No one could deny the success of "Pirates of the Caribbean," even though the total investment for several of its movies exceeded a staggering 800 million dollars. However, the profits it generated were equally substantial.
To grasp just how substantial, one need only look at the salary of Johnny Depp, who played the main character, Captain Jack Sparrow. For the fourth installment, he received an astronomical fee of 55.6 million dollars, and this didn't even include his share of the profits. In the modern world, he has become one of the highest-paid actors.
However, some argued that his salary was unreasonably high. People calculated that, on average, his movies only earned $1.20 for every dollar spent, much less profitable compared to other top-tier stars. Why would anyone be willing to pay such a high price for his performances? The reason was the global popularity of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise!
Now that Laila had it in her hands, it meant that the entire series of pirate films could bring in at least 3.7 billion dollars in box office revenue in the future. Moreover, these earnings would serve as the cornerstone for building her movie empire. This was just the box office; when you included income from merchandise, CDs, and theme parks, which could continuously contribute "nutrients" to her empire, this single movie could help her grow her company!
Another crucial point was the significance of the role of Captain Jack Sparrow. To quickly elevate Roy to the pinnacle of Hollywood stardom, there was no role more suitable for him than Captain Jack Sparrow.
Captain Jack Sparrow is charismatic, carefree, morally ambiguous, and shares many similarities with Roy. Laila even believed that Roy could play the role authentically without needing to showcase his acting skills.
Was Johnny Depp good in the role? Honestly, he was brilliant. He brought to life a unique pirate character. When he filmed "Edward Scissorhands" and won a Golden Globe, he was already hailed as a genius. Captain Jack Sparrow allowed him to maximize his charm, leading to his later success.
As for Roy's acting skills, if Laila had to rate him, she'd easily give him a 90. This was a very high score, and his acting talent was a gift from the heavens. Just look at his performance in "SAW," where he portrayed a young man in dire straits brilliantly.
His acting was so captivating that the audience focused solely on his character in the film, barely noticing his handsome face. How to prevent an actor from being pigeonholed as a mere pretty face? This was the answer! Let the audience see the character rather than the actor's appearance; that was the best performance an actor could offer!
But there were still areas where he could improve, according to Laila. Of course, these could be explored in the future. Films like "Pirates of the Caribbean" didn't require exceptionally refined acting skills. They were commercial movies, and as long as they made money, nobody cared about winning an Oscar for Best Actor.
The Oscars tended to favor more profound themes, and commercial movies in genres like fantasy and science fiction might receive awards for a few technical aspects like special effects, music, cinematography, and makeup. However, hoping for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, or Best Picture was unrealistic.
Moreover, whether it was Laila or Roy, their age was a limitation. Even if they produced an Oscar-worthy film, it would be challenging to win any awards due to their relatively young ages. So, since the beginning of her filmmaking career, Laila never really thought about winning awards.
The next morning, Laila woke up to the chirping of birds outside her window. She had worked late into the night, and if it weren't for her awareness of the day's work ahead, she would have preferred to spend the entire morning in the comfort of her bed.
After slipping into a bathrobe, she walked out of her room and was greeted by the rich aroma of freshly baked bread.
"Is it bread today, Claire?"
"Yes, it is. It'll be ready soon. You should freshen up," Claire's voice came from the kitchen.
"Okay," Laila yawned and walked slowly to the bathroom.
Americans typically shower in the morning, and it took Laila a while to get used to this habit. As a true Eastern soul, she had always thought that showering at night was more comfortable, as it led to pleasant dreams. Over time, she had come to understand that this practice was because Westerners paid great attention to their appearance, always striving to look their best when leaving home for school or work.
She had even wondered whether it had something to do with Westerners having thicker body hair and stronger body odors, which might explain why the perfume industry was so developed in the West.
Exiting the bathroom, she sat down at the dining table and found a feast laid out for her.
"Why did you decide to make toasted bread today?" Laila took a piece of freshly baked bread, and its strong aroma made her appetite soar. Although she mainly ate Chinese-style breakfasts, it was nice to change things up occasionally.
Claire placed a glass jar in front of her. "This is crabapple jam that Zeni recommended. He highly recommended trying it with toast."
"Oh, it's from him." Laila nodded and used a small spoon to spread some jam onto her bread. As soon as she took a bite, the sweet and tangy flavor filled her mouth. "This is quite good." It was the first time she had heard of using Crapapple fruit to make jam.
Seeing Laila enjoy her breakfast, Claire's smile widened. "I'm glad you like it. By the way, the newspapers you wanted are in the living room. You can read them after you finish eating."
"Got it," Laila replied and left the dining table. She headed to the living room but didn't immediately pick up the stack of thick newspapers. Instead, she casually turned on the television and switched between several news channels.
As expected, on one of the news channels, she saw a photo of Al Nadeem, with his name and royal title displayed, along with information about his assets.
"It seems those journalists are quite resourceful. They managed to dig up his background so quickly after seeing him last night."
It was clear that the interest in his identity was due to his appearance at the filming location and his presence at the extravagant party hosted by the crew. She believed that Faiza had already heard this news, but she wondered how annoyed Faiza would be right now.
Daydreaming about Faiza's furious reaction, Laila chuckled with delight. She listened to the news report on the prince's influence and fortune in his own country while glancing at her film crew and the movie popping up in the news. This free and impactful "advertising" that required no expense was always welcome.
However, her smile quickly faded, and she sat up straight on the couch. The piece of bread she had been holding dropped onto the coffee table.
On the television screen, her picture and Faiza's picture were displayed on either side of Al Nadeem's, accompanied by a conspicuous headline: "Love Triangle?"