"Opportunity only chooses those who are prepared." Laila patted her on the shoulder. "No matter who you are or what you do, if you don't dare to take the first step, why expect opportunities to fall into your lap?"
From Louise, she learned that several directors from the New Talent Program were interested in "Monster," but none of them had appeared before her. Perhaps they were cultivating relationships, perhaps they were observing, or perhaps there were other reasons. Whatever it was, the fact that Jenkins was the first to step forward made Laila see her conviction.
Of course, knowing that she was the director of "Monster" in her past life was one of the reasons Laila chose her.
In any case, Laila admired her courage and appreciated anyone willing to seek various opportunities for their ideals. Her experiences in her past life made her realize the value of opportunities. Now that she had the chance, she hoped to create opportunities for others who were in similar situations as her in the past. It could be considered a repayment to fate for giving her a second chance at life.
The news of Patty Jenkins getting the role of director for "Monster" quickly spread throughout the company, leaving other interested individuals regretful. When they heard that she got the director's opportunity just because she was the first to apply to Laila, they felt awkward.
Indeed, if a woman could bravely strive for an opportunity, why did they hesitate, observe, and see how others applied for opportunities at the beginning? Others had no opportunities, but they were watching opportunities slip away right in front of them. This incident made many people have a change in mindset, just as Laila had said—without the courage to take the first step, how could they expect to achieve their ideals?
After settling on the director for "Monster," Laila, for the first time as a producer, began assembling the crew.
This was something she was already familiar with, and the company had plenty of talent for her to choose from. Getting actors was just a phone call away, thanks to the benefits she received after acquiring the AMG company—talent was no longer in short supply.
Moreover, this film wasn't complicated, and it didn't require many people. It sold the story, not special effects. To tell such a story, it was natural not to have too many people to avoid distracting from the focus on the main characters. So, as long as the few important roles were cast well, almost anyone could fill the other roles.
In the end, "Monster" wasn't a difficult film, and it wasn't a heavyweight compared to the one Laila was about to shoot next.
Speaking of "The Lord of the Rings," J.R.R. Tolkien spent twelve years writing it during World War II, and it took another four years of revisions before it officially became a book. It was translated into over 60 languages, praised by readers worldwide, and hailed as the "Book of the 20th Century."
This work was created during World War II, with the author's main intention being to call for world peace. It was said that Tolkien was lamenting the lack of mythology in England, so he created two incredible works—one was "The Hobbit," and the other was "The Lord of the Rings."
When Laila acquired the rights from Louise, she got both of them.
She didn't know how Louise managed to do it, but whenever she assigned a task, it was rare for it not to be completed. This made her realize how foolish her father was. He had such useful subordinates but didn't make good use of them, and instead, he made her the boss, specifically responsible for tasks she wasn't good at.
While Laila was mobilizing the entire company and preparing for both movies, the Oscars arrived.
When the Oscar nominations were announced, the entire Hollywood, even the whole world paying attention to the film industry, erupted. Thanks to Laila, the girl who wasn't even 24 yet, she made the world understand what a miracle and genius were with the movie "Chicago."
Thirteen nominations— "Chicago" swept the Oscars with a surging momentum!
This included heavyweight nominations such as Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and so on—all the major awards were nominated.
It was a result that shocked many but was not unexpected. The film was outstanding, and these awards should indeed have their presence. Without them, people would find it strange.
Were thirteen nominations a lot? Some even felt it was too few, thinking that every nomination should have "Chicago" and Laila's name added to it.
At the first announcement of the nominations, Laila's mother, Janet, immediately called to congratulate her. It was evident that she had been waiting for the results in front of the TV, and as soon as they were out, she picked up the phone.
"You're amazing! Laila! My Laila!" Janet was so excited she didn't know what she was saying. "I'm so proud of you!"
Listening to her mother's enthusiastic words, Laila smiled gently. Being reborn into this family was the happiest thing for her. The selfless love of her mother and grandfather always filled her heart with tenderness and warmth. It was their love that drove away the darkness accumulated in her heart from her past life.
She couldn't imagine what it would be like if she, reborn into a strange environment, had to face a bunch of messy relatives. Meeting parents like Roy's own, she might not even think about making movies, just surviving would require careful consideration.
"Thank you, Mom. I didn't expect such results." The glory of her past life belonged to her past life. What she achieved now was the miracle she created herself. Therefore, she rightfully enjoyed the congratulations from her family.
"Thirteen nominations! Dear, I'm going crazy. How can you be so outstanding? I actually gave birth to such a clever child. God, I must be the happiest mother in the world!" Janet, holding the phone, was jumping up and down, making Mr. Quentin, who was watching little William nearby, distracted and reminding her to be careful with her feet.
Hearing Mr. Quentin repeatedly remind her mother to pay attention to her steps, Laila's smile never faded.
Mr. Quentin had a hard time. Other families only had to raise a child, but he had to raise the child's mother along with the child.
"Mom, isn't my intelligence inherited from you? Look, you've once again been nominated for Best Costume Design. If you can win again, it would be such a happy thing." Janet didn't pay much attention to her nomination. "I've always been a costume designer. Getting an award last time was already lucky. I don't believe luck will always be with me."