"The Iron Man" became a sensation, dominating the summer box office as the most popular movie. The results were somewhat expected for some and completely surprising for many.
Before its release, people anticipated good box office numbers for the movie. The extensive coverage of news about the film, coupled with the revelations about Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.), kept the movie in the public eye. Laila's charisma and her unblemished track record further ensured impressive box office numbers, and this didn't surprise many.
However, when the box office figures were finally revealed, even those who thought highly of the movie found themselves being too conservative. In just a weekend, "The Iron Man" raked in an astonishing $160 million!
This was a terrifying record, even though it might not be Laila's highest-grossing film. It still left people astonished at the numbers.
Being a superhero movie and an adaptation of a comic, it was generally thought to perform well, perhaps like "Spider-Man" from the previous year. However, in just one weekend, "The Iron Man" announced Laila's triumphant return with an unstoppable momentum, declaring that the summer box office was officially her stage.
The box office results silenced those who speculated that Laila's new film would struggle. The so-called second-tier superheroes and aging actors in the film industry were now irrelevant under her influence.
This movie and its box office success conveyed a clear message to the world: never underestimate Laila. Every time she defied expectations, countering critics with irrefutable facts, and exposing those who doubted her.
With almost no difficulty or surprises, Laila once again claimed the top spot in the box office rankings for the opening week. The miracles she created since her debut, guaranteeing two weeks of box office dominance and breaking the $300 million mark, were now established expectations.
Each time she released a movie, the media would hype these records. On one hand, hoping she could maintain this streak and become a shining figure in cinematic history. On the other hand, many hoped these records would be surpassed, giving rise to more intriguing topics for discussion.
Unfortunately, breaking these records seemed unlikely this time. Judging by the box office performance of "The Iron Man" in its first week, securing the top spot for two weeks seemed effortless. As for reaching $300 million, it might already be achieved by the next week.
This was an incredible record, one that even the best film directors couldn't guarantee achieving.
With the success of "The Iron Man," Laila once again became the envy of major film studios. Scripts for big-budget productions flooded into her office, all hoping for a 1% chance of gaining her favor and being chosen by her.
They weren't greedy; they didn't aim for billions. Just securing a few hundred million at the box office would suffice. The investment amount didn't matter – whether it was a hundred million or two, they would comply without any demands, ensuring no creative interference.
Unfortunately, all these scripts lay untouched on Laila's desk. At this time, she was already flying in her private jet, taking the entire script to the East for promotion.
Asia was an essential contributor to box office revenue. With significant markets like Japan and Korea, Hollywood films were generally well-received, ensuring good box office returns. However, Laila was more interested in the vast lands of the East.
In this era, the box office in this region wasn't substantial according to historical data. However, due to Laila's presence and her investment in theaters, movies became a favored leisure activity earlier than expected.
The box office figures of the past two years indicated a noticeable growth in box office revenue for both local and foreign films in the East.
Due to the relatively small baseline, this growth was pleasantly surprising. Laila's invested theaters had already begun generating profits.
Now, in the East, the Moran Cinemas had established hundreds of theaters in cities of the third tier and above. This number continued to grow. All these theaters were equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and the most comfortable seats, ensuring the audience enjoyed a premium experience.
A movie ticket costs only a few dozen yuan. For many, going to the movies once or twice a month wasn't a challenging expense. Besides, compared to the cost of a casual date with flowers, it was a more economical option for couples to enjoy a visual feast in the cinema.
This situation propelled the potential of the Eastern box office years ahead of its time. Laila believed that arrogant Hollywood film companies and producers should have already noticed the value of this region.
But so what? Seizing the opportunity, she not only constructed the largest domestic cinema chain but also maintained excellent relations with relevant authorities. With these advantages, any film entering the East would have to seek her approval, considering she possessed the best conditions.
Want more big screens? Beg me! Thinking about this, Laila couldn't help but smile. Strategic planning and far-sightedness felt incredibly satisfying.
This time, she brought the entire cast to conduct a promotional tour. This included the most important stops in the East, with Japan and Korea being among them.
While the actors were busy participating in various promotional events, Laila had already gone ahead to the capital of the East for a meeting with Yao Yingxia.
The main topic of their meeting was about the movie's shooting locations.
"I love the land of the East very much; it has the scenes I need," Laila expressed her viewpoint clearly to Yao Yingxia right from the start.
But before Yao Yingxia could get excited, she continued, "Unfortunately, for the Western fantasy film I want to shoot, I need many Western faces to play extras. Bringing everyone from the United States would pose a significant budgetary challenge for us. You may not know, but this film has grand scenes and will involve thousands of extras."
Her words were easily understandable, even for someone like Yao Yingxia, who was ignorant about filmmaking. Indeed, she could find numerous extras here to assist in the shoot, and even mobilizing the military was possible. However, finding people with Western appearances was a challenge. She couldn't just gather Westerners living in China specifically for the film, as that would be too exaggerated. Moreover, foreign media might criticize them for such an act.
So, it was an unavoidable problem.