It's easy to imagine that when Yolanda reported to the higher-ups at Disney that Laila had accepted the script, the company's manager had a look of disbelief on his face.
Let's not even discuss why Laila suddenly accepted the script they handed over. Let's talk about this script... it's a musical!
Now, everyone in Hollywood knows that she is a director of big-budget commercial films, and she can easily make movies that gross over $300 million. But a musical? What's going on with that?
Hollywood musicals used to have a decent market, but lately, their popularity has been on the decline. Young people prefer to watch blockbusters with special effects, romantic films for couples, or family-friendly movies. There aren't many musical enthusiasts left.
The reason this script appeared was mainly due to a collaborative project brought by Miramax Films. They seemed to have a special fondness for this Broadway musical and wanted to explore a partnership.
The company had only discussed this as a routine matter, and the decision to collaborate hadn't been finalized. Little did they know that this seemingly random script would be accepted by Laila Moran.
"Tell me, Yolanda, how did you manage this?" The manager still seemed somewhat incredulous.
Yolanda didn't hold back and awkwardly recounted what had happened during the meeting, as well as her request to Louise for help.
Upon hearing the story, the manager was flabbergasted. He bit his lip and glared at her in a you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me expression. Why didn't you tell us you had these connections? You could have handed over any script. Why choose this one?
"Ask them if we can switch the script. We have plenty of big productions." He realized that asking this might sound foolish, but he couldn't help it. High-budget films may be costly, but they also earn a lot. Didn't "Pirates of the Caribbean" earn $200 million globally within three weeks?
The cost for this musical script was around $50 million. Even if it did well, how much could it possibly earn? "Moulin Rouge," for instance, received great reviews but only made a little over $100 million at the box office, which already satisfied the producers.
So, it was evident that this genre was no longer as profitable. If they handed this script, which was clearly unprofitable, to Laila, he suspected there might not be future opportunities for her to direct films for their company. Would it be a small profit or a big one? The difference in profit between the two was enough to drive anyone crazy!
Yolanda's heart ached at these words. She had never heard of the possibility of switching scripts. "Don't you think Director Moran is interested in this musical? If we tell her we want to switch it, what if she refuses to shoot it all together?"
"That won't do!" The manager certainly couldn't let that happen. If Laila Moran, who had accepted their script, suddenly backed out over a minor issue, he might lose his job. "What about offering more compensation? Give her a larger share!"
Yolanda mentally rolled her eyes at his ignorance and tried to put on a troubled expression. "Do you think she's short of money?" The amount they offered wasn't even enough for her to casually buy a gift for her brother.
The manager also couldn't believe how little he knew about Laila Moran. The heiress to the Moran Group, who once spent several million dollars building an amusement park as a birthday gift for her brother, was not exactly short on funds.
After wracking his brain for a while, they still couldn't come up with a solution. They decided to report this issue to the higher-ups. Thus, even the top management at Disney was informed of the situation.
While making several hundreds of millions from a movie wasn't a significant deal for a company as wealthy as Disney, having Laila involved was a different story. If they could get along well and create a big-budget film with her, it was sure to become a global sensation. At that point, box office earnings would be less significant than the merchandise and brand opportunities it would create. The profit from those areas was on an entirely different scale, reaching billions or even more.
You should know that when the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise was in their hands in a past life, it earned them over $4 billion in global box office revenue, not to mention the countless earnings from associated merchandise.
Seeing Laila accept a movie adaptation of a Broadway musical, the higher-ups at the company were a bit troubled. They wondered why she had chosen to accept a film that didn't seem like it was going to make money from the start, purely aiming for awards.
Regarding the director Moran, whose every film had grossed no less than $300 million since her debut, didn't she worry that this film might break her unbeaten winning streak? Or did she have the confidence to earn $300 million at the box office with a musical?
These thoughts crossed the minds of some, and they shook their heads with a smile and moved on. A musical couldn't earn $300 million at the box office nowadays. It wasn't the era when musicals were popular in the 1930s and 40s. Even reaching $100 million, like "Moulin Rouge," was considered a milestone worth celebrating
In the end, the company decided to have the manager and Yolanda personally contact Laila to gauge her thoughts, and see if she had any other requests, like changing the script
Although they knew it was an impossible task, the two reluctantly accepted the assignment and set up a meeting with Laila in her office.
After some pleasantries, Yolanda and the manager took their seats in Laila's office.
"Director Moran, the reason we're here today is mainly regarding the script for 'Chicago.' We were wondering if you have any thoughts about it..." or if you need to switch to a different script... The manager had truly wanted to say the latter, but he couldn't bring himself to.
So he made a decision: "A drowning man will clutch at a straw." With a silent foot nudge, he signaled Yolanda to continue.
But even the words he dared not speak, how could Yolanda dare to say them?
Laila, who was not yet 22 but carried the title of Hollywood's renowned director and the heiress of the Moran Group, was more than enough to make people feel powerless.
With a bit of pressure and a lot of inner turmoil, they finally let out the words they were itching to say. "Director Moran, the manager is wondering if you have any thoughts about the script, and whether you might want to switch it." The latter half of the sentence said in a hushed voice due to nervousness, was nevertheless voiced.
As soon as the words were out, both of them breathed a sigh of relief. They had finally managed to get the dreaded words out!