When Joseph saw those reports, he was nearly infuriated, which only reinforced his determination to battle Laila with his movie. However, no matter what he said, Faaris remained unyielding, as if those mocking words didn't affect him at all.
Being an important investor and producer, he tightly held the fate of the movie, making it impossible for others to surpass him.
Faaris never let himself lose his composure. The more tempting it was to make rash decisions, the more he insisted on staying calm.
Yes, it would be fantastic to release the movie at the same time as their competitor and crush them. But equally, having their movie crushed by the competition wouldn't be enjoyable.
The opponent was too powerful, a consensus that everyone agreed on. Faaris didn't want to hear about investments or the cast; these weren't the conditions that guaranteed his victory, or at least, he had already stumbled in these areas.
So, he didn't want to act impulsively and jeopardize the opportunity he had in his hands. Rather than attempting to crush the formidable opponent, which had a low probability of success, he preferred to secure a successful outcome.
"Find out when the other side is releasing their movie!" After another inquiry from Joseph, he finally made a decision.
Before coming, Joseph had already inquired, "It should be on June 21st! I found out through some acquaintances, and they said it's pretty much the date."
"Okay," Faaris checked his calendar, "Let's schedule it for the 28th."
"What?" Joseph was surprised, "Why delay it by a week?"
Faaris looked at him displeased, "What do you want?"
"Of course, we should release it simultaneously! We should choose the same release date as them!"
"And then what? Compete and take each other's box office? Hurt each other?" Faaris sneered as if the losses were not coming out of his own pocket!
Joseph hesitated, "If we don't release simultaneously, won't it be like telling everyone we're afraid of her?"
"Are you afraid of her?"
"How is that possible?" Joseph exclaimed, indignant, "This time I'll use my movie to show her who has the real power!"
Faaris glanced at him calmly, "In that case, why are you worried? Use the box office to determine who's superior. Is it necessary to collide directly?"
"I..."
He didn't finish, as Faaris raised his hand to interrupt, "Stop talking. Let's go with this decision. Delaying it by a week won't make a big difference."
Setting this date, in the end, was an impulsive decision by Faaris. If he had been calm, it would have been better to stagger the release by two or three weeks. By delaying it by just a week, it indicated that deep down, he still hoped to have a showdown with Laila.
But that's not what Laila cared about. Upon learning that the production of "Catwoman" had scheduled its release for the last weekend of June, she didn't hesitate to set her movie's release for the same day.
She couldn't forget how they had released their movies on the same day back then. Even though she had the last laugh that time, she still felt uncomfortable whenever she thought about it. Since she had been disgusted once, she wanted to make her opponent taste the same bitterness.
For her, the box office was just a record; losing a bit of revenue wasn't a big deal. As long as she could annoy the other side, even if she lost money, she could afford it. That's why she and Louise used the media to provoke and then announced their release date without worrying about potential losses at the box office.
The other side, by delaying the release, surprised Laila. She had expected that, after all the media attacks, they would be provoked into making rash decisions. But they ended up pushing back the release by a week.
However, that wasn't a big deal. Now that they had settled on a date, she was ready to confront them. She wanted to see if she would have the last laugh this time!
When the news spread, the outside world was immediately abuzz. Joseph was elated, but Faaris's face darkened.
Media outlets loved Laila. They had an endless supply of topics as long as they stayed close to her.
First, there was the news that Joseph, the director, had betrayed Laila's trust. After the production team had already been established, he had resigned and left, even if it meant paying a breach of contract penalty. He also terminated his agency contract with the company and held a press conference to accuse Laila of "forcing" him.
Then the topic of "Catwoman" emerged. Fans eagerly anticipated Laila making her big-screen debut, but DC urgently stepped in to deny the rumors. Next, Joseph, who had switched sides, suddenly became the director of "Catwoman," and the Saudi investor, who had been at odds with Laila's company, willingly invested over a hundred million dollars.
Now, Laila had decided to boldly compete with "Catwoman," even if it meant potential box office losses, by firmly scheduling her release for the same day.
This was a plot worthy of a melodramatic film filled with grudges and vendettas!
Once the news broke, major media outlets quickly took sides. Some were optimistic about Laila, believing that her impeccable record would continue, and that "Harry Potter" would have an unexpectedly high box office.
However, more people favored "Catwoman." Regardless of whether the wealthy Faaris had purchased favorable reviews, the points they made were quite reasonable. Things like Helle Berry's role, impressive special effects, and a large fanbase all seemed to work in their favor. Looking at all the factors, except for Laila's direction, "Catwoman" had the upper hand in every respect.
But interestingly, on the more free-spirited internet, people seemed to favor Laila and her movie. In the words of her fans, "If she's directing it, even if it's a group of kids playing house, it's bound to be very entertaining."
Fans of "Harry Potter" also expressed their support, saying that having Laila direct the movie was an outcome they were excited to see. Only this young director with her exceptional talent could capture the essence of the books.
At this moment, the influence of "Harry Potter" was not as extensive as that of superhero comics, but due to Laila's film, book sales began to rise on the American bestsellers list. Even though superhero fans were numerous now, it was believed that "Harry Potter" would soon become a widely recognized franchise.
Faaris, after realizing he had been "played," furiously vented his anger. He wasn't sure whether Joseph had tricked him, or if Laila deliberately plotted this to take revenge, but he was simply unhappy with the current outcome.
Upon hearing that Joseph had intended to push back the release date, he immediately rushed over to stop him.
"It's already turned into this; we can't change anything now! Think about what those media outlets will say if we really change the date!"