After the resolution of the scandal, Laila once again entered a period of silence, continuing her post-production work on "Iron Man."
Movies like "Iron Man" placed a significant emphasis on the quality of special effects. For summer releases, especially blockbuster films, the ability to captivate the audience with special effects plays a crucial role in the box office success.
Don't assume that investing in special effects guarantees success; many times, spending money doesn't necessarily hit the mark. Figuring out how to strike the right balance is something Laila, as a director, needed to contemplate.
Fortunately, she had gradually strengthened her skills in this area in her previous films. After practicing with each film, she now felt confident handling the increased demand for special effects in "Iron Man." Two years ago, she might have hesitated to take on a film like this.
Motion capture was a fascinating system, where actors wear specific suits in designated areas, and their movements are captured and integrated into the film after processing. Many technological aspects were involved, and Laila couldn't quite explain them herself.
It was like driving a car; you don't need to know how a car is made, just how to drive it. The same applied to motion capture systems. She didn't even need to know how to use it—she would give commands and let the professionals handle the execution.
For Laila, this kind of work was enjoyable. Similar to shooting a movie from behind the camera, it allowed her to experience the magical charm of filmmaking, and she found joy in it.
It wasn't until a phone call came that she remembered an important task awaiting her. The call was from her secretary, Demi, reminding Laila to prepare for the premiere of "Heroes."
Without this reminder, Laila might have genuinely forgotten about it. She was genuinely excited to witness an Eastern film premiere in the United States, and if she forgot due to being too busy, she would be quite disappointed.
That evening, Laila and Roy attended the premiere of "Heroes" together.
It was evident that the film distributor didn't place a high value on the movie. Compared to the glamorous premieres of Laila's films, this one seemed much quieter. So much so that when Laila and Roy walked the red carpet, the fans waiting outside the red carpet for the movie premiere didn't react until the two reached the middle of the carpet, prompting a thunderous cheer.
Thanks to the limited attention Eastern stars received in the West, Laila and Roy were likely the most high-profile stars of the day. The cheers and screams continued until they entered the theater.
The fans who came to watch an Eastern film were initially interested in the movie itself, but upon seeing Laila and Roy, their excitement level rose significantly. If even Hollywood directors came to watch the film, it couldn't be a flop, right?
Several reporters in the filming area also felt the same way. Premiere events for "smaller" films like this happened in Hollywood every year, but unless it was a film by a heavyweight director like Laila, few paid attention unless the media had been specifically informed.
They had initially thought it was an ordinary film and planned to stay for a while before leaving with a sense of obligation. However, to their surprise, Laila and Roy appeared on the red carpet just now! Based on the photos they had just taken, the bonus would not be insignificant.
So, reporters and paparazzi both loved and hated Laila. They loved that every piece of news and every photo about her could make them a fortune each time. They hated that it was so challenging to get news and photos of her. It was as if they had a treasure mountain but couldn't find a way to mine it—how could they not be anxious?
The commotion on the red carpet just now also amazed the film's creators and actors who had already entered. They were no strangers to grand scenes; some were even very famous Eastern stars with a considerable number of fans. Unfortunately, all that fame was in the East, and their names couldn't cross the Atlantic to the West.
During the red carpet walk, only Jet Li, who had come to Hollywood early in his career, received the most enthusiastic welcome, while the others received cheers from just a handful of people. This was still thanks to the efforts of the film distributor, who brought in some Eastern students to support the event; otherwise, even the limited cheers might not have been there.
"So, this is Laila Moran." Zhang Yimou sighed. This was his first time witnessing the Hollywood director, whom the domestic publicity had described with many exaggerated praises.
Originally, he thought the excessive promotion might be due to considerations like friendly relations between the two countries. Now it seemed that he had misunderstood; Laila Moran was indeed such a renowned Hollywood director.
Laila and Roy entered the cinema, seeing Zhang Yimou and several actors standing there, smiling and waiting for their arrival.
"Welcome, thank you very much for coming to the premiere," Director Zhang enthusiastically approached and greeted the two. He spoke in English, not very formal, but enough for people to understand what he was saying.
"Thank you. I've been looking forward to the movie's release for a long time," Laila replied in Chinese. Many people now knew she could speak Chinese; she no longer hid her excellent language skills.
Whether she was sincere or not, Zhang Yimou was quite happy. While guiding the two to their designated spots, he introduced several key members of the creative team and the actors.
When it came to introducing the actors, Laila nodded and smiled, saying, "I know, I like watching Eastern films, so I'm familiar with several of you. Mr. Jet Li, we've met before, and also Mr. Tony Leung, Miss Maggie Cheung, Mr. Donnie Yen, and Mr. Chen Daoming. Nice to meet you."
"Hello, Miss Moran, and Mr. Seasonstar." Everyone was delighted. Being recognized by such a big director meant they had truly impressed her.
Roy's Chinese proficiency had also improved rapidly. This was cultivated during his leisure time, watching Eastern films with Laila.
"Just call me Roy," he smiled. "I like your movies."
When it came to discussing movies, everyone's enthusiasm rose.
When asked about Roy's favorite Eastern movie, he listed several names on his fingers, all representing the best works of the actors present.
In return, the discussion also touched upon Laila and Roy's films. The admiration for the box office success of their movies was expressed very sincerely.
"To make a movie with high box office returns, you still need to get more investment," Zhang Yimou couldn't help but sigh.
Look at Director Moran; the budget for one movie was around one or two hundred million, in U.S. dollars. With so much money in hand, who wouldn't be able to make a film as they pleased? But in the domestic film industry...
These things were truly incomparable.