"But they all hate you!" Hatred can cloud judgment, leading to wrong choices. Louise treated Laila like a daughter, and she couldn't bear to see her even slightly harmed. Every time she saw Cooper's posts attacking and smearing Laila, she would spend money to hire people to counterattack in the comments. It might be a childish move, but she couldn't tolerate such things.
Laila, however, chuckled. "Hate me? That's even better. It means they all failed against me. Don't you know I love it when they hate me to the bone but can do nothing about it?" She recalled a meme from her future.
Louise was left speechless by her response and reluctantly gave up, saying, "Alright, if you think it's fine, then it's fine." If there were issues, Laila would have to deal with them.
"Oh, by the way, I received calls from Miramax Films and Disney. They want to know if we should start promoting 'Chicago,'" Louise informed.
Laila thought for a moment. "There are still two months left. We can start some initial promotion. Let's ramp it up in December. As for this, let Disney handle it; they're in charge of distribution, and there's no reason for us to worry about it."
"I think they hope to use some of your promotional strategies," Louise said, smiling with a hint of pride. In Hollywood and the film industry at large, who didn't know about Laila's planning abilities?
Observing her past strategies, each one was a textbook-worthy case study. Her movie promotions consistently generated excitement and didn't even require her to spend much on advertising; media and fans voluntarily rallied for her.
Even Disney, a wealthy company, didn't want to be taken advantage of. Who wouldn't want to do more with less money? Hence, they specifically consulted Laila for her opinions on promotion.
"I don't have time for planning. The movie isn't finished, there are still documents to sign and a heap of other things that need my attention. Do you think I have time to waste elsewhere?" Laila lamented, patting the documents in her hands.
"I know what to do." Louise, hearing her words, once again felt a pang of concern. "Take care of yourself. I don't want Janet to come all the way here just to scold me because you fell ill."
"Alright." Laila smiled and assured her that she would take care of herself before seeing her off.
She indeed had important matters to attend to. Besides filming, there were issues related to investments in the East. Her theater chain there continued expanding, fueled by ample funds. From the beginning until now, she had conquered the majority of cities beyond the third-tier cities. The name Dragon Soul Cinemas can be seen in almost all relatively large cities.
Thanks to her presence, date nights in the East were now frequently set in movie theaters. Compared to the previously subpar conditions, the theaters now offered more comfort, and people were growing accustomed to enjoying movies in theaters.
This was precisely what Laila wanted to see. To tap into the Eastern film market, while maintaining good relations with the upper echelons was important, cultivating an interest in "watching movies" among the people was even more critical.
Why did the North American market consistently generate more box office revenue than all other countries combined? It was because of favorable viewing conditions and habits. People in the West were accustomed to heading to the cinema to enjoy a movie whenever they had time, much like how they were used to holding a large bucket of popcorn while watching.
Laila understood the trends of the future and recognized the importance of opening up the Eastern market. By now, she had taken a significant lead, and when the potential burst forth, everyone would be astonished by the awakening of the Eastern lion.
Yet, she wasn't satisfied. She aimed for more profound collaborations, such as partnerships with actors and technological cooperation.
After watching Hollywood blockbusters and Japanese anime, some complained about the inadequacy of Eastern technology. Even after viewing Japanese animations, some still claimed that Chinese animations were far inferior.
But was that really the case?
Having worked in the industry in her past life, Laila knew that this wasn't the truth. In the future, some American blockbusters and Japanese anime were outsourced to the East. The capabilities of the East were quite commendable. So why did they repeatedly appear to be lagging behind other countries?
With good materials and good tools, but still unable to produce a good dish, one could only blame the chef's lack of skill, right?
For movies, directors were the chefs. Only a good director could make good use of the resources at their disposal to create a good film.
The East had a significant advantage—its massive population. Even if only one out of a hundred people went to watch a movie, that would still result in substantial box office revenue.
Why did Taiwan produce mostly small, refreshing films? It wasn't that they didn't want to make big-budget movies; it was mainly because there weren't enough people watching. Without the allure of box office numbers, they couldn't attract sufficient investment. Without investment, how could they afford to make big movies?
As a result, directors with the potential to make big films had mostly moved elsewhere. Those who remained could only afford to make low-budget films.
So, Laila had a plan: to expand her Emerging Talent Plan, allowing some promising individuals in the East to enjoy the benefits of the plan. It wasn't limited to training directors—any profession related to the film industry could undergo training. This hands-on training was undoubtedly much more practical than what one could learn in school.
However, she hesitated. The East was a society based on personal relationships, and it was likely that some individuals with personal connections might be included in the plan. It wouldn't be easy to implement the plan as straightforwardly as she did here. After all, she couldn't replace all the personnel there with her own people. She would likely need to hire some local staff, and who could guarantee the smooth implementation of her plan in that case?
Therefore, this plan existed only in her mind. Before she could figure out a concrete solution, she wouldn't act rashly.
While Laila was lost in her thoughts, a call came in.
"Laila, you haven't forgotten our appointment, have you?" A laughter-filled voice from an old man came through.
Laila knew who it was immediately and chuckled, "I could never forget you. I've designed a fantastic role for you; I guarantee you'll love it."
"Really? If it's such a good role, maybe I should start preparing, practice singing and dancing?"