"I heard that the premiere box office results weren't good?" Roy saw the news on the internet before getting on the plane and immediately called.
"It's okay, not that bad." After receiving comforting calls from family several times, now even Roy was reaching out to console her. Laila suddenly felt like if she didn't act a bit depressed, it might feel disrespectful to everyone.
Of course, it was just a joke. If a person lets sadness take over their mind, they will only get farther away from success.
Roy wished he could be by her side right now. Even if he could lean his shoulder against hers, it would be better than her receiving this terrible news alone.
"Wait for me; I'm already at the airport. I'll probably be by your side tomorrow."
Laila silently smiled, "Okay, I'll wait for you. But is your work there finished?"
"Of course, it's finished. With you as my boss watching, do you think I could slack off? Thinking about the programs you arranged for me, those Eastern people really know how to play. In the programs, there were many pranks on the guests. Fortunately, it's not you who came; otherwise, you might have some psychological trauma from the East."
Laila chuckled; how could she not know what kind of programs those were? But the audience loved to watch that sort of thing. The more miserable it was, the more attention it garnered. If you didn't want to be miserable, you had to stand out. She trusted that after years of practice, he wouldn't be caught up by the games she specifically arranged for him.
"Don't you think your popularity has increased a lot after participating in those programs?"
Although she didn't have time to check the situation on the other side of the internet, having lived there for thirty years, she could roughly guess what was happening.
Roy scratched his head, "I don't know if my popularity has increased, but..." He paused suddenly.
"Roy?" Laila called out.
"It's nothing." The voice from the other end of the phone seemed a bit distant, "Maybe my popularity has really increased a lot."
"What happened?"
"There were many people at the airport to send me off, holding my photos and signs." Roy was seeing so many people coming specifically for him for the first time. He had performed at the Super Bowl before, but so many people didn't come for him. But now it was different; all those people appearing at the airport carried something related to him, shouting his name and waving their hands.
How many were there? A thousand? Two thousand?
The airport was quite far from the city center, and these fans had traveled so far just to see him off.
Roy felt a warmth in his chest, unable to resist waving his arms to the increasing number of fans below.
"Laila, I find that I've fallen in love with the East. Not just the culture and scenery here but also the people."
Hearing that he was okay, Laila felt relieved and smiled, "Yes, if you stay a bit longer, I believe you will find more reasons to like it there."
After boarding the plane, the phone had to be turned off.
After reluctantly agreeing on the time and place to meet, Roy turned off his phone, shifting his gaze outside the window. The plane hadn't taken off from the runway yet, and he could still see some fans' figures. They were standing quietly there, gazing at him from a distance.
Although he didn't know if they could see him, he vigorously waved his hand against the window. And it seemed like his movement was indeed seen. The fan crowd below once again burst into cheers, bidding farewell to this Hollywood superstar.
As Roy took the plane back to Hollywood, a new day began.
Starting from last night, there was a sudden change in the wind direction, confusing many people, especially potential audience members who wanted to watch the movie but were concerned about its quality.
If there were no issues, why would the box office be so "low"? But if there were issues, why were there so many positive reviews?
Even though many on the internet were praising the movie just for profit, those writing reviews in various media outlets were not easily bribed, right? Although it wasn't impossible, it wasn't likely that Laila, even with all her wealth, could buy off the majority of American reviewers, right?
Most reviewers still had professional ethics. They wouldn't just speak positively for money. Did this mean that Laila's movie could be expected to do better this time?
But starting last night, there were more criticisms about "The Lord of the Rings" box office, making many potential viewers who wanted to buy tickets hesitant again. However, they didn't need to hesitate because even if they wanted to buy tickets, they couldn't get them for the same day.
They were all sold out!
Anyone who went to the ticket counter knew that the tickets for that day had sold out the day before. Even if they wanted to buy, they could only get tickets for the next day. And even if that was the case, some prime-time and good-location tickets were already scarce. If they didn't act quickly, they would have to take their chances with later showings.
Yes, many people were hesitating about whether to watch the movie, but there were even more people who weren't hesitating. Many who had watched it once and couldn't forget the stories in the movie were coming for second or third viewings. Would the box office be bad? Would it plummet? The theater owners who knew the truth were thinking about opening more theaters for "The Lord of the Rings," revealing smirks as if they alone were clear-headed.
Unfortunately, many people didn't know this situation; many media outlets were unaware. The Navy and black fans only knew that the premiere box office wasn't high, and the media only knew that movies with average premieres had a hard time climbing up later.
What was this? This was clearly the media feast they had been anticipating for a long time!
Laila's box office myth was shattered. With good word of mouth but poor box office, it was undoubtedly a moment of creative exhaustion, a Waterloo, a slump, a dead-end, and a gloomy situation!
If it eventually led to the company's bankruptcy, and Laila had to inherit the family business, leaving the film industry, it would be so sensational! Such a topic could be hyped for ten or twenty years!
Why be polite? Many media outlets collectively stopped with pity, indignation, or regret in their tone when talking about "The Lord of the Rings." If it weren't for being directed by this young filmmaker, and instead by a mature, experienced director, it definitely wouldn't have ended up like this.
But by noon, these reports collectively went silent.
Because the second day's box office was reported— $63.72 million!
Yes, it was three times the premiere day!