Chapter 251 Don't underestimate Hollywood.
Express Company does not limit how long guests can stay on the island, but Laila has lost interest. The reason why she stayed on the island is for her future movies.
That's right, she is interested in Golden Island and its golden beaches!
Everyone thought that she was sitting under the umbrella to enjoy the waves and sea breeze. In fact, she was merging everything in front of her with the imaginary movie scenes in her mind. Otherwise, why would she lie on the beach for most of the day?
She stayed in the room for the next few days to sort out her inspirations and experiences. If it weren't for Nabhani and his weird fiancée, it might be okay for her to stay for a while longer. But with those two people, no matter how beautiful the island was, she still found it a bit off-putting.
So on the fourth day after the party, she finally decided to return to Hollywood.
Osvid supported her decision with both hands and feet. He had to return to New York after the banquet due to company matters, which made him very worried about Lila who stayed on the island, fearing that the delicate flower he had finally raised would be dirty again when he wasn't paying attention. of wild beasts.
As for Janet, who also stayed on the island looking for inspiration, he didn't bother to care at all. With his previous "experience", he also knew that he couldn't control his daughter at all, so he might as well let her out and see which unlucky man could take her in.
"Are you leaving?"
While Laila and her group were packing their luggage, Prince Nabhani ran to her room excitedly. That "finally sent away the plague" expression made Laila really dislike it.
"Are you happy?"
"Of course you are!" His Highness smiled like a bright chrysanthemum at the thought of finally not having to run to her side every day.
"As long as you are happy." Laila smiled insincerely, and then pushed him aside: "You are blocking me."
Then the prince remembered the purpose of his coming: "By the way, you have to go back to shoot a new movie Have you?"
"Yes."
"That rumored action movie?"
"Yeah."
The prince was depressed: "I said you can't answer a few more words? I will come to you as soon as I hear important information. Now."
Laila put down the manuscript she was about to put in her suitcase: "Has your fiancée found the movie that knocked me down?" "
How did you know?" Naibhani's eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost. He just overheard the news and came here to report it. There was no reason why she would know about it earlier than him, right? "Did you install a bug in her place?"
"You're overthinking." Laila was speechless at his idea. He first talked about the movie and then the important information. In addition, he knew very well that the young lady disliked her. It was too easy to guess the truth.
"Then what?" she asked.
Naibhani's mood of offering a treasure just now disappeared, and he found a sofa and sat on it depressedly: "Are you really not worried at all?"
"What should I worry about?" Laila asked.
"Of course it's Faeze's investment! I've heard that the action movie she wants to invest in was jointly produced by a very powerful director and editor." Laila shook her head funny, still saying the same thing as
before : "Don't underestimate Hollywood."
Why does a Hollywood movie with a good box office have a lot of follow-up movies? It's because no matter how powerful the film companies and filmmakers are, they can't figure out the audience's interest. That's why when you see a movie making money, you follow suit like crazy and make movies of the same type.
Before Leila took over the Phoenix Company, the approach of Reynolds and others was very similar, except that their following the trend was more clumsy. Not only did they follow the trend, but they also followed the trend extremely cheaply. B-movie production companies are not called for nothing. A movie costs tens of thousands of dollars to make. The scenery and props can be made for one dollar, but they will never cost one dollar.
Naibhani is not from the film industry, so naturally he doesn't know the rules. But like many people, he believes that as long as the money comes and he finds the best director and screenwriter, even if he can't create a movie like Titanic, he can always make hundreds of millions, right?
He never thought, if movies are so easy to make money and you can get income as long as you invest, why would so many wealthy bosses leave such a big piece of cake without taking a bite?
"Don't believe it, I heard their conversation. It's really an amazing movie!" Naibhani glanced in the direction of the door, then lowered his voice at a volume that only the two of them could hear. She whispered softly: "Does John McTiernan know? The movie that Faye invested in was shot by him!" "
Oh?" Of course Laila knew about him, he was the one who made "Predator" and "Die Hard" That person is definitely capable of joining the ranks of first-tier directors.
Naibhani continued: "There is also the screenwriter, who is said to be the father of high-tech thriller novels and has written many best-selling novels. One of his novels was even made into a movie by a particularly powerful director, and he seems to have made a lot of money. Money. What is it called?"
He lowered his head and thought, then clapped his hands suddenly: "That's right! It's called "Jurassic Park"! It was filmed by that very capable director named Spielberg. It's become a movie!"
"Yo?" Laila raised her eyebrows and once again uttered a monosyllable that represented surprise.
This is really an incredible combination, both the director and the screenwriter are very capable. Not to mention the director, the screenwriter is really great and has written many award-winning novels. Not only "Jurassic Park", but also the TV series "ER" was created by him. That is a shortcut for many people to become top stars, such as George Clooney. Didn't he just come out of that series?
Her calm look made the prince anxious for her: "Why haven't you figured out the situation yet? I heard that the budget of that movie is at least 150 million. Think about it, by then Faye released such a powerful movie at the same time as yours. Do you think the movie you spent so little money on can compete with theirs?"
Laila smiled slightly: "I know, I will pay attention to it." It was rare that the other party had the heart to report to her in advance. Regardless of whether it worked for her or not, at least he cared about it, and she couldn't be ungrateful at all. Right?
"Do you really know?" Nabhani looked at her suspiciously, feeling as if her words were deceiving him.
"I really get it." Lila didn't bother to explain the rules of Hollywood to a layperson.
No matter how great a director is, there are times when he makes a mistake, such as John Woo's "Windtalkers" or Spielberg's "The Terminal." A successful director only has a few more chances to fail than an average director. Thinking that people who have made good movies will never fail is what laypeople would say.
Chapter 252 Return to Hollywood
A few hours later, Lila finally returned to Hollywood after a flight.
She didn't know if it was because she had dreamed of this place since her previous life, but when she set foot in Hollywood, she felt a strong sense of belonging. Even her grandpa's house in New York didn't give her as strong a sense of belonging as here.
The fragrance of movie films seemed to be wafting in the air all the time. When sitting in the car, the scenery passing by the car window was like a movie being played, allowing her to watch her obsession quietly.
"I'm going back first. I don't know if Abel has eaten well these days." Roy got off the plane and ran away eagerly with his luggage.
During his absence, Abel was entrusted to Louise's care. Although he knew nothing would go wrong, he, as an older brother, couldn't help but worry.
Theron also got off the car and left on the way. Claire had to go back to the mansion in Beverly Hills to pack her things first, so in the end, the only person who followed Laila to the company was the beautiful blonde secretary Demi.
The past few days have been like a dream to her. After closing her eyes, she can still hear the sound of waves in her ears, and the smell of sea water seems to linger on the tip of her nose. She loved the jelly-like beach so much. In the past, she thought such beautiful places could only be found in fairy tales.
Laila is not a harsh boss. Originally, she wanted to let Demi go back to rest and pack her luggage, but the secretary thought that after so many days of "vacation", it was not considered tired at all, and she had to stay with her boss no matter what. Serve. After persuading her to no avail, she kept her.
Entering the company, the employees who saw the boss coming greeted her one after another.
Laila grabbed a random person and said, "Do you know where Louise is?"
"She should be in the office now."
"Okay, I understand." Laila nodded to him and headed straight for Demi. Louise's office.
Louise already knew the news of Laila's return before she entered the office, so when Lila came in, she had already ordered her favorite tea to be delivered.
"Why didn't you go back and take a rest first?"
Laila picked up the tea cup and said, "I have something on my mind, and I won't be in the mood to rest until I finish it." "Did
something happen?" Louise couldn't think of anything as she thought about the company's affairs in the past few days. There was no accident that she could "worry" about.
