Some of the words from that infamous post had struck a nerve with Laila. If she couldn't even seize the top spot, what right did she have to be called a living legend of Hollywood? Though she never really cared much for such a title, not having it was fine, but having it and then being stripped of it? That, she admitted, would sting.
And when she thought about it, it made sense. That title had been forcefully attached to her by outsiders to begin with. Now, because of some vague smear, she was being dragged down—who wouldn't be upset?
Roy noticed her quietly staring out the window and suddenly had a thought.
"Laila, do you want a challenge?"
Did she want a challenge? Of course she did!
Laila had always known what she wanted and worked tirelessly toward it. The further she advanced in her filmmaking journey, the higher she set her goals.
In her previous life, just being able to write and direct a film by herself would've been enough. Not because she didn't want to buy a script, but because every penny she had went into production—there simply wasn't any money left for purchasing screenplays.
Maybe the luck she lacked in that past life had all been stored up for this one, which was how she managed to find someone in a place like South Africa who not only yearned for Hollywood but could also write a screenplay perfectly tailored to Hollywood tastes.
After The Lord of the Rings swept the Oscars and tied the historical record, her new goal became clear: she wanted to use one of her films to go for Oscar gold again. That was when Buddy's script caught her eye. You could say it was Buddy's good fortune—or hers.
She understood her screenwriting ability well enough: she was decent at adaptations, but weaker at original scripts.
Given her deep understanding of Hollywood filmmaking, adapting a novel or script into something that American audiences would enjoy wasn't hard for her. But coming up with a completely original story that resonated with the masses? That was much more difficult. Not everyone could create a story that would be loved by millions.
That's why, from the beginning, she never intended to position herself as an all-rounder. Though the outside world might think she was exactly that, it was all just a beautiful misunderstanding.
"Roy, I'm going to take the challenge. And I believe my name will be at the top," she said, radiating confidence.
It was the kind of confidence born from success. A decade of triumphs didn't lie. Each film she released marked another level-up for her as a filmmaker. She firmly believed that she now had what it took to go head-to-head with Director Cameron.
Roy glanced over at her. With the way she was glowing with self-assurance, it took all his willpower to tear his eyes away and not steer the car onto the sidewalk.
He'd always had a weakness for this dazzling version of Laila, and he immediately voiced his support:
"You're going to do it. I know you will!"
Laila laughed at his eagerness. "In your eyes, I could say I'm going to pluck the moon from the sky and you'd still believe me, wouldn't you?"
If not for the fact they were engaged, he'd easily be mistaken for one of her diehard fanboys. Not that she could complain—having a fan like that wasn't so bad.
Roy smiled. "Yes. If you said that one day, I probably would believe it. Because you're not someone who speaks without thinking."
He knew her too well after all these years. She never talked big. If she said she was going to do something, then that meant it would happen.
And yes—he truly believed that.
Right now, Avatar was still in its early hype phase. The real promotional blitz wouldn't start until around the middle of next year.
As Laila calmed down to think things over, she realized something rather troublesome: if she pushed Blood Diamond's release to next year, it would be going head-to-head with Avatar.
Everyone knew Hollywood didn't favor commercial films, but if a commercial film pulled off an astonishing, nearly miraculous box office run, that was a different story. That's what happened with Titanic back then, and what would happen again with Inception in the future. And Avatar's box office would far surpass both. It was already predictable that it would become a star at the Oscars.
But then again—so what?
She remembered very clearly: Avatar might have received many nominations, but the number of actual wins was far less than Titanic. Though both earned Cameron a Best Director award, in terms of artistic value, the Oscar judges didn't see them on the same level.
Avatar was more of a technical achievement. When it came to emotion, perhaps because of the "alien" element, it failed to create the kind of emotional connection that resonated with the Academy voters. And it had another fatal flaw—it couldn't compete in the acting categories.
Of course, even without all that, Laila believed her film could go toe-to-toe with Cameron's. So what was there to hesitate about?
So when Louise asked how she wanted to schedule the release for Blood Diamond, Laila's answer was simple:
"Just let me go head-to-head with Director Cameron."
Needless to say, that statement shocked Louise to her core.
It wasn't just Laila who had high expectations for Avatar's future box office. Even those who once dismissed Titanic had been thoroughly slapped in the face by Cameron's numbers, and now they also had their eyes on his new film.
Why else would he be given nearly $300 million to make it? It was precisely because of his last film that the studios fully trusted his abilities. If it were a director who'd recently made a flop, no one would be putting that kind of money on the table.
"Laila, maybe you should reconsider?" Louise asked cautiously, afraid to crush her boss's confidence. "I've heard Director Cameron's new film uses the latest technology. The box office will likely be impressive. We should aim for a safer release window."
What she wanted to say was: the subject matter of their new film simply didn't lend itself to huge box office numbers. Releasing it against a visual effects blockbuster that had been in the works for years was practically begging to be crushed.
It's not that Blood Diamond was a bad film. But no amount of brilliance could overcome the natural limitations of its genre, not even a name like Laila Moran could change that. Sure, fans adored her. And yes, the public had plenty of love for her, too. But that didn't mean people would flock to theaters blindly, without caring about the actual content of the film.
Louise didn't think Laila was someone who made impulsive decisions. So the only explanation for such a "reckless" move was that she'd been provoked by those recent media reports.
Otherwise, knowing her calculating nature, how could she knowingly take a fragile little egg and smash it straight into a massive rock?