success?"
"I was very happy. It felt like a dream coming true," Laila laughed. "When I was filming, I never thought it would have such high box office numbers. I was surprised myself."
Susie asked many questions about her past, including troubles and anecdotes from her first three films, as well as the bet with Cooper about "kissing a donkey's butt." Then the conversation shifted to the present.
"Recently, the crew of 'The 13th Warrior' has been compared to your current film, and they even stated in the media that they don't mind a real comparison with you. What are your thoughts on this?"
This was currently the hottest topic among the public, and they were eagerly waiting for Laila to step up and accept the challenge. Despite this, Laila had been "hiding" in the studio, and no media had managed to interview her. Now, Susie had this precious opportunity and naturally wouldn't let go of the most trending topic.
Laila propped her chin up with one hand, revealing a meaningful smile. "If they're so eager, I don't see a reason to refuse."
Susie's eyes lit up. "So, you're saying you'll accept their challenge, even with a budget of over 200 million for a film that cost around 30 million?"
"Yes." This was Laila's first public declaration of accepting the challenge. "If they want to bring some fun to the fans, why would I want to disappoint everyone?"
Susie was excited. This was probably the biggest news she had obtained since coming here. Many of the earlier questions had already spread widely and were somewhat routine. But the information she was getting now was undeniably significant! Who wouldn't be interested in revelations about Laila?
She had a hunch that this magazine would have a very impressive sales figure!
"Can you give us some information about the new film? Many people, including myself, are very curious about your new project."
Laila smiled slightly, "There's nothing to hide. This time, I want to make a breakthrough. The new film will be a story of a woman seeking revenge."
Susie asked in astonishment, "Do you mean the lead will be a strong female character instead of a male lead?" Even though she wasn't part of the film industry, she knew that strong female characters occasionally appeared in movies, but having a female lead was quite rare.
"That's right, or you could say that there won't be a male lead in this film at all," Laila replied.
Susie couldn't help but admire her courage. "This is quite a breakthrough. The last impressive female action character I remember is Sigourney Weaver in 'Aliens'."
"What made you want to make a female-led action film? You must know that the chances of success for such a film in Hollywood are slim. Men tend to prefer sexy and beautiful female characters; how many will fall for a female lead who's all about action and fighting? Of course, it's about making money and winning awards for your new company, but I'm sure you wouldn't say that outright."
"I think Hollywood greatly underestimates the value of women. It's not just young women's films that can attract them to theaters. Men have their hero characters, why can't women have them too? For example, in comics, there's Superman and Batman, but there's also Catwoman and Black Widow. This world has men and women; focusing on just one aspect would be a waste."
Susie understood her point, but she also thought Laila might be overly optimistic.
"You're right, but just looking at the number of male lead roles shows how limited the space is for female characters. I remember the budget for this film is over 30 million, which isn't a small investment for your company, right? What gives you such confidence in this new film?"
Laila pondered for a moment and replied, "Why should we follow paths others have created? If every director makes their films based on past successful examples, how will the film industry evolve? It's interesting to blaze your own trail with your own power, don't you think?"
Susie sighed, "I think I understand why you've been successful time and again. You don't limit yourself to conventional and preconceived thoughts. Your broad perspective lets you see further goals. Director Moran, I promise to be among the first audience for your new film, and I hope to snatch a ticket for the premiere."
"Sure," Laila also smiled softly. "I'll send you a premiere ticket. Looking forward to your presence."
Originally scheduled for an hour, the interview unconsciously extended to an hour and a half. Susie was an excellent journalist who, through casual conversation, had built a closer relationship with Laila and obtained more information than expected.
After taking a few more photos, the people from Time finally left. Laila stood by the window, watching them leave the set.
Susie and her team were delighted. They had obtained many potential scoops during this interview. Susie believed her conversational skills had impressed Laila, leading to the information she got. Little did she know that Laila intentionally used her as a conduit to release certain film details.
Laila wanted to test the public's reaction to a female-led action film and see how the audience would respond to such a movie at this point. After all, the real "Kill Bill" wouldn't be released for several years. By introducing this idea earlier, Laila wondered if it might have unexpected effects.
Every era had different ideologies. For example, the Fujoshi[Rotten Girls] culture's obsession with male same-sex relationships in the later years would have been unimaginable in the past. Laila was concerned that the audience at this time might have biases against female-led action films. If that were the case, the possibility of failure was also present.
However, she didn't want to give up on this film just because of the possibility of failure. She didn't want to regret not making this film for a significant part of her life in the future. So, she decided to create this film with her own hands.