"It's not the company's business." Laila comforted her first, and then asked: "Have you recruited enough actors?" "
Enough, I have selected a few, waiting for you to finalize them." Louise got up and left. Go to the desk and pull out the actor's information from the file column. "Our movie has attracted a lot of attention this time, so the standard of auditions is very good. There are also some top actors who are very interested in our protagonist, but I have already told them that the protagonist has been decided." "All of them are
. Who?" Laila took the actor's information and asked casually.
"Yes..."
Louise mentioned a few names, and they were all top-notch actors. It is not ruled out that some of them are outdated, but with their current status, they are still interested in her movies, which still makes Laila vain.
"I didn't expect so many people to be interested in our movie before it was even promoted." Laila smiled and said: "This is a good sign." Louise
also laughed: "Of course it is a good sign, now our company is also It is completely different from the original. The new company that has washed away the stain of B-level film production companies may become the ninth largest giant in Hollywood in the future. "
Ninth? Laila smiled meaningfully. Who could have imagined that one of the studios sitting at the top right now would go bankrupt because of the failure of a movie? By then her company will be the one at the top!
The list given by Louise usually has several choices, each of which has been personally selected by her. This is something Laila appreciates very much. Several cooperations have also allowed Laila to accumulate a lot of trust in her vision. So after she checked a few candidates on the list, she handed the list back to Louise.
"Just these few, you can choose the rest."
"Okay." Louise nodded, carefully put the list away, and only waited for the boss to leave before sending someone to contact these people.
Lila thought for a moment: "How is it going at the theme park?"
"Billy said everything went smoothly and there was no problem in completing it before the scheduled time." Louise said, suddenly remembering something. "Regarding our cutting-edge cooperation plan, a new batch of scripts have come out. Do you want to take a look?" "
It's out?" This is a plan that Laila cares about very much. It can be said that a large part of Phoenix Company's movies will be produced in the future. All will be born from this plan. "What's there?"
"There are some that I think are very good." Louise stood up and found several scripts: "For example, "The Mountain Has Eyes" and "Human Skin Inn", I think they are very good. A work with potential. In addition, two people came over two days ago with a work called "Fatal Bend". I thought it was pretty good, so I included them in the cutting-edge cooperation plan." ""Fatal Bend"?
" Laila was stunned for a moment. If she remembered correctly, the last time she went on a road trip, she gave the director and screenwriter of Fatal Turn a ride on the road, and even invited them to come find her after they finished writing the script. Why did you come in so quietly?
"Didn't they mention my name?"
Louise was also stunned for a moment: "Do you know them?"
"It was when I went on a road trip before." Lila told her about the experience in a few concise sentences. Listen, and then said: "When we broke up, I specifically asked them to send it to me when the script was written. I didn't expect that it was sent to me without telling me." Louise nodded clearly
. : "So that's it. I'm afraid they didn't tell you because they wanted to verify their own strength, right? Or they also wanted to verify the company's strength." "Maybe
so." Laila shrugged. Since they chose this path, , she had nothing to say. If it were him, he would also hope to achieve success by using his true skills instead of relying on the back door. This is good and shows that they have higher beliefs and are worthy candidates for investment.
"If the script is mature, just recruit the crew. Every day wasted is a day lost. Our company has made too little revenue recently."
Although the movie she made has a "Rush Hour" released in September, after all, it is not produced by Her company only participates in dividend distribution. During the time when she was not filming other films, the company's income could only rely on CDs and peripheral sales of her previous films.
That's why she attaches so much importance to the cutting-edge plan, because she doesn't want the entire company to revolve around her. A normal company must have other income to develop better.
Chapter 253 "Cutthroat Island"
After dealing with all kinds of trivial matters as quickly as possible, Laila finally revealed the real reason why she hurried back.
Louise looked at the plan in her hand. The more she looked at it, the more frightened she became, and her eyelids twitched.
"Laila, are you serious?"
"Do you think I am someone who would joke about such a thing?" Laila raised an eyebrow.
Of course Louise knew that she was not, but she still couldn't accept the shock of the plan in hand: "If we really want to follow what is mentioned here, we may have to invest at least more than 100 million US dollars! It's just an initial investment, and later I guess I can't get it even if I don't have 50 million."
Laila admired her calculation ability in her heart. Indeed, if her plan is to be completed smoothly, 150 million is the minimum budget. For someone who had to worry about tens of thousands of yuan more than a year ago, she could not help but feel frightened when she suddenly had to calculate costs in hundreds of millions.
"Didn't I say? We are about to start preparing for a big production!"
Louise's voice was trembling as she murmured: "It is indeed qualified to become a big production. But...is this really no problem?" "
Everyone. If you haven't tried it, how do you know whether it will succeed?"
Louise was struggling, not sure whether she should tell her the situation. But if the company's loss of hundreds of millions was caused because she didn't say anything, she would feel even more guilty.
"In 1995, the independent production company Carlock launched a pirate-themed movie "Cutthroat Island" directed by Lenny Haney. The investment at that time was said to be more than 92 million, but the box office was only 9.5 million.
" Lyra was still dying in a hospital bed when it was released, and Louise found it unsurprising that she didn't know about it. So she told her the situation in as much detail as possible so that she would understand that it was never a good idea to spend huge sums of money on another pirate movie.
"Carlock has made many blockbuster movies, such as "Terminator 2", "Instinct" and so on. In order to film Cutthroat Island, they all used real-life shooting. The pirate ship in the movie alone was used for filming. We had a budget of 5 million. But in the end, the entire company lost money and was completely acquired by MGM."
Laila listened quietly, and it wasn't until she finished speaking that she looked directly into her eyes: "So, you think I can't make a pirate movie, do you?"
"This..." Louise choked. If you say "yes", it is obvious to all that Little Boss has repeatedly achieved box office miracles, and no one will doubt that she will create many more miracles.
But to say "no", the decline of pirate movies is also well known.
In the past, there have been many pirate movies that were popular with movie fans, such as "Captain Kidd", "Captain Cook", "Treasure Island", etc. It can be said that for a long time, pirate movies have had a good reputation. box office.
As Roy said, pirates are men's Romans. What boy hasn't thrown on a sheet, brandished a club, and imagined himself a pirate sailing the oceans in his ship?
But the emergence of Cutthroat Island and huge losses have caused many film production companies to remain silent. A few years later, no film production company has shown even the slightest interest in a pirate movie. Even among the major Hollywood film companies, no one is willing to throw $80-90 million into the water.
Laila didn't look at her to continue to struggle, and raised her hand casually: "I know what you're talking about about "Cutthroat Island," and I also know that Mr. Lenny Harlin, who filmed "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4," is a very good actor. director. But I also know that this movie will fail just because of the movie category. The script is the most fundamental problem."
Funny to say, this movie is said to have been put forward by the independent film production company Carlock. It is very The script of this film was so bad that it couldn't be filmed halfway through.
At that time, the company was anxious and hired four screenwriters to continue writing the script. As a result, the four screenwriters refused to give in to each other and kept arguing with each other for more than two years before they managed to get the movie out.
Laila would be surprised if such a wretched thing was shown on the screen if it didn't fail. In the end, Carlock Company went bankrupt due to the huge losses of "Cutthroat Island". In her opinion, it was completely a typical example of someone who would die if he didn't commit suicide. One monk carries water to eat, two monks carry water to eat, and three monks have no water to eat. He still dares to invite four monks over. Isn't it just adding chaos?
Even children know this truth, but they can still make a big fuss about it, which is really speechless.
"Our company is not Carlock, and I am not Lenny Harlin. If there is one person who will never make a failed movie, it must be me!" It was completely
arrogant to put it on others, and Lila said it matter of course. When they came out, both Louise and Demi couldn't help but believe it.
It's so incredible that even the best film evaluators wouldn't be happy with Leila's plan. It seems like yesterday that the loss of Cutthroat Island still left movie fans with the impression that pirate movies are terrible. Before these impressions completely disappear, it is really difficult to make a pirate movie that fans are willing to spend money to watch. Too difficult!
