However, no one knew that for Laila, the presence of Leslie Cheung in the entire movie happened to be a crucial point. Perhaps even the orchestrator behind the scenes didn't expect that the chosen "flaw" to attack would directly hit Laila's sensitive spot.
But precisely because of this, Laila would never choose to compromise on this matter.
Boycott? Let's see if you can really withstand it!
Although many people might easily be swayed by others' opinions, many rational individuals would think for themselves and come to their own conclusions.
Laila believed that once the movie was released, and people truly saw what was portrayed in the film, they would realize how correct her decisions were. Three months might seem a bit long, but the truth wouldn't turn into a lie just because of time.
On Louise's end, after receiving Laila's response, she went to seek out familiar media outlets.
Now, the voices of the boycott were growing louder, evolving from the online agitation of a small group of people into the thoughts and actions of many offline.
Media outlets, following Laila's instructions, inquired about the new movie. Louise explained each detail as per Laila's guidance. However, when asked about the Eastern actor, she chose to remain silent. At this point, she could only trust Laila. If Laila believed it wasn't the right time to reveal the actor's identity, they would wait until that time arrived.
Because these were media outlets that cooperated amicably, if Louise didn't speak, it meant she didn't want to discuss it further. The matter wasn't pursued.
However, other more aggressive media outlets became more relentless, trying to find someone who could answer their questions.
Laila always had many bodyguards around her, and she didn't frequently go out. The chances of extracting information from her were minimal. Even if it meant prying open her mouth, even speaking about the most mundane things would earn a hefty reward. But with the boycott in full swing, reporters had to abandon the challenging task of dealing with Laila and turned to interviewing others for the sake of timeliness.
At this time, Roy, who needed to follow the crew around everywhere, became the most easily accessible and high-profile target. Reporters cornered him outside the set.
"Roy, what are your thoughts on this boycott?"
"Will Laila respond to this boycott?"
Questions bombarded Roy, who initially felt a bit impatient and wanted to leave the crowd. With his skills, even taking down all the reporters in front of him would be effortless, not to mention just leaving.
However, when he heard Laila's name, he halted his steps.
"What boycott? What happened to Laila?" He hadn't paid attention to the outside world during this period. Besides sweetly talking with Laila over the phone, he was immersed in studying the lines of the new script. Laila wouldn't bother him with troublesome matters like the boycott.
So, upon hearing Laila's name, he couldn't help but ask the reporters for information.
Reporters, wanting to dig something out of him, gladly shared what they knew since he was willing to engage in conversation.
"Are you saying that people are unhappy because the movie has some scenes shot in the East and has an Eastern actor?"
Roy listened and felt angry. No one understood better than him how much effort Laila had put into this movie. She had spent several years writing the script alone, and while she hadn't been deeply involved in choosing the actors, it couldn't be denied that she had spent years preparing for this film.
Why was Laila once called Hollywood's genius? It wasn't just because of her age; it was also due to her high productivity and her ability to make money. With her talent, making two films a year was an easy task. However, she had spent several years writing the script for "The Lord of the Rings," used several big films to hone her special effects skills, and spent a long time shooting this movie!
If such efforts were to be boycotted for absurd reasons, it would be unfair to her!
He was genuinely angry about the occurrence of such an event, and his spontaneously spoken words hit the most critical point. Because of the Eastern scenes and actors, they were facing a boycott. Wasn't that racial discrimination?
Don't be fooled by Americans saying that racial discrimination is bad; in private, such things are quite normal. It's just that they can't openly talk about it. Once someone is labeled with this accusation, their future becomes difficult. Even if someone is just pretending, many people still want to avoid being associated with this accusation.
Although the orchestrator behind the scenes initially took precautions against such accusations and made people focus more on Western fantasy than racial issues, as the situation escalated, it became beyond their control. Racial discrimination was inevitably mixed into the turmoil.
Roy was not someone who thought in complicated ways, but straightforward boys like him often delivered a decisive blow, hitting the essence of the matter.
His words immediately made the reporters excited as if they had taken a shot of chicken blood. Racial discrimination was involved; wouldn't that make it a hot topic?
However, among these reporters, some were bribed. Hearing him speak like this, one of them stubbornly asked, "Isn't it disrespectful to the original work to add Eastern elements to a Western fantasy story?"
Roy snorted, "Disrespect? Laila turns the prairie into hell or turns the snowy land into a volcano. Moreover, why do they assume that what the author envisioned isn't what she captured in her scenes?"
This question was not easy to answer. Indeed, a snowy mountain is just a snowy mountain, and a prairie is a prairie. Perhaps the types of grass in the prairie were different, and the height and animals of the snowy mountain were different. Laila didn't mess around with the original work, that was for sure.
And the most crucial point he made was, what the author envisioned in their mind. If they claimed it was Western fantasy, how could they be so sure that the author didn't envision Eastern scenes?
A group of fox-like reporters fell silent under Roy's questioning. How could they retort? What could they say? Could they now go interview the original author? Even if they wanted to, who could obtain a permit to reach heaven?
The situation became extremely awkward.
The reporter who was still bribed stiffened his neck and asked: "How can I say that this is also a Western fantasy? Wouldn't it be more consistent with Western scenes?"
"Laila is a perfectionist. Since there are better choices, why force a second-rate option just for the sake of what you imagine? Don't the audience want to see the most perfect scenery?" Roy countered once again.
The reporter swallowed a mouthful of suppressed frustration, "What about the Eastern actor? Setting aside the scenery, in pure Western fantasy, the appearance of an Asian person, that can't be considered true to the original, can it?"