Laila smiled and didn't say much. She didn't believe that a low budget couldn't produce a good movie, but she wouldn't dismiss the director's words either. As time passed, it became clearer that films with higher investments had a higher likelihood of earning more.
Whether it was "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Iron Man," or those future big-budget special effects films, almost all highly profitable movies had investments of over a hundred million. Later on, even a hundred million wasn't considered much; two hundred million was frequently seen.
What did this indicate? It precisely affirmed Director Zhang Yimou's statement that a high box office required high investment. Bringing out low box office niche films at this point wouldn't make sense. Such films, even if they made some money, wouldn't attract the attention of commercial film investors.
After chatting for a while, the movie began.
Laila had seen this movie in her previous life, but at that time, she watched it with a mindset focused on learning. Little did she know that when she watched it again, her life would be completely different.
Watching the movie with its fluttering sleeves and characters like celestial beings, her eyes gradually became distant. Through these scenes, it seemed she could see glimpses of her challenging past life.
During that time, she was very lonely, struggling alone in the capital, barely surviving in the vortex while also wholeheartedly pursuing her dreams. Reflecting on those days, she sometimes truly doubted whether she persisted through them on her own. She couldn't be certain if, returning to the past, she could endure it again.
Suddenly, a cool hand was enveloped in warmth, pulling her out of her memories and letting that warmth flow into her heart through her skin.
Turning her head, she saw a pair of warm eyes, shining brightly on the big screen, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.
He didn't speak, but she seemed to read his inner thoughts from his eyes.
He was saying: I'm here.
As long as she was willing to turn around, she would definitely see him there.
Yes, he was there! A warm smile flowed from his upturned lips. Laila held his hand, and the mood shifted from holding hands to pure appreciation as they watched "Heroes" for the second time in their lives.
After the movie, the group went to the arranged party.
The party was organized by the producers. Even though they had little confidence in Eastern films, Miramax Films still made the arrangements they should. Coincidentally, there were some connections with "Chicago," and Laila had met the people from the production side before. The atmosphere was quite relaxed during their conversations.
As people in the film industry, the discussion naturally turned to movies.
Laila now ranked quite high among Hollywood directors, so guests like Zhang Yimou and others from the East wanted to learn more about Western rules from her.
"Cultural differences are a dangerous path that is difficult to avoid. If you don't cross it, you'll end up with a broken head and blood. Actually, I don't know what people really want to see now." Of course, this statement was deceptive, but even if Laila knew, she couldn't tell others. Keeping a low profile and making a fortune is the right path!
"I think the audience's taste is not always the same. Why are there so many types of movies? It's because the audience likes many types. Some people say that this type is no longer popular, but as long as it's well-made and sincere, the audience will still appreciate it."
She said this persuasively because "Chicago" had already grossed $200 Million. Many people initially said that musicals couldn't make money. Even a film like "Moulin Rouge," which received eight Oscar nominations, only made just over a hundred million worldwide. Now, the box office had swollen so much that it had slapped many people's faces.
And then there was "Pirates of the Caribbean." Before the film was released, many people were chanting that "pirate films" were dead. What happened? It became the box office champion of that year. Not just the weekly box office, but the entire year's!
Never daring to shoot but dominating the box office rankings proved that the quality of a film had nothing to do with its genre. The reason audiences loved it was that it was well-made. As for the audiences' preferences, were they afraid they wouldn't be willing to spend money to go to the cinema?
Seeing everyone around nodding thoughtfully, Laila added, "Back then, 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' many people thought that even if Eastern films were good, they would face difficulties in the West. In the end, it achieved excellent box office results, and I believe many Americans still fondly remember that film."
Zhang Yimou laughed, "I don't know how 'Heroes' will perform. I hope it won't be too embarrassing."
He said it modestly, but Laila read some pride from his expression. This was the arrogance that successful directors possessed. As the top-ranked Eastern director, he had received too much praise and awards. I believe this time, bringing a film to the United States, he also hoped for some achievements.
Laila knew the results from her previous life, so she also knew that although "Heroes" didn't achieve the same results as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," it could still proudly stand above other Eastern films.
"I think the visuals in 'Heroes' are very beautiful." She didn't plan to speak too much "truth." Saying the truth at this time, she estimated it would not be guiding but offending people. "The Eastern martial arts atmosphere is very rich. I believe many scenes will leave a deep impression in my mind."
"Yes, very cool," Roy added with a smile.
He could hear it; there were other flavors in Laila's words. Praising their visuals and beautiful action scenes meant, from another perspective, that the plot wasn't that good. To be honest, even Roy himself found it confusing; many plot elements weren't understandable.
Even for someone like him, who had some understanding of Eastern culture, it was challenging to comprehend. So, one could imagine what kind of viewing experience those who were merely interested in Eastern films and knew nothing would have.
He wasn't a film critic and couldn't finish watching the movie, then spew a bunch of quotes to prove his point. Like Laila, he could only praise other aspects.
But everyone was in the film business, and some twists and turns couldn't be hidden from anyone. Listening to Laila say this, several people guessed that the movie's box office might not be too impressive.
This was also unavoidable. How many years had the United States been established? The cultural heritage of the East for five thousand years wasn't something that could be easily understood. Not to mention foreigners, even people from the East couldn't guarantee that they understood history clearly.
Why were the sleeves in this style, why were certain words used in conversation, and what were those tactics? All these things had to be understood clearly to comprehend the profound things in it.