Demi was very efficient, and the folks from "Entertainer" were also efficient. They came to interview with a small team on the same afternoon. The team included a reporter, a photographer, and two assistants.
None of them were strangers, so Laila decided to have the interview in her own office.
"Director Moran, are there any questions you don't want us to ask?" Before the interview, the reporter, Hook, wanted to communicate with her to avoid offending a future boss.
"I don't think so. Just ask whatever you think the public is interested in, and if there's something I don't want to answer, I'll let you know." Laila thought for a moment and replied. At the same time, she found it amusing in her mind. It wasn't surprising that she didn't let outsiders have a share of the pie. If people outside were as easy to talk to as her own team, she would have given them more opportunities.
Hook chuckled, "Alright, then let's begin. Director Moran, have you heard about the recent topic of the '300 Million Director' circulating on the internet?"
This question had been prearranged because Laila wanted to share her response to this topic with the media.
"Yes, I've heard some things about it."
"What are your thoughts on it?"
Laila smiled slightly, "I find it quite amusing. When did even a $300 Million box office become a joke in Hollywood? Look at last year's North American box office rankings, the first place was 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace' with 431 million dollars, the second place earned 290 million dollars, and the fifth place was already below 200 million. In such a context, is it really rare for our movie to gross 300 million worldwide?"
Rare? Definitely not! Not only was it not rare, but it was also astonishingly impressive. Hook specialized in this kind of reporting, so he knew the details.
Furthermore, there was an important figure here: Laila's movies consistently had a significant characteristic - their North American box office and the box office from other countries outside of North America were roughly the same. This meant that people in North America liked her movies just as much as people in other countries.
Despite the significant difference in population between North America and other countries, having similar box office results wasn't anything to scoff at. In Hollywood, being able to achieve this was extremely rare, and most films that did were blockbusters.
Abroad, except for a few big box offices such as Japan, South Korea, Britain, and France, there are not many box office successes. The cultural differences between countries also cause many movies to be acclimatized. Under such circumstances, Laila can still get a box office that is equal to or even exceeds that of North America, which shows that there is not much in her movies that makes foreigners repellent and that more people can accept her movies.
"Why do you think there's this mocking title of '300 Million Director'?" Hook asked.
Laila shrugged, "I'd like to know that too. Maybe it originated from some '400 Million Director' or '500 Million Director.'"
It was clear she was joking. A 400 Million-dollar director? A 500 Million-dollar director? If directors were making that much at the box office for every movie, they would already be treated as gods in Hollywood. Even the top directors couldn't achieve such incredible results.
Hook chuckled, "So, how do you feel about being called a '300 Million Director'?"
"I think it's a form of encouragement, to remind myself not to be too proud of past achievements and to focus on creating better movies in the future."
Hook changed the topic smoothly, "Does that mean your new movie has the potential to break the 300 Million record?"
Laila smiled, "Yes, I believe it can."
Hook's eyes lit up; this was a major scoop! "Talented director confident in breaking records, highly anticipated new movie?"
"Can you give us an estimate of how much the new movie might gross?"
"I can't say for sure, but considering the global box office, surpassing 400 Million should be no problem." Laila didn't reveal the exact future box office numbers, mainly because she had filmed the movie a few years ahead of its time. The North American and global box office at this time were not as prosperous as they would be in the future, especially in the East, which had not yet fully developed and become the second-largest box office market.
Considering the current box office potential, she believed it might be slightly lower than the original numbers, but surpassing 400 Million was achievable!
Hook happily recorded her words and made a prominent note. With this bombshell, tomorrow's newspapers would definitely have a catchy headline. After all, the hottest topic right now was the "300 Million Director." Publishing Laila's 400 Million Declaration would undoubtedly attract a lot of attention.
"Can you tell us about this new movie? We've heard it's a pirate-themed film?"
"That's right." Laila nodded. "I hope this movie will bring joy to children and families during the summer."
Hook's recording hand trembled for a moment; this was a new revelation just as significant as the 300 Million Declaration!
"Children and families? Does that mean it's a movie for children?" If that were the case, it would be big news! Everyone knew that Laila was best known for R-rated movies. Except for her earlier film, "Rush Hour," her movies had almost completely cut off any possibility for children to watch them. And now, she was talking about bringing children and families into theaters together!
If R-rated movies could achieve 300 Million dollars per film, how much more box office potential would unrestricted movies have? Don't forget, in the United States and many other places, Laila was an idol for young people and children. Just based on that, she had enough charisma to attract audiences to theaters! And if her movie happened to be outstanding...
Hook took in a sharp breath; he was starting to believe in her 400 Million Declaration!
Would Laila's new movie fail? No, it wouldn't!
Despite the external skepticism, Hook had great confidence in his future boss. Among all the filmmakers he had encountered, Laila was truly unique. Not only was she incredibly young, but she also possessed exceptional talent, constant creativity, and hard work.
"After hearing that it's a pirate movie, the consensus is not in favor of this genre. Since the debacle of 'Cutthroat Island' in '95, no one has attempted this type of film again. Director Moran, aren't you concerned?"
Laila nodded in response, showing her appreciation for the question.
"No, I've never been concerned. Just because others can't do it doesn't mean I can't. There were many successful movies similar to this genre before 'Cutthroat Island,' right? So why should I be deterred by one failed work?"