But even with such clear doubts, Louise was relieved after hearing Laila's firm words.
Yes, she is Laila, the Laila who has created countless miracles one after another. Maybe she also made this decision after seeing the light of miracle shine this time?
"I understand, I will make some calculations according to this plan." After saying this, she threw aside even the last trace of resistance in her heart.
Just die. Even though the company is not big, it can afford to pay this one time. And what if it succeeds? With the way that a small boss can earn hundreds of millions with just tens of thousands of yuan, he might be able to create another miracle like the Titanic.
Of course, this was also her comfort to herself in her heart. She doesn't really think that it can surpass the box office of Titanic. In her heart, it is already an insurmountable peak. Not just her, everyone had the same idea.
And this is indeed the case. Titanic's box office record was eventually broken by director James Cameron himself 12 years later, with the epic blockbuster "Avatar" full of fantasy.
After thinking for a while, Laila felt that what she had to do was almost done, so she stood up and prepared to leave. Suddenly she remembered something.
"Is there a new movie being prepared recently? The director is John McTiernan of "Die Hard" and the screenwriter is Michael Crichton of "Jurassic Park."" She recalled Prince Nebhani's response to Her reminder.
Louise was stunned for a moment: "I have indeed heard about this news."
Laila was no longer surprised that she was well-informed. One of her earliest impressions of her was Hollywood's "Bai Xiaosheng". Networking has already given her many information channels that others cannot understand.
"Do you know what movie it is?"
"The name is probably "The Thirteenth Warrior". It is said that an investor has been found recently, and the final investment may exceed 150 million."
Chapter 254 "Rush Hour" Premiere (1)
Laila is almost certain that this is the movie Naibhani is talking about, and the so-called recently found investor must be Faiz. It seemed that she was really determined to teach herself a lesson.
But why does she have no memory of this movie before? If such a big production had been released in her previous life, she would have been very impressed. God knows how much she yearned for directors who could make movies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. She even conducted a thorough research and analysis on those big productions. There was no reason to let go of such a big production worth more than 150 million dollars. That's right.
"Do you know what it's about?" she asked again.
"I'm not sure exactly, but I heard from a friend that it requires a lot of props. It should be a fantasy-style action movie."
Laila squinted her eyes, and after thinking for a moment, she actually found a similar movie in her memory. But instead of calling it The Thirteenth Warrior, it's called "The Ultimates". It tells the story of a group of people fighting against cannibals.
If you think about it carefully, the director and screenwriter of this movie are indeed those two people. It's not surprising that the names are different, generally there will be some differences in the Chinese translation of the names. Just like SAW was translated into "Saw" in its previous life, it's not surprising that The Thirteenth Warrior was translated into "Ultimate Soldiers".
Seeing her thoughtful look, Louise asked curiously: "Do you need me to check again?"
"Forget it, no need." Laila waved her hand: "It's not a big deal anyway. What did you just say? I'll take care of all those things. If nothing happens in the recent period, I won't come. If anything happens, let Demi go to where I live. I'll write something at home." "Okay, leave it to me. No problem
. Louise nodded with a smile. She doesn't mind taking on more trivial matters, as long as the little boss writes scripts, makes movies, and refreshes the box office record a few times.
In the days that followed, Laila stayed at home writing and drawing. The entertainment page was no longer full of news about her, but it was still very lively because the most eye-catching summer melee was still going on.
In order to grab more box office, major film companies are using various methods in an endless stream. In this regard, Leila and her company went into spectator mode, watching the battle and learning from the experience so that they can use it as a reference when they go to grab summer slots in the future.
But it's not that she is arrogant. The promotional methods used by these film companies now are really nothing worth referring to. They are far worse than what she saw in her previous life.
Not only did she think so, the bosses of the film companies were also very dissatisfied with them. After seeing Laila's publicity strategies several times, their company's methods seemed like a kindergartener's play house, with no technical content at all and just using money to achieve results.
But look at the method Laila used back then? Whenever she spends a lot of money on publicity, reporters and media outlets are all vying to promote her. It's a pity that she has her own company and the backing of Moran Media Group, otherwise those film companies would have already offered her an olive branch.
As time went by, towards the end of the summer season, the promotional campaign for "Rush Hour" was officially launched.
Speaking of this movie, the reviews given by major media are not high.
First, this is a kung fu movie starring an Asian. It is not the "hard kung fu" of Bruce Lee, but the "soft kung fu" of smooth flow with some humor. Personal heroism is popular in the United States, and they prefer to watch tough-guy-style actions involving fists and fists. Judging from taste alone, this movie is not very suitable for the taste of American audiences.
Maybe it could get some box office in the East? This is the only thing the media is optimistic about.
Second, this is Leila Moran's first kung fu film.
Who is Leila Moran? People who follow the film industry and like to watch movies will know how awesome she is. With tens of thousands of yuan, he created a global box office of 300 million US dollars, and shot several small-budget horror films, all of which received surprisingly high profits. It can be said that he is already one of the top horror film directors in Hollywood.
But this time she took on an action film she had never shot before, and it was an oriental action film. This made the media and film critics very unfavorable about her directing ability. It was not that they doubted her own strength, but that she was too young and had never been exposed to such a genre before. She could really produce an oriental flavor. Oriental kung fu movie?
If the film is hit or miss, the audience on both sides will not be able to please, and neither side will receive any good box office.
Anyway, no matter where you look at it, the prospects of this movie are very unfavorable.
There are things that are said to be bad, and there are things that are said to be good. Even if the media is full of negative voices, Laila's home base "Entertainer" and NBC and a series of companies belonging to the Moran Media Group are working hard to say good things for their future bosses.
They gave a series of examples and listed Laila's actions in the past two years on paper, so that people can simply and clearly understand how powerful she is, and how close her new movie is to success, having never failed. How close.
Needless to say, when this was revealed, many people changed their views on "Rush Hour" and thought that it might actually be a good movie.
At this time, Laila's fans were happy and stood up one after another to express their support for her, thinking that even if she made a bad movie, it would be the best bad movie.
Seeing these supportive words, Laila felt dumbfounded. What is the best bad movie? Does it mean that the bad movies she makes can also be very creative?
September 18, 1998. With many people looking forward to it and many people waiting to see the show, the premiere of "Rush Hour" came as scheduled.
Laila is the director, and even if she doesn't like such a lively environment, she still has to go there for the sake of the inviter.
She is known to walk the red carpet without a male escort. Either with her mother, walking by herself, or with members of the crew. In short, she has never brought a real male companion to the red carpet.
Everyone understands this very well. Who told her to be young? Moreover, she is already a very famous director, so no matter who walks next to her, she will probably be very stressed.
She waved to the fans and fans along the way, and she quickly completed her journey to stardom at a speed that shouldn't have appeared on the red carpet. So fast that she didn't even have time for the reporter to ask her to pose a few times, and she was already outside the theater door.
Today she is wearing Janet's new design, a shirt and trousers with a Barolo and pirate style, which makes her look somewhat heroic without looking too tough. It was a good thing that she was wearing a trousers suit, otherwise with the way she walked down the red carpet so quickly, she would have been in trouble if she tripped over the hem of her skirt that was dragging on the ground.
She wanted to walk to the theater as soon as possible, but the host outside the door who was responsible for enlivening the atmosphere would not let her go.
"Director Moran, please slow down. Everyone is not waiting here just to see your back. You have to say a few words to everyone, right?"
Chapter 255 "Rush Hour" Premiere (2)
"Uh, okay. Do you have anything you want to ask?" Laila naturally wouldn't deny her face. Basically, it would be too much for her not to participate in the promotion of the movie. If she even pretended to be dead during the interview at the premiere, it would be a shame for the remuneration she received.
The host is a fat aunt-like black woman who looks to be in her forties or fifties, very talkative and lively.
