The movie directed by Michael Bay shouldn't be too bad. Laila knew that even though many critics and media outlets in her time criticized him, saying he only knew how to play with explosions and make commercial films, his success couldn't be denied.
Why did so many people badmouth him, yet countless production companies wanted him to make movies? It was because his commercial films always made big money.
Given the choice between a director who made a lot of money with shallow movies and an art film director who had depth but lost money, who would anyone choose? Nobody would make the wrong choice.
Art? When you couldn't even afford to eat, who would have the luxury to ponder what art was?
Laila had experienced hardship in her previous life, and she knew the pain of being broke. In her past life, she had saved every penny she earned to fund her own movies, to the point that she, a director, didn't even have a car or a house. She lived worse off than some low-income actors.
Even so, she had never managed to save enough money to make her own film. In her previous life, she wasn't a genius who could make a low-budget, high-grossing movie like "The Blair Witch Project." Although it was related to the industry's climate at the time, it was also because she was focused solely on making a "big" production. She dared not dream of hundreds of millions; even having a budget of a few million would have been good.
As for the result... Hehe. The birth of the new Laila Moran was the result.
In the afternoon, Laila went to the closed-off area next to the theme park. Under a massive dome, the pirate ship, the Black Pearl, which had been reported so extensively, was there.
She arrived to find the crew members, who should have been working, standing dumbfounded under the canopy.
"What's going on? Why aren't you working yet?" she asked.
"Boss, do you think we can work quietly when we see something like this as soon as we enter?" Roy pointed to the massive pirate ship in front of him.
Laila gave him a puzzled look. "Hasn't this ship already been exposed?"
"But can photos in the newspapers compare to seeing the real thing right in front of us?" Roy rolled his eyes. "Photos can make a grain of rice look like a planet. Do you expect us to comprehend anything from them?"
"I see," Laila understood. "Then I'll give you all ten more minutes of amazement. I'll make a phone call first."
The crew and actors burst into laughter at their boss's playful attitude. They didn't even need the full ten minutes, immediately getting back to work.
It was indeed awe-inspiring; the ship was massive!
The pirate ship that Laila intended to turn into an exploration house was modeled after the 17th-century-style double-masted ship "Lady Washington." It had 32 16-pound cannons and was the fastest ship in the Caribbean in the film.
What was more important was that this ship wasn't just a prop; it was a real ship, currently floating in a massive water pit!
For a movie shoot, such grandeur wasn't necessary, but since this ship would also appear in upcoming sequels, it wouldn't go to waste. Laila didn't mind spending a little extra to leave a lasting impression on the visitors to the theme park. The majesty of the large ship would also be showcased in the film, and imagining the Black Pearl, even more spectacular than the original, appearing on the big screen was thrilling.
"Laila, I've found the title of that movie," Louise's voice came from the phone.
"What is it?"
"'Pearl Harbor.'"
"..." Laila almost dropped her phone. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, the source is very reliable."
"I see," Laila said, hanging up the phone while pinching her forehead with her free hand. "Pearl Harbor"! Faiza couldn't have chosen a more audacious film.
The production cost of the original "Pearl Harbor" was over $140 million, and it was rumored that nearly another $100 million was spent on marketing. Yet, the film's North American box office was lackluster. What's more, the film was panned critically and considered one of the poorest imitations of "Titanic."
But Laila wouldn't underestimate her competition just because the original film was bad. Faiza's arrival represented too many variables, and the substantial funds she brought with her could cause unforeseeable changes. The only thing Laila could do was to work hard and face the challenge with all her might!
Returning to the ship, she found the actors already on board. She was about to step onto the ship when Roy extended his hand to stop her.
She reached out, but to her surprise, as soon as his hand touched hers, he flinched and almost made her trip over due to her misjudged strength. Fortunately, he quickly caught her, preventing her from taking a fall in front of the entire crew.
"What's so funny?" she glanced at him, thinking he had done it on purpose.
But at this moment, Roy was staring at his hand with a strange expression, as if he had suddenly seen something growing on it.
"Huh? Oh, sorry, I didn't mean it," he quickly apologized as he snapped back to reality. However, a trace of strangeness still lingered in his eyes.
His expression was so odd that it made Laila stop in her tracks. "What's wrong with your hand?"
"Nothing, it's fine!" Roy quickly put his hand down and rubbed it on his clothes a few times.
Laila didn't think too much about it. "It's okay as long as you're fine. Hurry up and go find the makeup artist to get ready. We have a few night scenes to shoot later."
"Got it."
Roy replied in a dazed manner and walked away. Laila watched his retreating figure, feeling that something was amiss with him. But since he didn't want to talk about it, it probably wasn't a big deal. She could always ask him later if he couldn't handle it himself.
However, what Laila didn't anticipate was that Roy's condition would deteriorate to the point where there was virtually no progress in the shoot for the next two days. Even though she had scolded him severely and turned his extremely poor performance into just poor, it didn't make much of a difference.
"Cut!" Laila finally couldn't help but call for a stop. "Roy, come here, and everyone else take a half-hour break!"
The crew members packed up their things in silence and watched with pity as Roy made his sorrowful way toward the director. While they weren't happy that their progress had been delayed for so long, seeing Roy, who had been scolded so badly by the boss, unable to lift his head made them feel relieved that they weren't the ones being scolded.
"What's going on with you?" Laila brought Roy into the rest area, and after making sure there was no one else around, she slapped the table. "Do you know how much film you've wasted over the past two days?"
"Sorry, Boss." Roy accepted the reprimand with a dejected head and no intention of arguing back. He was well aware of his recent performance, and he knew he deserved every bit of the scolding.
Seeing him hang his head without any spirit, Laila finally sighed. "What's really going on with you? Is something wrong at home, or are you feeling unwell?"