Laila glanced at Nolan and saw that he had no intention of answering, so she continued, "It depends on the specific situation. If there is time and the role is very important, of course, we hope to find the most suitable person for the role. Fortunately, Hollywood has many talented actors. Perhaps at first glance, we may not be amazed by them, but their acting skills can certainly make up for it."
Nolan nodded beside her, indicating his agreement.
This gesture made both Laila and Jimmy somewhat helpless. This was a talk show; if you didn't say anything, how could the conversation continue?
"Many fans who have watched 'Batman Begins' say that Director Nolan has portrayed the most realistic, fleshed-out, and yet darkest Batman. Why did Director Nolan decide to shoot it this way?" Jimmy asked, pressing the issue.
Being put on the spot, Nolan couldn't remain silent: "I believe that Batman's charm lies not only in his strength when protecting others and punishing evil but also in the fact that he is a character with endless depth. His journey of transformation fascinates me. Many people have been through trauma, but there is only one Batman. I think mythologizing a superhero is not the best way to showcase his charm. Before being a superhero, he is first and foremost a human. He experiences joy, anger, sorrow, and concern."
Jimmy nodded, "What about Director Moran? What do you think?"
Laila pondered for a moment, "I find Director Nolan's exploration very interesting and I agree with his perspective. If we only focus on superheroes saving the world, the movies made before would suffice. The plots are all similar—good people being bullied by bad people, and then superheroes saving them. Or bad people wanting to conquer the world, and superheroes thwarting their plans. Even without watching the movie, you can guess what will happen. Of course, even so, people are still attracted to such plots. Because everyone likes to see them, but seeing too much of it can lead to visual fatigue, gradually diminishing the enthusiasm."
"Nolan's deep exploration of superheroes, I think, is a direction worth learning from. Audiences who have seen too many invincible superheroes should be more interested in seeing their more human side," Laila added.
Nolan's eyes sparkled as he listened. It turned out that she also agreed with his thoughts, indicating that they indeed shared many similar views!
Throughout the entire program, except for Jimmy's deliberate inquiries, the embarrassed Director Nolan just nodded, shook his head, or smiled, making even the ace host feel a bit powerless. Fortunately, with Laila beside him to liven up the atmosphere, if it was just Nolan who was invited, the program would probably have been so dull that even the host would be yawning.
As a specially produced program, it aired for a full hour and a half, attracting viewers interested in Hollywood and the film industry. Even with a longer runtime than before, they still felt unsatisfied, clamoring to have them back for another episode on the official website.
The program team could only apologize. First of all, Nolan wasn't suitable for such occasions. If it weren't for Laila being there, the audience wouldn't have enjoyed the show as they did now. And most importantly, it was all thanks to Laila. They didn't think they had enough face to keep calling their future boss around like this.
At this time, Laila and Director Nolan were already sitting in a quiet corner of the café, starting their conversation.
"I've been looking forward to this meeting," Nolan said nervously. In his eyes, the person sitting opposite him was not a young and beautiful girl but a once-in-a-century genius director in Hollywood, a living legend. Although he was older, he couldn't help but feel his heart race under her gaze.
Laila couldn't help but laugh at his obvious nervousness. If it were her in her past life, she could never have imagined such a day, could she? At that time, she couldn't even dream of meeting such a big Hollywood director, let alone having a conversation face to face.
"I've been looking forward to it too. If it weren't for the movie, I would have invited you earlier," Laila replied.
"It's great that I'm not bothering you," seemingly soothed by her gentle attitude, Nolan's nervousness finally eased a lot, and he picked up his coffee cup, and took a sip. The rich aroma of coffee filled his mouth, refreshing his mind.
Laila also picked up her cup, but she didn't have much desire for coffee. Instead, she enjoyed the aroma wafting from the cup. "I liked your movie this time, and I admire your deep exploration of the characters."
Hearing his proud achievement being affirmed, Nolan's mood relaxed even more, and a smile appeared on his face. "I haven't done enough. If I had more time, I think I could polish the script even better." Suddenly, his expression became dejected. "Director Moran, I have a question, but if it's inconvenient for you, you don't have to answer."
Laila raised her eyebrows curiously, "What's the question?"
"Why did your movie make so much box office revenue? Why is it so popular?" Nolan really wanted to know. "If you directed Batman, I believe it would have made more at the box office than it does now."
"Hmm," Laila had been asked similar questions before, even by journalists during interviews, but how could she answer them? Should she tell others that because of her rebirth, she knew which movies would be successful? Or maybe because of the advanced techniques and promotional methods from the future?
"You're overestimating me," Laila felt that she should be modest at this time. "The box office depends on the level of publicity and how much the audience likes it. The more extensive the publicity, the greater the impact. The more people know about a movie, the more audience members willing to contribute to the box office there will be. Popularity is also a test of a director's ability to find what the audience wants to see. If they like fights, then give them fights; if they like humor, then give them humor."
Nolan listened attentively, "But apart from publicity, how do I know what the audience wants to see?"
This question was quite deep and could even be considered Laila's "trade secret." But what a good director can bring to everyone is not as much as what a group of good directors can bring. So she answered with a question, "Why can commercial films have more box office revenue? Why are art films usually critically acclaimed but not commercially successful?"
"Why?" Nolan thought for a moment. "Because art films are usually deeper, with a more oppressive atmosphere, while commercial films tend to make the audience feel exhilarated?"