"There are so many questions I want to ask. You are such a troublesome director. Where should I ask without disappointing more people?" She deliberately looked distressed, causing the fans who heard her words to let out a burst of laughter. A burst of wild cheers.
Laila also made a gesture of surrender: "I will stand here and let you ask all the questions, okay?" The
fans cheered louder, they wanted to know more about her. . Whether it's her own affairs or a new movie, she is always very low-key, leaving no place for those who follow her to know more about her.
But the host put his hand on his forehead and cried out: "Are you planning to have this premiere until next year?" The implication is that she wants to ask her too many questions, and she won't be able to know everything she wants to know until next year. After asking.
The fans laughed, clapped their hands and cheered in unison.
In fact, everyone knows that no matter how many questions you ask, it is impossible to ask them all. The real time to ask questions is when the next celebrity comes over. Otherwise, if you don't catch the next celebrity asking a few questions, you'll be offending someone.
So the supporter stopped wasting time and asked directly: "This is your first action movie. Can you tell me your predictions for its box office?" Laila thought for a while: "As you said Yes, this is my first action movie. I tried my best to do everything I could. As for the box office, I never imagined how much I would get."
The host curiously said: "So, theprevious movies, You never estimate how much you can get before the screening?"
Laila spread her hands: "Do you think I will still have the confidence to predict the box office after my first movie is released?"
The host immediately understood what she meant. , and then laughed so hard that her branches were shaking wildly. The fierce movements made people worry that her huge breasts would be squeezed out of the low-cut dress.
"Yes, who can imagine that you can get 300 million box office with tens of thousands of yuan? You are a miracle worker."
Laila bowed her head and smiled modestly, but the fans couldn't help but screamed with excitement.
That's right, she was born to create miracles. She doesn't need to predict box office or anything like that, because no one can predict it accurately. Otherwise, take a look at some of her previous movies. Was there any one of them that someone predicted correctly? The result every time is to see those arrogant film critics being slapped in the face. Didn't you see that they no longer make predictions about her movies?
"So Laila, do you think your fans will like this movie?"
Laila never hesitates to show her confidence and belief in questions like this. Facing the fans on both sides of the red carpet, she smiled slightly: "I won't Let them down."
The host laughed: "Look, what a confident girl! I really like her. Well, thank you Laila for the interview." Seeing that the next star was approaching, she had to End this rare interview.
Laila smiled and waved around and walked into the door of the cinema.
At this time, the leading actors of the movie had not come in yet, and only some members of the crew were sitting in the seats near the front.
These people were embarrassed to see Laila arrive. Because the situation of the crew was so bad at the time, they all felt very regretful after the filming. But no matter how much they regret, the wrong thing has already been done, and not everyone can do it to ask them to apologize to such a little girl.
At this moment, a person walked up to her: "Hello, Director Moran."
Laila did not expect that someone would take the initiative to talk to her. When she raised her head, she saw that it was the person in charge of photography on the crew. At that time, the cooperation between the two parties was pretty good. Although there was not much communication, everything she asked him to do was completed very well, so she would not deliberately give the other party a cold face: "Hello, Mr. Yaerlin." The photographer obviously He was stunned for a moment: "You know my name?"
"Of course, we have worked together on an excellent movie, haven't we?" Laila smiled.
"Yes, you are right." They were attending the premiere of this movie, how could he not know that. It was just that the atmosphere was so stiff at that time, he didn't expect that his name would be called out by the director after so long.
This made him even more ashamed and made him feel even more stupid at that time.
"Director Moran, I have to apologize to you." He took two deep breaths: "I didn't know what happened to me at the time. I doubted your guidance level for no reason and did something rude to you. . Since then, I have been looking for a chance to apologize to you, but unfortunately I didn't get the chance until now."
Laila looked at him and felt that what he said should be sincere, and she didn't care about the people on the crew. What do you think of her that makes those people treat her coldly? It can be said that half of the responsibility for the tense atmosphere on the set actually lies with her. If she had been more positive at the time, she could have completely defused the atmosphere with her abilities and methods.
But she chose to ignore it, and as a result, the entire filming of the film fell into a weird and indifferent atmosphere. The reason for ignoring her is very simple. One is that she feels that these people will never have the opportunity to cooperate in the future. It doesn't matter whether the relationship is good or not, as long as she honestly makes the movie according to her requirements; the other is... she is lazy. I am too lazy to explain to them, and I am too lazy to strive for a friendly relationship with them.
"Mr. Yaerlin, I accept your apology." Laila is not someone who will take the blame on herself. No matter what the reason for the other party's apology to her, as long as it is sincere, it doesn't matter if she forgives the other party. Anyway, No loss either.
After some consolation, she successfully regained a photographer's heartfelt gratitude and surrender, using only a mild "forgiveness" and false words such as "there is a chance to work together next time."
Many people in the crew were paying attention. When they saw that the two people seemed to have resolved their "misunderstanding", everyone couldn't help but feel excited. That was a good opportunity to curry favor with the director. During the filming, he was out of his mind and was ostracizing others. Seeing that Director Moran seemed to be very talkative, does this mean that now is an opportunity to make amends?
Someone finally couldn't help but walked towards Laila and wanted to make a confession. But they apparently didn't have the chance, because the movie's leading actors entered the scene.
To Laila's surprise, the person walking with Chen Long turned out to be Shu Qi. How did they come together?
"Laila, it's great to see you again." Chen Long came over enthusiastically as soon as he saw her.
Chapter 256 "Rush Hour" Premiere (3)
"Of course I'm coming, this is a work I'm looking forward to." Laila smiled and hugged him.
"Hello, director." Shu Qi also stepped forward to greet her.
Laila also hugged her: "I'm so happy to see you. But why are you together?" "
Brother Chen Long invited me here. I'm honored." Shu Qi explained.
But Laila felt that it might not be that simple. Maybe their relationship would be good enough to take pictures of glass bottles together in the future, but now... after
thinking about it, she already understood what was going on.
Simply put, it is a form of compensation. Chen Long initially promised to help her introduce Yang Ziqiong to play a role in her new movie, but later there was no information for unknown reasons. Then Laila signed Shu Qi, and with his energy in the East and his relationship with Wen Jun, he naturally knew about it immediately.
Chen Long failed to fulfill his promise to Laila and never knew how to explain it to her. After learning that Shu Qi was signed, he was relieved but felt embarrassed at the same time, so he brought Shu Qi over to show her face while walking on the red carpet, which also helped to increase her popularity.
Thinking about this, Laila couldn't help but want to laugh. No wonder Chen Long has always been very popular in the East. If he always behaved so humanely, there would probably be very few people who didn't like him.
After chatting for a while, the movie officially started in the gradually darkening theater.
The creators, actors and crew were watching the movie with anxiety. Whether the movie would be liked by fans or not, they would soon know the result after waiting for months. The audience in the back row were holding popcorn and staring at the screen excitedly. Most of them are fans of Laila, and they just want to know what Laila has made after giving up her "specialty" horror movies and turning to action movies.
Maybe it sounds exaggerated to say that most of them are fans of Laila, but it is true. Among the actors, Chen Long is probably the most famous, but he is more famous in the East. When he broke into the red zone in the United States, he gained some fans who liked martial arts, but compared to Laila's huge fan base, they were not even close.
Laila spent three movies telling her fans that she will never fail, her movies will not be bad movies, and all she creates are classics. With these three beliefs, it's no surprise that her fans will use whatever means they can to storm the cinema.
Holden is a big fan of Leila. He has become an important figure in Laila's fan base because of his unconditional support for her on the TV show. His friend's friend worked at the box office, allowing him to get a ticket to the premiere for the price of a meal.
At this time, he was holding popcorn and sitting excitedly on his seat, waiting to appreciate the magical magic performed by his idol Laila again. No matter how much people outside are not optimistic about the movie, he doesn't take it to heart at all, because he knows that after today, the movie will use facts and box office to tell those people what a mistake they have made!
