Chapter 517 - "Three Significant Events"

Losing his most beloved daughter, Dawud's heart was indeed deeply wounded. Even if you raise a pet for over twenty years, you develop a profound attachment to it, let alone a sweet, affectionate daughter. Even though he knew that things would turn out this way, he couldn't absolve himself of the blame for the situation with Faiza.

However, while he knew it, there were still some emotions that were hard to accept. He couldn't regain his dignity openly, but he wanted to play a little trick in the background to annoy the other party. So he let Faaris continue to work on Faiza's investment in Hollywood movies, to make Laila, who drove his daughter mad, taste the bitterness through her films.

Without Faiza's involvement, he believed Faaris would find a suitable way to fulfill his wishes. Dawud had a lot of trust in his exceptionally talented subordinate.

Coincidentally, the picture of Laila holding a baby leopard reminded many people of Catwoman, which reminded Faaris of Laila's statement about wanting to make a superhero movie.

Faaris had always known that Laila was a genuine genius with a nearly god-like instinct for filmmaking. After two previous failures, he was no longer arrogant enough to think that simply throwing money around as an outsider could produce a good film.

His research over the past couple of years also made him aware of how challenging it was to choose a film theme in the Hollywood film industry. To avoid going down the wrong path, he decided to follow the path that was already laid out for him. In Hollywood, would anyone doubt Laila's taste? If she wanted to make a superhero film, it was because she believed in the genre.

Additionally, superheroes each had their own heroic stories and a massive fan base. As long as the film followed the storylines that the fans liked, there was no need to worry about upsetting them. Wasn't that the best choice?

Furthermore, due to the buzz surrounding the baby leopard, the Catwoman character became a hot topic. Faaris evaluated the character and found that it was indeed a good subject. Catwoman was sexy, and the film's protagonist was equally sexy. It seemed like it would resonate with a larger audience.

So, he decided to collaborate with DC and brought Joseph on board to direct the film, considering it part of the reward for Joseph's past betrayal. This is what led to the announcement from DC.

Many fans were skeptical of the director. While he had made a few decent films in the past, he was considered a second-tier director. From any perspective, he was no match for Laila. It was hard to understand where he found the confidence to think he could do a better job than her.

Laila, however, paid no mind to these concerns. After a few days of rest, she had been given a clean bill of health by the doctors. They had emphasized the importance of her well-being due to her previous fragile condition as a child. Laila was warned to avoid adverse conditions because her health could deteriorate at any time.

The doctors might have been a bit dramatic in their phrasing, but nobody wanted Laila to be in danger again. Everyone took their words to heart as if they were sacred decrees, and they were just short of embedding them on their desks and offering daily prayers.

With Laila's health confirmed Roy finally resumed his dance lessons. With Louise's support, Laila held her first press conference at the company after her recovery.

The recent incident could be seen as an accident, as she had turned the situation around with little memory of what had happened. Her experience had a much smaller impact on her than on those who knew the full story. However, she was certain of one thing: she had returned for a reason. If it weren't for that, she wouldn't have come back. She wouldn't have been in Faiza's plane or encountered what happened next.

Ultimately, she had the responsibility to resolve the situation that Faiza had caused. If she hadn't handled it properly, she wouldn't be doing justice to Roy and her family, who had experienced this catastrophe with her.

When faced with challenges from her rivals, she wasn't a generous person. She had a strong memory and a resolute nature when it came to seeking revenge. She could be quite petty, and she was the kind to hold a grudge for a long time.

If Joseph had peacefully terminated his contract with the company, she would have agreed. After all, her film had such high standards and prospects that there was no shortage of people willing to take on the project. Why couldn't he just say he didn't want to do it? But instead, he had turned on his original benefactor, which was truly despicable!

So, Laila decided to hold a press conference to address some matters.

With Louise's help, the invited media outlets all gathered at the company. Since Laila's return to New York, the media has been very interested in her. Unfortunately, Oswald had been guarding his granddaughter diligently, making it impossible to interview her, and even a fly would have struggled to find a place to land.

Now that Laila had finally arranged a press conference, the journalists invited or not, attended in full force.

"Today, I have three announcements to make," Laila began, looking at the packed room of journalists and cameras, her expression more serious than usual.

"First, the film 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone,' which was delayed for reasons beyond our control, will be rebooted soon. Second, the first superhero film I'm directing has been officially greenlit and is set to be released within the next two years. And third, Dragon Soul Productions will establish its own visual effects company, exclusively responsible for the visual effects of our productions."

Her words instantly excited the journalists. Each piece of news had enough weight to make it to the top of the entertainment headlines. If handled properly, they wouldn't have to worry about making money for at least the next month.

Journalists who had recently felt sorry for her safe return now remembered her for her achievements. Although she had narrowly escaped death and couldn't be used as a selling point, now that she was back and active, she had become a source of various hot news stories.

During the open Q&A session, they couldn't contain their eagerness to fire questions at Laila, one after another.

"Director Moran, can you reveal which superhero you're planning to make a film about?"

Laila nodded and said, "Iron Man."

"Why did you choose him? He's not considered an A-list superhero among Marvel heroes, right?" The journalist asking the question was clearly well-versed in comics, pointing out an aspect that other reporters might not understand but was of great interest to comic enthusiasts.

Laila certainly couldn't say it was because this film had generated envy-inducing profits or that Marvel's success in superhero movies began with him. So she simply smiled and said, "I can't reveal the specifics, and to avoid spoilers, I can only say that it was the events of the past few days that made me make this decision."

"Recent events?" The reporters immediately caught on. Was it about the accident in Saudi Arabia, where she nearly died? Did she write a story involving Iron Man and a plane battle, or did Iron Man save people on a plane?