In fact, in history, it wasn't until six or seven years later that Wen Ziren got the opportunity to direct "SAW." It was from that point onwards that he gained favor in Hollywood and went on to make a series of films that would be considered classics in the horror genre.
When the box office results for that day were revealed, all the initial doubts vanished. "SAW 2" secured the top spot at the weekend box office with an impressive $24 million, leaving other films of the same genre that had premiered around the same time in the dust.
It was at this point that some armchair critics in the media began praising Laila's choice of successor, crediting her with having the keen eye of a talent scout, capable of selecting outstanding newcomers like Wen Ziren.
Two weeks later, the New Talent Plan introduced another horror film titled "House of 1000 Corpses." This film, originally conceived in 2003, was created by another newcomer, Rob Zombie.
The original version had been filmed in 2000 but had received an NC-17 rating, meaning it was restricted to viewers aged 17 and older, which had a detrimental impact on its box office prospects. So, after shelving the movie for several years, the production team recutted it into an R-rated version.
This was an unabashedly gory film, a cult classic, and it was initially released through limited screenings. They started with ten theaters, with plans to expand if the box office numbers looked promising. In fact, this would be the pattern for several upcoming releases as well.
There was no way around it—after all, they were all newcomers. Even though the company's distribution department had established good relationships with theater chains, they couldn't inspire much confidence in the theater owners. Even Laila herself couldn't predict the exact box office figures.
Fortunately, the results were very positive. "House of a 1000 Corpses" quickly gained popularity among young audiences. While some found the film's scenes too bloody and gruesome, young viewers loved it, considering it cool and brutal, eliciting adrenaline rushes and excitement.
Following the distribution team's plan, the film's release expanded, from ten theaters to 75 in the first week, and then to 280 in the second week, eventually reaching 700 screens.
When the box office numbers came in, Hollywood quickly realized that Laila had discovered yet another talented newcomer.
But this was just the beginning. A series of films were lined up for release, including several Japanese adaptations that Laila had purchased the rights to, such as "The Grudge" and "The Ring."
As one film after another hit the screens, Hollywood was in a frenzy. Finding one good director could be considered lucky, two could be called fortunate, but what about discovering a whole group of them?
The films released one after another were making tens of millions of dollars in box office revenue, with most of them having budgets of just a few million dollars. Throughout the latter half of 1998, the Phoenix Entertainment Company raked in hundreds of millions from these films alone!
But that wasn't all. Horror film DVDs sold exceptionally well, even if the box office numbers weren't particularly high. Many people enjoy watching these films at home. And take a look at the part of Laila's theme park that was under construction; it would become a place where movie buffs and adventurous young people would flock to.
Initially, Laila had planned to have sets built for those films in the theme park during production. However, Louise had persuaded her otherwise.
Louise believed, "Not every film is worth bringing into the theme park. It's better to consolidate some of them, both to save space and to prevent visitors from getting bored."
Louise's advice had always been valuable, and after some thought, Laila understood her point. So, once the New Talent Plan directors had finished their productions, she selected some of the most iconic buildings and sets to move to the theme park. One could only imagine what the park would look like once construction was completed.
As the new directors showcased their talents, Laila's New Talent Plan once again became a topic of discussion. Those who had previously scoffed at the plan were now getting restless. If even these newcomer directors could get a chance to make movies, wouldn't those with "more experience" have even greater opportunities?
As a result, inquiries about the New Talent Plan and applications from those with resumes and work in hand surged in a short period. Among these individuals, there were certainly some who were just trying their luck, but there were also many genuinely talented people. When these individuals joined the company, they would become a fresh infusion of talent, further strengthening Laila's film company!
Looking at the documents in her hand, Laila sat in her office with a satisfied smile. After reviewing some resumes, she had already identified several promising future talents, not just directors but also various crew members like cinematographers, makeup artists, and lighting technicians.
Originally, this plan was created by Laila to attract people with potential and provide them with opportunities ahead of time, individuals who would undoubtedly bring enormous value in the future, regardless of their profession.
No matter the profession, as long as it could help with filmmaking, she was all in. After all, she was wealthy now, and even if these people didn't produce any notable work in the next three to five years, she could still provide them with training opportunities while supporting them financially. Was she worried about potential losses in the future?
Putting down the documents, Laila was about to pick up another when she heard a knock on the door, and Demi walked in.
"BOSS, it's a call from Victoria's Secret. Would you like to take it?"
"Bring it in," Laila said, putting down the documents and picking up the phone. "I'm Laila Moran."
"Darling, you haven't forgotten our plan, have you?" came Leslie Wexner's cheerful voice from the other end of the line.
Laila chuckled. "How could I forget? I've been saving up my energy to make a big move for those lovely shares."
"Haha, that's great to hear. I'm really looking forward to your performance."
After a few more words, Laila hung up the phone and wiped away a bead of sweat. She had been incredibly busy in recent months, and she had almost forgotten about her planning and promotion strategy with Victoria's Secret. Thankfully, Leslie's timely call had reminded her; otherwise, her grand plan might have been delayed.
Standing up, she opened a safe and took out a document. This was a crucial plan that could potentially earn her billions if not tens of billions of dollars. It had to be stored with the utmost care.
Opening the document, the first line of the plan read: "American Super Bowl Plan!"
In the United States, the Super Bowl, held annually, was Americans' favorite event, often referred to as the "American Spring Festival."
The Super Bowl was the National Football League's (NFL) annual championship game, and the winning team was crowned "world champion." It had always been the highest-rated television program in the United States, It was said that Super Bowl Sunday was the second-highest day for food consumption in the United States, second only to Thanksgiving. This highlighted the importance of the day to Americans.