"How is that possible?" Faiza simply couldn't believe it. "She's just a young girl."
Evidently, despite her claims of feminism and wanting to change the status of women in their homeland, deep down, she still harbored the belief that women were inferior to men.
Faaris didn't think much of it, but the female employees present seemed uncomfortable.
In their eyes, Laila was a genius from the United States, and a wealthy heiress like Faiza had no grounds to criticize her. Besides, even in terms of money, the Morans could easily outmuscle them. They couldn't fathom Faiza's arrogance.
One female employee spoke up, "Laila's planning skills are unquestionable. The facts speak for themselves. What we need to focus on now is how to promote our film. Instead of being jealous, let's focus on doing our work well!"
Faiza snorted and returned to her seat, leaving the rest of the meeting to Faaris.
Faaris glanced at the somewhat tense atmosphere and suddenly chuckled. "Actually, the more attention she gets, the better it is for us, right?"
All eyes turned to him, waiting to hear what he had to say next.
"In the beginning, we intentionally tied our film's promotion to Laila's. The hotter her film becomes, the more we can ride on her coattails and gain attention."
People suddenly remembered that they had initially associated their film with Laila during the promotional phase. As long as they continued to do so, the more attention Laila received, the more people would also notice their film, "The 13th Warrior," which was released alongside hers.
Seeing that the emotions had settled down, Faaris smiled and added, "Plus, we have an excellent ally, don't we?"
Everyone in the room knew who he was referring to, and their moods gradually improved. As he said, as long as they continued to associate Laila with their film, there was no reason to believe they wouldn't have a successful box office.
After the meeting, Faiza followed Faaris back to the hotel where they were staying.
In the car, she still couldn't accept the information she had received earlier. "Is that woman really that formidable? Could it be that she has a team of advisers behind her, helping with her strategies?"
"Perhaps," Faaris wisely didn't deny it. He knew that even if he presented the facts to her, she wouldn't accept them as truth. So why waste time explaining?
Faiza continued to vent her frustration, oblivious to Faaris's distraction, as she rambled on about someone relying on advisers to build their reputation and the "dirty deeds" behind it.
"Oh, Faaris, what about Cooper? Is he reliable?"
"No problems at all. He's been working diligently."
"Of course, he better work diligently. We've invested quite a bit in him." Faiza sneered, "I hope he can be more effective this time and not embarrass us as he did in the past."
Faisal replied casually, "His targeting is quite intense. I believe he understands the opportunity we've given him."
"It better be that way!" Faiza proudly lifted her head.
If Laila had heard their conversation, she would have been surprised. No wonder Cooper had been relentlessly criticizing her recently; it turned out there were people behind the scenes directing him.
Blackening one's name to become wealthy and successful was a path not many could walk. Faiza was a wealthy individual, and her headquarters, the New York Post, welcomed her articles. Cooper profited from blackening others and could make money while doing it. Few could achieve such financial success.
However, Laila welcomed this. Whether people were criticizing or praising her, the first step was to make the audience aware of her existence.
If no one even knew she existed, what difference did it make whether they criticized her or praised her? The appearance of controversy in a production was meant to create memorable moments for the audience. Just look at television shows; the more they were criticized, the higher the viewership.
Of course, it could be argued that a good production could also capture the audience's hearts. But which was easier to make, a good production or a controversial one? The answer was quite simple.
Because she had spent so many years making controversial productions in her previous life to earn money and realize her dream of making films, Laila had very high standards for the films she produced in this life. She was "remaking" classic films, and if these classics were ruined in her hands, she would probably regret it for the rest of her life.
Early in the morning, the crew had gathered because they were shooting an important scene that day, featuring Shu qi and Theron's spectacular fight.
The battle between the female lead and the female villain could be said to be the most exciting part of the entire film, but it was also the most challenging to shoot. Laila not only had to make their actions look good but also convey the atmosphere. Otherwise, it would be a waste of the beautiful and tranquil Japanese courtyard.
Shu Qi was dressed in a kimono, her cold face exuding a hidden fierceness. She was to play the role of a female Yakuza boss, and every action and word had to command the respect of her many subordinates.
To prepare for this role, Shu Qi's agent, Wen Jun, had taken her to spend time with a real Yakuza boss. The goal was to learn from him and understand the aura of a boss.
Laila was quite satisfied with her performance. The cold and ruthless demeanor was fantastic, although there were still some minor, deliberate details to work on. These could be fixed during the editing process.
However, having the right aura was not enough; it was an action film, after all.
Both Shu Qi and Theron were wielding Eastern-style swords, and making the swordplay look cool and enticing to the audience was a significant challenge. This was where their martial arts director came into play.
Before filming, Laila had them practice together once. However, it didn't take long for her to call for a pause.
"Shu Qi, your movements seem a bit off," she said.
Shu Qi blinked. "Where am I going wrong?"
Laila frowned as she examined the footage they had just shot. "There's something off about this part." She couldn't quite describe it; when she watched them rehearse, she hadn't noticed any issues, but when she saw the actions through the camera lens, she felt something was amiss.