The beginning of the movie is not complicated, with the daughter of an Eastern diplomat being kidnapped by gangsters. In order to rescue her, a diplomat who does not trust Americans brings his friend, the HK policeman played by Chen Long, to the United States to help him.
However, the idea of a diplomat is very ridiculous in the FBI's mind. They thought that in their territory, an Oriental knew nothing at all, so how could he possibly save the child? The most important thing is that if he really rescues people, they won't want their faces anymore. They will definitely be sprayed by the outside media and make them look shameful.
So Chen Long, who came to the United States, got involved with a black policeman who was also deceived. After some hilarious back and forth, the two decided to join hands and use their own methods to get closer to the conspiracy step by step. And finally destroyed the conspiracy and saved the child.
There's nothing extraordinary about this movie, it's just a light-hearted kung fu comedy. It is also a very orthodox path, where all the bad guys are finished and the good guys are saved.
The story is a bit cliché, but audiences just love movies like this. What makes Rush Hour unique is that it incorporates Eastern kung fu into the film, and it's a different kind of kung fu than the Bruce Lee-style kung fu they're familiar with.
Chen Long's kung fu is a highlight of the movie. From time to time, his body makes some unexpected moves that surprise the audience. He is as nimble as a squirrel, and sometimes as cunning as a fox.
Another highlight is the laughter generated by the collision of Eastern and Western cultures, especially the stark contrast between Chris Tucker, who plays the black policeman, and Chen Long, who plays dumb and stunned, causing the audience to laugh out loud from time to time. The sound of laughter.
Laila's eyes were fixed on the screen, but her ears were carefully paying attention to the reactions of the audience behind her.
They laughed! That's enough for the movie!
This is her first time doing this type of movie, not just action but also funny parts. She felt that she was not a very funny person, and it would be embarrassing if the scene she filmed made the audience unable to laugh.
Fortunately, the audience was very considerate, and bursts of hearty laughter made her finally put away her last trace of worry.
Soon, the story advanced to the fighting part.
The movements were all designed by Chen Long himself, and they are still the Kung Fu style he is good at. His fluidity and flow are amazing. What Laila did was to perfectly integrate the movements he designed into the movie, and use her lens to make more people Forget for a moment the toughness brought about by Bruce Lee's Kung Fu, and instead appreciate this new style.
In these fights, Laila used some special editing methods, which were also popular in later generations. For example, when a person jumps high, freeze the scene, change the lens, and then change it to slow motion. Another example is the rapid switching of scenes during a chase to create a fierce and compact atmosphere that makes the audience feel the same.
In fact, she originally wanted to add the bullet moment from "The Matrix", but when she thought that the movie was probably already being filmed at this time, it would not be troublesome enough to involve plagiarism, so she gave up.
But these are enough for now. Although these small methods have been used in later generations, they are unheard of and full of freshness now.
Some film critics and media reporters hiding among movie fans were surprised to find that these innovative editing techniques are simply amazing! Who could believe that simply making the picture faster or slower can have magical effects on a movie?
Many people were speechless when they thought that these edits were all produced by a young director who was not yet twenty years old.
But some people don't take it seriously. No matter how fancy the tricks are, it's useless if the audience doesn't buy them. No one can say whether a movie is good or not, box office is everything. Of course, no one will admit this. As we all know, it is important to win awards and have connotation, and box office and other things are just a cloud.
"Of course I'm coming, this is a work I'm looking forward to." Laila smiled and hugged him.
"Hello, director." Shu Qi also stepped forward to greet her.
Laila also hugged her: "I'm so happy to see you. But why are you together?" "
Brother Chen Long invited me here. I'm honored." Shu Qi explained.
But Laila felt that it might not be that simple. Maybe their relationship would be good enough to take pictures of glass bottles together in the future, but now... after
thinking about it, she already understood what was going on.
Simply put, it is a form of compensation. Chen Long initially promised to help her introduce Yang Ziqiong to play a role in her new movie, but later there was no information for unknown reasons. Then Laila signed Shu Qi, and with his energy in the East and his relationship with Wen Jun, he naturally knew about it immediately.
Chen Long failed to fulfill his promise to Laila and never knew how to explain it to her. After learning that Shu Qi was signed, he was relieved but felt embarrassed at the same time, so he brought Shu Qi over to show her face while walking on the red carpet, which also helped to increase her popularity.
Thinking about this, Laila couldn't help but want to laugh. No wonder Chen Long has always been very popular in the East. If he always behaved so humanely, there would probably be very few people who didn't like him.
After chatting for a while, the movie officially started in the gradually darkening theater.
The creators, actors and crew were watching the movie with anxiety. Whether the movie would be liked by fans or not, they would soon know the result after waiting for months. The audience in the back row were holding popcorn and staring at the screen excitedly. Most of them are fans of Laila, and they just want to know what Laila has made after giving up her "specialty" horror movies and turning to action movies.
Maybe it sounds exaggerated to say that most of them are fans of Laila, but it is true. Among the actors, Chen Long is probably the most famous, but he is more famous in the East. When he broke into the red zone in the United States, he gained some fans who liked martial arts, but compared to Laila's huge fan base, they were not even close.
Laila spent three movies telling her fans that she will never fail, her movies will not be bad movies, and all she creates are classics. With these three beliefs, it's no surprise that her fans will use whatever means they can to storm the cinema.
Holden is a big fan of Leila. He has become an important figure in Laila's fan base because of his unconditional support for her on the TV show. His friend's friend worked at the box office, allowing him to get a ticket to the premiere for the price of a meal.
At this time, he was holding popcorn and sitting excitedly on his seat, waiting to appreciate the magical magic performed by his idol Laila again. No matter how much people outside are not optimistic about the movie, he doesn't take it to heart at all, because he knows that after today, the movie will use facts and box office to tell those people what a mistake they have made!
The beginning of the movie is not complicated, with the daughter of an Eastern diplomat being kidnapped by gangsters. In order to rescue her, a diplomat who does not trust Americans brings his friend, the HK policeman played by Chen Long, to the United States to help him.
However, the idea of a diplomat is very ridiculous in the FBI's mind. They thought that in their territory, an Oriental knew nothing at all, so how could he possibly save the child? The most important thing is that if he really rescues people, they won't want their faces anymore. They will definitely be sprayed by the outside media and make them look shameful.
So Chen Long, who came to the United States, got involved with a black policeman who was also deceived. After some hilarious back and forth, the two decided to join hands and use their own methods to get closer to the conspiracy step by step. And finally destroyed the conspiracy and saved the child.
There's nothing extraordinary about this movie, it's just a light-hearted kung fu comedy. It is also a very orthodox path, where all the bad guys are finished and the good guys are saved.
The story is a bit cliché, but audiences just love movies like this. What makes Rush Hour unique is that it incorporates Eastern kung fu into the film, and it's a different kind of kung fu than the Bruce Lee-style kung fu they're familiar with.
Chen Long's kung fu is a highlight of the movie. From time to time, his body makes some unexpected moves that surprise the audience. He is as nimble as a squirrel, and sometimes as cunning as a fox.
Another highlight is the laughter generated by the collision of Eastern and Western cultures, especially the stark contrast between Chris Tucker, who plays the black policeman, and Chen Long, who plays dumb and stunned, causing the audience to laugh out loud from time to time. The sound of laughter.
Laila's eyes were fixed on the screen, but her ears were carefully paying attention to the reactions of the audience behind her.
They laughed! That's enough for the movie!
This is her first time doing this type of movie, not just action but also funny parts. She felt that she was not a very funny person, and it would be embarrassing if the scene she filmed made the audience unable to laugh.
Fortunately, the audience was very considerate, and bursts of hearty laughter made her finally put away her last trace of worry.
Soon, the story advanced to the fighting part.
