However, when the box office numbers for the third day were revealed, the media outlets that had been hyping Laila's failure just the day before were left dumbfounded. The 24-hour box office for "Kill Bill" was $15.23 million, while "The 13th Warrior" was at $9.7 million!
What had happened? Why did Laila's movie's box office suddenly surge while "The 13th Warrior" dropped significantly?
Typically, box office trends started strong and gradually declined, but a more than 30% drop on the third day of release, especially during the first weekend, was astonishing. The media was shocked because this was the early phase of the movie's release.
Various media outlets were determined to find answers and set out to investigate. However, when they arrived at the cinemas, they were taken aback by the long queues outside.
"Excuse me, what are you doing here?" a reporter asked a young person in the queue.
The young person shrugged when looking at the camera as if they were being asked a silly question. "What do you think people do when they queue up at the cinema? We're here to watch a movie."
Well, it was indeed a silly question. People in the front of the line at a movie theater weren't there for discounted popcorn, were they?
But who became a reporter without developing a thick skin? Unfazed by their own foolish question, the reporter continued, "What movie are you here to see?"
"Kill Bill, of course! My girlfriend's close friend has already seen it, and I have to make sure she sees it too. So, here I am," the young person waved at the camera. "Hey, sweetheart, can you see me? I'll bring everything you want right to you!"
"Thank you for your answer," the reporter said before turning to interview another person waiting nearby. "Are you also here to watch 'Kill Bill'?"
"Yes."
"Why did you choose to see this movie? Why are you willing to wait in line?"
"I heard it's really good online, so I wanted to see it for myself. If it's not as good as they say, at least I can complain about it."
The reporter seemed a bit speechless and coughed before asking, "What type of movies do you usually like?"
"I generally enjoy big blockbusters, like 'Jurassic Park,' and George Lucas films."
The reporter continued, "Are you familiar with Laila Moran? Have you seen any of her previous films?"
"I've heard of her. Her name often comes up in the news. But I'm not particularly interested in horror movies, so I haven't watched her previous works. My friends like them though; they've been recommending them to me."
After these interviews, the reporter found a group of female fans standing together.
"What are you all here to see?"
"Kill Bill! Is there anything else?"
"Why did you choose this movie? What made you want to wait in line?"
The girls giggled, "It's so cool! The female lead in the movie is amazing. This is our second time watching it!"
"Have you seen 'The 13th Warrior'?"
"No, even though it looks decent, after watching 'Kill Bill,' I can't get into any other movie. Our minds are filled with the female lead."
The reporter decided not to ask more questions as it was clear that these girls were die-hard fans of Laila. Further questioning wouldn't yield much.
After the interviews, the reporter faced the camera with a smile. "It seems like many people are suddenly interested in director Moran's films for reasons unknown. We will continue to track this phenomenon and hope to find the underlying reasons."
According to the people interviewed, some were attracted by online recommendations, some had heard good things from friends, and others had come back for a second viewing after being impressed. It appeared that Laila's word-of-mouth effect was quietly taking hold.
The most direct result of this phenomenon was the skyrocketing box office, with "Kill Bill" achieving nearly a one-third increase from the previous day, which had taken many by surprise.
"The 13th Warrior" didn't perform poorly either; it was better than many other movies released during this competitive summer season. It was approaching the peak of the summer box office, and the movies being released during this time were usually carefully selected to avoid direct competition with major blockbusters. These movies were generally well-made, and the studios were confident of securing a good box office performance in the early weeks of the summer season.
Even Laila had thought along these lines. Acts like deliberately scheduling the release to clash with another film, as "The 13th Warrior" had done, were practically unheard of in Hollywood. Such behavior, sacrificing oneself to harm the opponent, simply didn't make sense financially. Who would do such a thing?
Over the weekend, "Kill Bill" grossed $31.34 million, narrowly securing the top spot at the box office for the first week, while "The 13th Warrior" followed closely behind with $29.57 million.
Seeing these results, it was clear who had the last laugh. Although the difference in box office was not significant, it was important to remember that the budgets of the two films differed by three to four times!
The production team of "The 13th Warrior" responded to this situation with nonchalance.
"At the beginning, no one knew how things would turn out. Our film has received positive reviews from many viewers, and that's the greatest affirmation for us."
When asked about the competition with Laila's film, the production team adopted a surprisingly calm stance.
"Our two films are of different genres, different budgets, and feature different cast and crew. Why should we compete head-on?"
Their thick skin was truly something to behold. Even the reporters found it hard to watch.
"If it wasn't a deliberate competition, why did you schedule the films for the same release date?"
"That was just a coincidence! We originally picked this date, not expecting director Moran to release her film at the same time."
It was shameless! They were essentially implying that the clash of release dates was due to Laila. Many people who heard this couldn't help but silently curse them. After all, they were the ones saying all these things, and they could change their tune the next day as if nothing had happened.
Some media outlets with a bit more cunning tried to approach Laila, hoping to get her thoughts on surpassing "The 13th Warrior" at the box office.
"What's your opinion on this?" Laila frowned slightly at the camera. "I think 'The 13th Warrior' and our film are not related at all. Although both are action films, we are on completely different levels in terms of cast, director, script, and investment."
The reporter smiled; it was indeed true that the two films were on different levels, and yet, the one beneath had managed to surpass the other.