$32.34 million!
A pirate movie that was once looked down upon managed to achieve a box office of $32.34 million in just one day!
Is it because the summer season is very popular this year? Otherwise, how can this unbelievable box office be explained?
People outside were utterly confused, but within the Dragon Soul Company, there was an atmosphere of jubilation. Despite only being in theaters for two days, it was already clear what the future held. Nobody was mentioning phrases like "the curse of the $300 Million director" or "the $300 Million curse" anymore because even the most uninformed person could see that at this rate, "Pirates of the Caribbean" might just make it into the top five highest-grossing films of the year in North America.
When Laila saw these speculations, she could only chuckle. Only she knew that making it to the first position was not impossible at all, thanks to her acquisition of the rights to "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," both of which were supposed to be the top two in this year's box office rankings. They were missing this year because of her involvement.
Moving on to the fourth day, the box office results from the previous day were revealed: $34.86 million.
This meant that within the first weekend of its premiere, "Pirates of the Caribbean" had already grossed $93.08 million! Almost a hundred million in just three days! This was an astounding pace!
Laila had demonstrated her remarkable talent for box office success. With this kind of first-week performance, no one was left doubting her ability to handle big-budget productions. She was not only capable of handling them but also delivering movies that audiences loved.
This astonishing box office performance stunned numerous people, including Laila's family and the actors who had been part of the film's cast. Especially Naomi Watts and Chris Evans, who portrayed the female lead and the young blacksmith.
Within the company, employees often witnessed Naomi, who had been evicted from her apartment due to unpaid rent just before filming, gleefully reading news articles about herself. On the other hand, Chris, the young future Captain America, appeared to be lost and bewildered all the time.
They couldn't believe how a single movie had transformed them into actors in a major hit film in such a short time. According to Hollywood norms, with such a great box office, a sequel was a must. That meant they had a chance to work on another big production in the upcoming years!
It was like a dream come true, a windfall that left them on the brink of losing their rationality.
Fortunately, the company has always arranged psychological counseling sessions for cases like these, to guide those in need. Laila didn't want the sudden influx of immense profits to blind her rising stars and lead them to make unwise decisions.
After the first-week box office figures were released, theater owners who hadn't initially jumped on board with the film's release were now in a hurry to seek collaboration. They had initially believed the rumors that pirate movies would result in losses, but when they saw sold-out screenings at other theaters, they became envious.
Meanwhile, in the East, "Pirates of the Caribbean" also saw impressive results. While it may not have reached the frenzy that "Titanic" had created during its release, it still managed to attract a significant number of young people into theaters.
One thing that must be mentioned is Laila's investment in theaters in the East. She had constructed 250 theaters nationwide, equipped with state-of-the-art projection equipment. When the fans visited her theaters, they couldn't help but express their disdain for the dirty, subpar theaters they had previously frequented.
One person remarked, "After experiencing Moran Cinemas theater, I finally understand why American box office figures are so high. With such comfortable places, I'd be happy to spend money to come here!"
The opening of these new theaters, combined with the release of the new movie, quickly started to yield results for Laila's investment in the East. Her name began to spread widely as satisfied moviegoers discovered that such a cool film was directed by a 21-year-old girl. The impact was self-evident.
The rapidly growing news about "Pirates of the Caribbean" and Laila began to dominate the buzzing internet.
"I walked into the theater with a 'Everyone else has watched it except me, I feel so embarrassed' feeling, and watched the film thinking, 'The popcorn is good, but the drinks are so expensive.' After watching the film, all I could think was, 'Wow!' This movie was directed by a 21-year-old girl. Why are our domestic movies so far behind Hollywood?"
"When I heard that the director was only 21 years old, I was shocked. I started thinking about what I was doing when I was 21. Sadly, I was still asking my family for money to go out on dates."
"At least you had someone to date. When I was 21, I hadn't even held a girl's hand!"
"The people above don't know that when she was 18, this director made a global box office hit with a movie that cost only $100,000."
"Wow! I need some enlightenment about that!"
Thus, a post venting frustration turned into an educational thread, directly evolving into a free promotion for Laila.
At this point, not only Laila's life story but also her participation in this year's Spring Festival Gala program was dug up. People who had previously not known who she was were finally able to put a face to the name. They might not remember which Hollywood director she was, but when it came to the foreign girl who spoke fluent Chinese and sang a Chinese classical song at this year's Spring Festival Gala, everyone had a clear memory.
To capitalize on this newfound attention, the film crew initiated global promotional activities. Led by Roy, they traveled across North America, visiting various countries and cities. In Asia, they not only participated in events in key Eastern cities but also organized fan meetings in Japan, South Korea, and other major markets.
However, Laila did not participate in these activities. While the company's marketing department hoped she would cooperate with the promotions, she declined. She believed her role was that of a director, and she didn't need to steal the limelight from the actors. Besides, she wasn't a fan of flying, despite it being a necessary mode of travel for her. Her principle was simple: if she didn't have to fly, she wouldn't!
After the second week passed, "Pirates of the Caribbean" once again shattered everyone's expectations with a box office gross of $73.85 million, securely holding the top spot in the weekly box office rankings. This ongoing success only added to the legend of Laila, with each of her films consecutively claiming the top spot at the box office for two weeks in a row.
This was an unbelievable and magical record. It was important to note that this was the summer season, a battlefield where numerous high-budget commercial films converged. Only the movies that the production companies had the most confidence in were scheduled for release. Being able to stand out from such fierce competition meant that Dragon Soul was now showing signs of becoming a major film production company with significant competitive strength!