As for some Eastern actors who wanted to blend into the background of the film, Laila regretfully had to refuse. Having Leslie Cheung was already her limit, and bringing in those people would likely compromise the film's integrity. She didn't believe they could embody their roles as well as Leslie Cheung did.
When the summer box office ended, "Iron Man" had already raked in five hundred million dollars globally. The figure might surpass six hundred million in the future, but tapping into much more potential seemed challenging.
While Hollywood media celebrated Laila's five hundred million at the box office, she had already started the official shoot in the East.
This time, she was shooting three movies at once, making it much more challenging than any previous shoots. Moreover, being far away from the United States on Eastern soil brought challenges like acclimating to the environment, language barriers, and more.
At the beginning, several crucial cast members fell ill due to the unfamiliar environment, severely delaying the shooting progress. Fortunately, Yao Yingxia had prepared thoroughly, and after some treatment, the crew barely survived this wave of challenges.
Describing the shoot as full of twists and turns would be an understatement, but Laila didn't lose heart. With the cooperation of the actors, she steered everything back on track.
Due to the needs of the scenes, the Eastern shots required filming in various locations. Yesterday, they might have been in the Southern regions where it felt like perpetual spring, and tomorrow they would be in the frozen North.
It was undoubtedly challenging, but the results were stunning. At least, the actors who had seen some clips felt a sense of "Is that really me up there?" or "Did they make such a beautiful scene in that place?"
After finishing all the Eastern shots, the crew moved on to New Zealand. There, they would have even more grand scenes to shoot.
This shoot made Laila disappear from Hollywood for a whole year, only reappearing in front of the public during the summer of 2004.
Her reappearance had a reason—the premiere of Michael Bay's "Transformers" was finally happening.
In 2004, the Dragon Soul Film Production Company once again became the focus of attention. Although Laila herself didn't have a film released, the company had many plans, such as "Pirates of the Caribbean 2," "Transformers," "Monster," and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."
At this year's Oscars, Charlize Theron even won the Best Actress award for "Monster." This outstanding achievement meant that Laila had gained another actress and a promising director under her banner.
People once again affirmed Laila's screenwriting skills. As long as it was a movie she wrote, it would achieve good results, whether in box office or awards.
This time, "Transformers" was still written by Laila. This brought some solace to fans who had been eagerly anticipating her movies.
Laila had been so productive in the past, releasing one or two of her own works almost every year. Such a high pace had completely spoiled her fans. Consequently, when they heard that her new movie wouldn't be released this year, it felt like not having a satisfying meal—leaving a void in their hearts.
Fortunately, her movies as a screenwriter were still being released, and the theme is "Transformers" which is the memory of a generation. So when the movie premiered, fans graciously expressed their intention to watch the film. If it turned out well, they would praise Laila as truly living up to her name. If not, it must be Michael Bay not doing justice to the script!
Since entering the "Lord of the Rings" crew, Laila had sealed off the set, rejecting any form of interviews and not allowing strangers near the filming location. Moreover, she was shooting abroad, making it challenging for American reporters to get news from there.
This led to Laila being out of the media spotlight for a year, and the news about her new movie was scarce and uninteresting.
This made many people scratch their heads, wanting to know more about her.
Just when everyone thought she would only appear after the shoot, she showed up at the premiere of "Transformers."
At first, the reporters and fans on both sides of the red carpet didn't notice. When Roy got out of the car and waved to the fans, everyone was still cheering for his appearance. However, he then reached out towards the car door…
It was well known that during Laila's absence from Hollywood, even when there was a need for a red carpet-appearance, Roy always walked alone. He never walked with others, let alone waiting outside.
But now, he not only reached out towards the car but also had a smile on his lips that could intoxicate people. There was no need to guess who was in the car.
"Laila—"
A scream erupted from the car as a jade-white wrist extended, and as if a switch had been flipped, the entire venue erupted.
Before everyone in the car could get out the reporters' flashlights had already gone crazy.
"It's Laila! She finally appeared!"
Whether it was fans or reporters, they missed her. The former missed her movies, and the latter missed her ability to stir up publicity. During her one-year absence from Hollywood, it seemed like even the news had lost some heat.
"Laila, look here!" "Look here!"
Reporters shouted desperately, trying to get Laila's attention to capture a good photo. However, no matter how they yelled, they miserably discovered that their voices couldn't be heard at all.
The reason was simple—the surrounding noise was too loud!
Guided by Roy's gentle pull, Laila stepped out of the car. Dressed in black pants, she abandoned her previous elegant and gentle style, revealing a bit of heroism and agility. The silver tie hanging in front of her chest was obviously the same as Roy's, and the two once again showcased their red carpet-appearance, overshadowing others.
Waves of almost ear-piercing cheers continued to roll in. Even some fans were so excited that their voices became hoarse, but they couldn't help but keep shouting.
Laila's heart was filled with a warm and swelling emotion. She hadn't expected fans to support her so strongly. Such fervent support, so invigorating, made her eyes involuntarily moist.
At this moment, a warm and rising feeling filled her heart. She hadn't thought that fans would be so supportive. Such strong, uplifting support—besides making excellent movies for everyone, she couldn't think of any other way to repay them.