Chapter 553 - The Premiere

When this conversation aired on TV, it immediately sparked a lot of discussion.

Was it Laila's film that boosted Joseph's publicity, or was it Joseph's film that brought attention to Laila?

In this context, June 28 finally arrived.

For this promotional event, Laila hosted a grand premiere at a Chinese theater, inviting many familiar celebrities and figures from the film industry.

Joseph, on the other hand, did not back down. He hosted his premiere at another cinema, and the setup looked even more lavish and extravagant than Laila's. Not only did he invite high-profile guests, but he also brought in an army of fans, including many comic book enthusiasts, with the intent of outdoing Laila in terms of grandeur.

Laila's premiere had more children because her film had already been perceived as a children's movie before its release. Those who attended her premiere were true fans, including kids, their parents, and die-hard fans of the novels. Amid the excitement of the children, the red carpet event was just as lively as anywhere else.

The most striking aspect was Laila's loyal fans. They didn't care about the genre of her film; as long as it was her work, they would enthusiastically applaud, even if it meant listening to her read stories for hours.

Members of the Moran family also attended the premiere. Janet and Quentin, along with their grandfather, gathered together at the cinema, except for the grandmother who stayed at home to take care of little William.

"This is already the seventh one; my dear Laila is truly remarkable!" Janet overheard someone talking behind her and couldn't help but express her admiration.

In just four or five years, seven films had been released, a high level of productivity for any director. Moreover, in the coming two years, two more films were confirmed to be released, which meant she was averaging almost two films per year. With each film earning at least $300 million in box office revenue, she was making money even faster than robbing a bank.

"Yes," the grandfather sighed. He had initially thought that his granddaughter's foray into filmmaking with less than a hundred thousand dollars in funding was just a casual hobby. Who could have expected that her casual hobby would lead her to become a top Hollywood director in just a few years? She was only missing some heavyweight awards to complete her journey, and he believed that those would also soon fall into her hands.

He was pleased with his granddaughter's achievements, but he was also concerned. He realized that she was too capable, which was both good and bad. Thinking about how many years he had left to be in his current position made him bitter. If he had a choice, he would wish that Laila could use her intelligence and talents within the Moran Group.

Roy chuckled as he listened to their conversation, and the grandfather's slightly sour tone amused him even more. He had learned from Laila that her grandfather wanted her to take on management responsibilities within the Moran Group, so the tone didn't come as a surprise.

He gently grasped Laila's hand and said, "This is the seventh one, and we'll continue attending premieres together in the future."

Laila was lost in her thoughts about the film until she felt her hand being held warmly. Even though she didn't know why he had suddenly become sentimental, she smiled and nodded, "Sure."

It was truly wonderful to have someone by her side. In her previous life, she had lived alone, and even finding a friend to accompany her to the movies had been difficult. She had two friends who got along well with her, but after they got married and had children, she felt their bond gradually weakening. Inviting them to hang out became a complicated process, as she had to consider their family situations. Sometimes they brought their children along, and sometimes they didn't. The conversations were filled with mom-related topics, and she eventually stopped reaching out to them.

She rarely watched her TV dramas during their premieres because they weren't the type of work she wanted to create. They were either terrible dramas or still terrible dramas, and they were usually heavily criticized by viewers. While they gained attention, it wasn't the kind she wanted.

She did earn some money, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to afford a house in the capital city. Fortunately, she made the decision early, and she managed to buy her own little place when housing prices were still reasonable.

Even the strongest women could feel lonely when they were alone for too long. When loneliness surged in waves, she had no resistance to offer and could only follow the ebb and flow of loneliness, ultimately sinking beneath it.

In this second life, she had her family who cherished her and a boyfriend she could appreciate. This must have been due to all the good deeds she had done in her past life, right?

Under Roy's watchful gaze, Laila suddenly chuckled. She held his hand back and spoke with a somewhat distant tone, "Thank you for always being by my side."

Now and always, whether during their dangerous adventures in the desert or moments like this, he had never left her side. It was truly wonderful.

Roy's body trembled slightly, and a warm current surged in his heart. He couldn't find the right words to express his feelings, so he simply held her hand tightly, as if he was holding the world's most precious treasure.

At this moment, the cinema darkened, and on the big screen, the silhouette of the Eastern dragon from Dragon Soul Productions appeared. When Laila separated Dragon Soul from the Phoenix Corporation, her goal was to create a high-quality brand associated with classic, excellent, and well-produced films, where fans would immediately recognize the dragon as a symbol of quality.

Now, it seemed she had succeeded. Starting with "Kill Bill," moving on to "Pirates of the Caribbean," and now "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," who could claim that these weren't top-notch films?

Well, as for the last one, there was no definitive judgment as of now, but after the film was screened, everyone would know the result.

What Laila didn't know was that while she was watching her film at the premiere, there were two individuals in another screening room sneaking a watchful eye on the film.

One of them was undoubtedly Mr. Cooper, Laila's old rival. He wouldn't miss any opportunity to oppose her. If the film was bad, he had the chance to mock it immediately. If the film was excellent, he could still find ways to criticize and tarnish it.

As for the other person, this was someone that most people couldn't have imagined. It was none other than Joseph, the director who had his premiere at the same time as Laila. Normally, he should have been watching his own film, and nobody would have known he wasn't present. However, he was not sitting there because he simply couldn't sit still and watch his own movie.

The film was his creation, and the production company granted him considerable privileges, allowing him to participate in the editing process of the film. He had watched it countless times before the premiere, and each time, he felt like he had pushed the film to its absolute best. In fact, he couldn't imagine making a better version of the film even if he tried again.