Chapter 561 - The Continuing Soaring Box Office

"I have to say, it was not a pleasant experience." Roy didn't hide anything from Downey as he recounted the situation at that time, many aspects of which were not disclosed in the newspapers and media. Of course, he kept silent about the incidents involving Faiza and the two killers that followed.

"At that time, I really didn't know what to do. Laila was severely burned, and she remained unconscious since we got off the plane. I was worried that the heat would damage her brain. We had nothing on us, and when we were in mid-air, we checked around and saw no signs of habitation or water sources."

"The desert in the daytime and at night are two completely different worlds. Fortunately, we brought a blanket when we parachuted down, so we could barely sleep at night." Recalling the situation at that time, Roy couldn't help but feel a palpitation. "It was desperate back then, and then suddenly we heard the sound of a helicopter. Can you imagine how I felt at that moment?" What he didn't mention was that the first time he heard the helicopter, it brought not rescue but the sound of death.

However, these details were enough for Downey to understand the dire situation Roy faced at that time. "Buddy, you're a hero."

Roy smiled bitterly, shook his head, and looked at Laila, who was talking to the crew. "I don't want to be a hero; I just hope she can survive."

When people are at their wit's end, some may resign themselves and live like zombies, while others will struggle, fighting for a glimmer of hope. If he were alone, he might have just waited quietly for rescue.

But Laila was with him at that time, and even in such dire circumstances, he could sacrifice his own life, but he couldn't bear to see her life disappear before him.

Perhaps the conversation with Roy enlightened Downey. When they resumed shooting, his expressions and actions were on point, and they completed this set of scenes in one take.

In the locations where the film needed to be shot in Saudi Arabia, not just the segment where they were kidnapped but also the part where he wore armor to save the people. In Saudi Arabia, there were also some impoverished areas, and Laila borrowed houses from there, paying a sum of money to improve the living conditions of the villagers. It might not make everyone worry-free for life, but at least it could make their lives more comfortable for a while.

Laila personally designed the armor, using the original Iron Man design and adding some of her own ideas. The biggest weapon of Iron Man is his armor. If it doesn't look good, it loses its appeal to the audience. It had to be cool to the point of having no friends and handsome enough to be earth-shattering. That's the kind of armor Downey, the show-off, would create.

The film crew this time consisted of people from her own company, and Laila handled it very smoothly. She knew the strengths of each person very well. During the shoot, everyone cooperated perfectly.

Meanwhile, in the two months of filming in Saudi Arabia, the box office of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" continued to shock the world as it soared. In the United States, the film completely dominated the summer box office, leaving other films struggling to compete. Many ambitious big-budget films that aimed to make a mark in the summer box office couldn't even secure the top spot for a week.

Not only in the United States but in other countries where "Harry Potter" was released, countless people were fascinated by the magical world depicted in the film and enthusiastically joined the fan base.

In the Eastern countries, including South Korea and Japan, the film naturally gained popularity. Even though this genre wasn't exactly to their taste, the lifelike and magical world still impressed them, creating a new group of Harry Potter fans.

"How far are our movies from Hollywood?"

"At least twenty years behind in special effects."

Whenever a Hollywood blockbuster arrived, people from the East would sigh in the same way, and this time was no exception.

Amid the astonishment in the film industry, the box office of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" surpassed 300 million and then 400 million, soaring to 500 million, 600 million, 700 million, 800 million...

Regardless of how Joseph's internet army smeared it or how Cooper criticized it in reviews, the film's box office continued to rise endlessly under everyone's gaze.

How was this possible? Why? What on earth was the reason?

When the box office exceeded 900 million, all of Laila's fans, Harry Potter book fans, and movie fans celebrated together. Meanwhile, Joseph sat paralyzed behind his desk, like a pile of mud.

He couldn't understand. It was just a simple story of a child going to a magic school. How could so many people like it? He could make a unique magical world if he wanted to, but he still didn't think it would receive much approval.

He watched the movie, not just once, but he couldn't find the reason why the movie would be so popular. In his opinion, it lacked exciting fights, a gripping plot, and sexy beauties... It seemed to be missing a lot of popular elements. He had abandoned this movie initially because he couldn't see any elements that would make it a big hit.

However, reality slapped him in the face, and he still couldn't come to his senses.

The movie had crossed the 900 million mark, $900 million! Moreover, the film still had the potential to continue raking in the box office worldwide and might reach a billion next month!

What did a billion mean? It was only surpassed by "Titanic" with 1.8 billion, reaching the second-highest point in the history of cinema!

Thinking that he had been so close to this movie but had short-sightedly given up on it, Joseph wanted to strangle himself! If he hadn't been bought off if he hadn't given up, would he be the director with the name standing in the second place in the history of cinema now?

Thinking of this, hatred filled his heart. He hated Faaris. It was he who bought him off, he who made him lose the chance to ascend to the top. If it weren't for him coming to him and asking him to do such things back then, he would already be a true Hollywood big director!

Look at what he had now. "Catwoman" had already rushed off the screens and could only earn a bit of profit through subsequent CD sales. He had invested his entire fortune into the movie, and now he was about to lose even his pants.

Only, no matter how much he hates Faaris, he still has to rely on him. Filming a hotly anticipated movie that ends up losing money has probably landed him on the blacklist of major film production companies. If he still hopes to make movies, he can only hold on to this golden thigh.

Poor Joseph is still unaware that, in fact, even without this movie, he had long been on the blacklist of major film production companies.