The movements were all designed by Chen Long himself, and they are still the Kung Fu style he is good at. His fluidity and flow are amazing. What Laila did was to perfectly integrate the movements he designed into the movie, and use her lens to make more people Forget for a moment the toughness brought about by Bruce Lee's Kung Fu, and instead appreciate this new style.
In these fights, Laila used some special editing methods, which were also popular in later generations. For example, when a person jumps high, freeze the scene, change the lens, and then change it to slow motion. Another example is the rapid switching of scenes during a chase to create a fierce and compact atmosphere that makes the audience feel the same.
In fact, she originally wanted to add the bullet moment from "The Matrix", but when she thought that the movie was probably already being filmed at this time, it would not be troublesome enough to involve plagiarism, so she gave up.
But these are enough for now. Although these small methods have been used in later generations, they are unheard of and full of freshness now.
Some film critics and media reporters hiding among movie fans were surprised to find that these innovative editing techniques are simply amazing! Who could believe that simply making the picture faster or slower can have magical effects on a movie?
Many people were speechless when they thought that these edits were all produced by a young director who was not yet twenty years old.
But some people don't take it seriously. No matter how fancy the tricks are, it's useless if the audience doesn't buy them. No one can say whether a movie is good or not, box office is everything. Of course, no one will admit this. As we all know, it is important to win awards and have connotation, and box office and other things are just a cloud.
Chapter 257: Schadenfreude.
Many Hollywood movie scripts are created in an assembly-line style. For example, those who are good at writing funny plots are responsible for the funny parts, and those who are good at love are responsible for the emotional parts of the male and female protagonists.
The advantage of this is that it allows the most suitable people to go to the most suitable place, but the disadvantage is that it may cause a lot of weakening in the plot. After all, if there are more people, the line that the previous person wants to bury cannot be too deep, otherwise it will be difficult to integrate the parts written by others. We all write scripts, so why should others follow the lines you buried, right?
Laila still prefers the way in which one screenwriter is responsible for a work. Although it requires more skills from the editor, the things written are more coherent and smooth, and it is easy to express deeper things in it.
The script of "Rush Hour" changed a lot at her request, some of which were changes in the original version, and some of which were additions based on the shortcomings of the original version that she remembered. It can be said that the version she shot is the most satisfying one she created by combining all aspects.
The more than an hour-long movie ended successfully with cheers and applause. At the end of the film, there are some edited scenes, all of which were cut out due to failure. Such a small detail made many people sit until the end of the movie, instead of leaving when the ending song is played like other movies.
Movie fans who were still unsatisfied came out of the theater and immediately introduced the movie to their friends in various ways. Some made phone calls, some used the Internet, but it seemed like they couldn't even sleep if they didn't talk to someone about the movie right away.
When Laila left quietly, more than once she saw someone holding a mobile phone and calling a friend, saying complimentary words such as how great the phone was. It reassured her that at least it looked good, didn't it?
However, early the next morning, Demi gave Laila bad news when she came to work.
"A genius director's 'Waterloo', we actually guessed it a long time ago", the headline of the entertainment section of the New York Post, the huge headline is full of schadenfreude.
The title is very eye-catching, and the content even says that Lila and "Rush Hour" are useless, just pointing at the nose and saying that she made a bad movie.
"4.2 million is the first-day box office of the genius director's new movie. Compared with her previous works, it has been reduced by at least half. In fact, many people have already guessed that such a result will occur. Why? First of all, this is an action movie , and it is an unfamiliar oriental action film. Director Moran is not familiar with it at all, so how can he make an original film?" "Secondly,
this is a comedy! Yes, a comedy! Do you expect a horror film director to make something funny? At least after watching the movie, I didn't feel anything that could make me laugh." The article was very intensely worded,
as if the author had something to do with Laila The hatred for killing one's father is like the hatred for taking away one's wife. But this is actually just a little trick, a small trick used to get more people to buy their newspapers. It's not too big a deal to watch the excitement, and readers like such intense conflicts.
It would be better for the author and the newspaper if Leila could be so angry that she sued them, which would create more sales for their paper.
Laila looked at the comments about herself line by line, and finally couldn't help but laugh out loud at the end: "4.2 million, isn't it a small amount?" "
A lot! Not a lot at all!" This was not what Demi was saying. Speak flattery. When her boss was Reynolds, the films she produced were never even released, and they were all sold directly on CDs.
It's not that there aren't some particularly good ones that the company decided to try out, but those were basically on-demand screenings, and the highest screenings were only in a few dozen theaters.
It was only after Laila came to the company that the company's distribution department came into use. At least in Demi's view, the first-day box office of 4.2 million is really a lot.
With more than 4 million yuan a day, wouldn't the movie make back the cost after a month or two? Judging from the rule that double the production cost of a film can generate revenue at the box office, it shouldn't be difficult for "Rush Hour", which cost more than 30 million yuan, to get a box office of 60 to 70 million yuan, right? Not to mention other benefits.
Of course, box office is not calculated this way. Generally there will be a drop, and the box office will be less as time goes by. The movie only got 4.2 million on the first day, and that's basically it.
In fact, Laila was a little surprised that the box office was so low. Originally, in her imagination, it should be similar to her previous movies. It's both a comedy and a kung fu movie, so how could it be more popular than her R-rated horror movies?
The box office she received made her see once again the inestimability of Hollywood and audiences. If this continues, it may not be long before the movie is forced to be completely offline, which is not a good thing for her.
What went wrong? She obviously got very good reviews at the premiere, so why is the box office so low? Or is there some error in history due to her appearance, so that some places have formed a development trend that is completely different from the original one?
Laila was thinking, and Demi was complaining about her boss. There is no other reason than the sharp reports in newspapers.
"BOSS, you see what they said is too much. They all think that you don't know how to pretend to understand, and that's why you make such weird pictures. They also think that it was the biggest mistake for New Line to ask you to be the director. They also said that you also made a mistake yourself. Only when the investment is high will the money be invested in the rush hour, and it will all be lost." At
this time, Laila had already thought about every plot of the movie in her mind, and after much deliberation, she still couldn't find one that was worse than the original version. place, some uneasy hearts were finally relieved.
After hearing the secretary's words, she smiled slightly: "Let them say what they want to say. God will tell them whether it is a mistake or not." Demi could
only comfort herself with "the boss's words are never wrong."
"Anyway, this Cooper is too annoying. He said a lot of nice things to you after he reappeared. I thought he had changed for the better, but I didn't expect that he said so bad things again." "He has become smarter
. Yes." After reading the New York Post article that criticized her, Laila smiled meaningfully at the familiar word Cooper.
Cooper has indeed become smarter. In order to get out smoothly, he spoke good words for her against her will, showing a selfless image of discussing the matter. But he was lurking in the dark, waiting for her to reveal a flaw before giving her a thunderous blow.
It's really hard for him to wait for several months before finding the opportunity to criticize her. I guess he has already had a hard time waiting, right?
"Alas." She looked at the name on the newspaper and sighed softly: "Why do some people just can't learn well and would rather suffer losses over and over again than accept the reality?"
Chapter 258: Reversed Box Office
Not only did the New York Post and Cooper hold up the "4.2 million box office" banner to criticize Laila, but some newspapers that joined in the fun also followed suit.
It sounded like Lila had made the worst movie ever.
There must be other movie companies behind this, especially the ones released together with Rush Hour. I wish everyone would think it was a bad movie so that it wouldn't compete with them at the box office.
However, some authoritative newspapers have affirmed Laila's film, saying that her shooting and editing techniques are very interesting and can even be said to have created a new style. The slow motion and surround methods used during the fight, as well as the extraordinary visual enjoyment brought by the rapid switching of scenes during the fight and chase, are worthy of learning from other directors.
But more newspapers don't think so. They only saw that the box office during the peak period was "horrible". From the first day's box office, they could see that the movie had little stamina. If they wanted to make back their money, they could only hope for the box office in the East and the sale of CDs.
Looking at the arguments in the newspaper, Laila only found it funny.
After the movies she made became one box office dark horse after another, many people were saying that a movie is not just good at the box office, but the content is more important. And now her box office is not high, and those people can't wait to stand up and say that the box office is very important, and if she can't even get that little box office, it's a failure or something.
Is it really okay to openly publicize such an obvious double standard? Does this count as a slap in the face?
What made Laila even more speechless was that she had received many calls since the morning. From her grandfather to her mother, from Zeni to Roy, from New Line to Chen Long, it seemed that everyone came to comfort her, saying that the movie was actually not good. So bad, it's just that the audience won't be able to accept the oriental kung fu movie type relationship for a while, etc.
Of course there is this reason, and it's not like Laila took over the director's job without understanding the dangers involved. But no matter how she explained, "The movie is very good, it will do well at the box office in the future, and she is not worried at all about not making money," the people on the phone thought she was comforting herself because she couldn't accept the reality.
In the end, she simply stopped explaining and let the facts answer everything.
The box office on the second day of Rush Hour also made many people shut up, because they received more than 8.1 million at the box office, nearly double the previous day!
The newspapers that had been criticizing Laila yesterday suddenly became silent. There is no reason why the box office would rise so high all at once! Even if the next day is a weekend, it doesn't mean that so many people will show up to watch the movie at once. Could it be that the Moran family is operating behind the scenes and buying the box office themselves just to save face?
Needless to say, there are really not just one or two media outlets that have such thoughts. If that were the case, it would be fun to watch, and it would definitely be a big scandal! There's a first time and there's a second time. Who can guarantee that the previous movies didn't hit the box office?
Genius director? Magical witch? Maybe it's just an illusory bubble piled up with money!
Reporters and paparazzi, who thought they had mastered a huge news, each used their own channels to find relevant "evidence". They knew that if their suspicions turned out to be true, their newspaper sales wouldn't have to worry about it. As for whether Leila Moran will be finished or not, what does it have to do with them? Making money is the most important thing!
However, no matter how they rummaged and searched, or how they dug word for word from the box office records, the final results were all extremely innocent records. Not only that, but they discovered that other companies had stolen the Rush Hour box office!
In other words, the box office on the first day could actually be higher, but it was transferred to the box office of other movies. Although the transfer amounted to hundreds of thousands, which was not high, it was still a very bad thing.
The United States has very strong supervision over movies, and the penalties for such incidents are usually severe. The theater owners who are obsessed with money and the companies that bought the box office will surely get the punishment they deserve. In addition to resenting that they were misled, reporters can only turn to studying why the box office suddenly became higher.
Needless to say, they actually researched some of them.
After conducting some random interviews, the reporters found that such a result was not unreasonable.
First, the premiere was on Friday night, and it only ran for half a day. The box office on the second day was the whole day. And it's still a Saturday, which is a good time for people to go out on a date and watch a movie.
Second, word of mouth spreads very quickly. The movie is very exciting, the fighting is very exciting, and the story is also very exciting. Similar words have been spread through phone calls, the Internet, and various methods, making many people who didn't like Kung Fu Tickets very much couldn't help but ask, is it really that good? nice?
After being confirmed, some people became curious about the movie. Usually this kind of curiosity is one of the driving forces that drives audiences to go to the cinema. Especially when they hear people around them praising that the movie is great, some people will go to the cinema to check it out.
Third, and very important, is the relationship with Laila herself.
When the news came out that she would continue to make action films, fans who liked her organized a sit-in outside her company, hoping that she would change her mind and continue to make the horror films she is good at instead of action films.
Fans feel that she is wasting her time and talent. There are too few horror movies that can be made into classics. She should not squander the talent given to her on boring action movies. Although some people are in a wait-and-see position after Laila made an agreement with the fan representatives, wanting to see what will happen.
There are also many people who secretly organize fans not to watch "Rush Hour" in order to allow Laila to continue making horror movies. As long as the movie's box office is terrible, then Laila will come back as agreed and continue filming what they like. horror movie.
Therefore, after "Rush Hour" was released, many of Laila's fans did not watch it immediately. Not only did they not come, they also told their family and friends not to come.
You must know that Laila's fan base in the United States and Hollywood is very large. Some of them like her personality, and some like her achievements. Although the group of people who like her horror movies account for a part of the total number of people, but it is also a considerable part.
These people called on people around them not to support "Rush Hour", which made the box office results on the first day look a bit ugly.
But on the second day, when some people saw online recommendations and praise from friends who had watched the movie, they finally couldn't resist the charm of the movie and bought tickets and went to the theater.
Chapter 259: Box Office Explodes Again
Faced with a nearly doubled box office increase the next day, even if the media listed various reasons, it could not change the fact that what they said yesterday had all turned into a joke. Are you talking about Waterloo? Are you saying that they've made a big mistake? Hahahahaha!
Onlookers and Laila's fans were laughing their heads off. They cannot express their voices in newspapers or on television, but they have the Internet. On the Internet, they can express their thoughts and feelings after watching the movie without having to listen to the ridiculous words of so-called entertainment newspapers and film critics.
As a result, the reputation of "Rush Hour" has once again spread, and of course there will be Laila's trolls pushing the boat forward, but it cannot be denied that they do have a basis for saying those good things. It's a good movie, a movie that makes you happy after watching it, and that's enough!
After watching the movie, Holden logged into the movie forum he often went to. There was a sub-forum dedicated to Laila, and many of Laila's fans communicated with each other here.
Because he once supported Laila in a TV show, he became a die-hard fan recognized by most fans of Duoshuo, and was even recommended to become one of the moderators of this sub-forum.
Many people knew that he had a ticket to attend the premiere, and also knew that he would be lucky enough to enjoy the film at the first opportunity, so many people waited there early in the morning, waiting for his first-hand feedback.
And Horton lived up to expectations by writing down his thoughts after watching the film, with his excitement and emotion revealed between the lines.
"I have to admit that I went there for Laila. Although I don't think she will make a bad movie, I am still a little worried that she can make a classic movie as good as a horror movie. But when the movie starts Soon, I heard laughter coming from around me and felt myself grinning. I knew that she had succeeded again. She had successfully challenged a new genre of movies." "Many people may be the same as me
. I don't think her action movies are good, but I have to say that you will never regret watching them. I saw a new Laila there and felt her ambition. I believe that action movies will definitely not be the last genre she challenges. Maybe in the near future, we can see her bring us more types of movies!" "
I remember the first time I watched her film "Blair Witch", I sighed, it turns out that movies can still be made like this. And after watching "Rush Hour", I had the same feeling. It turns out that action movies can still be shot like this!" "
You may not believe it, but when I saw the person jumping high in the movie and standing still in mid-air, I seemed to be able to feel him. The magical kung fu made him fly, and he even felt like he was flying. And when I saw the chase scene in the movie and the constantly switching scenes, I could strongly feel the tense atmosphere created by the movie. In short, if You haven't decided whether to go see it yet, so be sure to give it a try, because you will definitely fall in love with it!"
At the same time, below the post, he also posted two photos to prove that he indeed attended the premiere. One is Laila's elegant gesture when waving goodbye to fans after an interview in front of the theater, and the other is Laila's appearance in the front of the cinema when she is talking to Chen Long.
As soon as his post was posted, it already had thousands of clicks and more than ten replies within a few minutes, and as time goes by there will be more and more replies. Part of him was expressing all kinds of envy and jealousy that he could see Laila so close, and part of him was doubting whether the movie was really as good as he said.
Holden responded to the first person who doubted him at that time. If you feel regret after watching the movie, you can slap him in the face.
No one knows how many people ended up reading his post, but there will definitely be some people who were moved by what he said and are ready to take a look.
There are many similar posts on the Internet, which also made many people who were still hesitant make the decision to go see it and try "is it really that good-looking?"
It can be said that the box office of "Rush Hour" increased so much the next day not only because Laila made a good movie, but also because her passionate fans supported her in places she couldn't see.
But can she really not see it?
As a person who has adapted to the various conveniences brought by the development of the Internet in the future, how could Laila give up such a good place as the Internet? Especially the large forum where Holden posted, she would often go there to see fans' thoughts and comments. So she had already seen the post the day it came out.
Through the post, she saw the most selfless love from a fan, which made her happy. No one likes to be recognized by others, especially when the results of their efforts are recognized.
On the third day, the box office of "Rush Hour" rose again, reaching an astonishing 14.62 million!
This is an incredible number. Who would have thought that after the box office of 4.2 million on the first day, it would directly increase by more than 10 million on the third day?
When the numbers were calculated, Laila smiled, Long Chen laughed, and New Line's investors laughed. After the first day's box office results came out, they were already prepared for failure. They planned to put all their energy into the production and sale of CDs after the movie made a profit in the East. Even if you can't make much money, you probably won't lose money.
But happiness just hit their unsuspecting heads. The total box office in three days was more than 27 million, and they narrowly won the box office championship for the week!
This result might only be mid-range in the summer season, but at this time, all the major productions have already been released, and there is no time for any good rivals in the new movies. Miraculously, it won the box office championship for the week. !
This is an amazing achievement, especially for Laila, who can be described as incredible, because she is one of the few directors who can push every movie she shoots to the top of the box office for a week.
Even some top directors can't achieve such dazzling results. They all work their way up from the basics. Some people even have to work part-time in order to make their first movie, asking colleagues and friends to help them shoot for free. You can imagine how difficult it is to make a box office hit in such a simple environment.
The same is actually true for Laila. She didn't want to ask for money from her family, so she made her first movie with less than 100,000 yuan. But compared to other directors, she was lucky because her first movie It created a miracle!
Her cell phone was once again flooded with congratulatory calls, from family to friends to partners, including invitations from other film companies.
Chapter 260: Entanglement Recommendation
Since she can take over the job of New Line Cinema, it means that she has no intention of helping her company to shoot, and it also means that she can also work for them.
Several major film companies all called, including MGM, Paramount, Warner Brothers, etc. Everyone told Laila that as long as she was willing to shoot, it didn't matter how much investment she wanted, and it didn't matter what type of movie she wanted to make. She can choose an original script or a sequel to a popular movie, and the conditions given are even more blinding to a group of new directors.
There were more calls from small companies, but they couldn't get Laila's contact information and could only send invitations to Louise.
Laila did not refuse all kinds of invitations. If the script was good enough to attract her and she could be allowed to bring in her own investment, she would naturally not mind working for other companies. But that's impossible recently, because the news about her new movie has been released a long time ago. That's right! She's going to film a new movie!
"Kill Bill" is one of her favorite movies. Not only is it the title of the pinnacle of violent aesthetics, but it is also due to the fact that its protagonist is a woman.
Whether in Hollywood or elsewhere, there are so few strong female protagonists. Take a look at those popular movies, from the more famous 007 Bond series to some independent movies, women are usually in a vase position.
Charlize Theron is probably the one who feels this the most. Her beautiful appearance makes it almost impossible for her to get a more meaningful role. Except for a vase, it is a vase, as if the only thing she can take out is that face. .
She was not someone who would be willing to be locked up in a vase role forever, so she trained herself like crazy after Laila tested her, and Laila did not disappoint her, and eventually she got the starring role in the movie she dreamed of.
The simple opening ceremony was held in the newly built "Kill Bill" area of the theme park. During the filming period, the entire area remains closed. Only after the movie is released will the park be opened to take advantage of the craze to make more money.
"Kill Bill" is one of Laila's favorite movies, and she naturally hopes that a more perfect one will come out of her own hands. Therefore, she showed different attention, caution, and nitpicking from before in all aspects of details.
The color of the clothes is wrong, redo it! The hairstyle doesn't match, redo it! The makeup is not perfect, redo it!
Fortunately, this time she was the one to recruit the crew herself, and the members were all veterans who had worked with her on several movies. A newcomer would have been frightened to tears by her harsh words when reprimanding her.
It's not that the old staff are brave, but they have long been accustomed to the harsh working conditions that will become more severe when Laila becomes a director. They know very well that the boss is not a person who cannot take a joke, but if he causes trouble for her while she is working, just wait to be transferred to another dark place and buried.
A very important part of the movie is about Japan. In order to avoid being singled out for this part where she doesn't know much about the place, she specially invited a Japanese-American from a well-known university who is very knowledgeable about Japan. Professor Yuri Minagawa.
From the construction of Japanese-style houses and courtyards, to Japanese-style clothing to hairstyles, etc., whenever there is a relationship with Japanese elements, Laila will check with her first to ensure that no authentic Japanese person will see the flaws. will proceed.
Professor Minagawa happily accepted the job. Money was secondary. What she really wanted to see was the culture of her country being spread through films by well-known directors. Therefore, she is also very serious in what she does, and she is definitely no worse than Laila in terms of rigor.
This made Hong Jinbao jealous.
"Actually, our culture is better than Japan's. When will you make a movie about our culture? Of course, it can't be the villain!" This is what he has been talking to Laila from time to time since he read the movie script. Most topics.
In this regard, Laila can only say that there will always be opportunities in the future.
In fact, in this era, Americans' impressions of Easterners were still based on dirty clothes, shabby houses and big braids. Thanks to their media, even during the 2008 Olympics, some foreigners shouted that they had been deceived by the media when they saw the high-rise buildings in the city.
The demonization of Orientals has become a "habit" in the United States. If a congressman or president who is running for election does not say a few words about the Eastern threat, it seems that voters will look down upon him. Laila knew this very well and was very powerless. The situation had not been reversed until she was reborn. What could she do with her little ability?
Even so, it doesn't mean that she will sit back and do nothing. At least the name of her new company "LoongSpirit (Dragon Soul)" is a good start, right?
When Sammo Hung ran up to her again and told her how wonderful her motherland was, Laila suddenly remembered something: "Who said I didn't make a movie about the East? Isn't "Rush Hour" just about to be released?"
Hong Jinbao first said "Huh?" and then scratched his head: "That's right!" Isn't the popular Rush Hour starring Chen Long?
But when he thought about it carefully, he felt something was wrong again: "How can that be counted? Chen Long plays a HK policeman, and there are not many things from our country in the movie. Let me tell you, our country is really beautiful, you just need to go Take a look and I'm sure you'll fall in love with it."
Laila was so dizzy from being talked about, and knew that this person was not someone who could be easily talked about, otherwise she wouldn't have been talked about again and again.
So she said seriously: "If you want me to agree to you perfunctorily, then I have already nodded before. But I didn't, because I know there are still many uncertainties in it. I also hope to go to that beautiful country to see Look, but you have to know that sometimes I can't do it just by saying a word."
This is of course nonsense. At this time, on the other side of the earth, the red country is short of a large amount of foreign exchange. For foreigners and foreign investment All have great interest. If someone like her is rich enough to go to the East, she can become a VIP figure with police clearing the way.
But she couldn't tell this, mainly because no matter how much she hoped to return to her original country, she still had to consider many things. For example, there is a feeling called "fear of being close to home", which prevents her from having the courage to go back. She was scared, what if she saw another version of herself there?
Is she still her old self, or has she completely become Laila? If she really saw herself who still dreamed of being a director, she doubted that she would break down and cry on the spot.
Fortunately, Hong Jinbao was moved by her words and understood that she was "really" in trouble.
"I was reckless, director, don't mind." He chuckled twice.
Of course Laila wouldn't mind. She has a very good temper as long as she is not at work. This is why Hong Jinbao will pester her. But when it comes to filming, no one dares to disturb her with other things. The bloody history still remains in the hearts of the crew. The last person who dared to fail to do his job when she was working was still working as a handyman in the props team!