Chapter 573 - It Has to Be Someone From Our Own Side

The host pursed his lips, crossed his arms, and, with a look that said, "I'll just quietly watch you spin your words," stared at her. It was quite daring of her to say such things. After all, it was her own TV show. Whether there was any real content or not, she should visit more often. Didn't she have any awareness of being the queen of ratings?

"Okay, I'll try my best," Laila said helplessly under his gaze. "You should thank NBC; otherwise, you might not have seen me now."

Her participation in events was already limited, and most of them were benefits enjoyed by Moran family enterprises, as reported sourly by other media. Many people were aware of this.

Her self-deprecating remark made those in the know laugh.

The host couldn't keep a straight face either and burst into laughter while slapping the table.

After a few jokes to liven up the atmosphere, he finally asked the first question, "The latest 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' has achieved the second-highest box office in film history. Did you expect this before its release?"

"To be honest, I knew it was a good movie, but I never expected so many people to love it."

She simultaneously released "Catwoman," expecting the original version to perform well, so she wouldn't have to worry about losing too badly. However, not only did it not lose, but it miraculously surpassed the original's box office, surprising her, the person who knew the historical trajectory best.

"After you found out, is there anything you want to say to your supporters?"

"Of course, I want to thank them the most." Laila looked in the direction of the camera and said sincerely, "Filmmaking and directing are my dreams. However, those silently supporting me are the ones helping me achieve this dream. If my first movie couldn't sell tickets, and if the ones I made later were not liked, I would probably lose the courage to make movies, and the current record would not exist. So I'm really, really grateful to everyone."

Her ice-blue eyes often gave off a feeling of coldness, but under the lens, they conveyed purity and clarity. Her words moved everyone in the audience and those watching the live broadcast on television, especially her fans, who were excited, their cheeks flushing. They wanted to declare to everyone that she was the one they liked, excellent, beautiful, sincere—using all the most beautiful words to describe her wouldn't be excessive.

While everyone was moved by her words, she suddenly changed her tone, "But if all the achievements of the movie are attributed to me, it would be unfair to those who worked hard. Everyone on the crew is the best, and without them, the good results now wouldn't be possible."

The host nodded with a smile, "That's right, especially those little guys, they are indeed great. I think we won't have to wait long to see them on the big screen again."

He knew that the task this time was to promote "Chicago," so he didn't dwell too much on the billion-dollar box office, "Do you think 'Chicago' can still make a splash at the box office this time? It's well known that the box office of musicals is not optimistic. 'Moulin Rouge' has been the best musical in recent years, with a global box office of just over a hundred million."

"Yes, this is a common problem. But if I judge success or failure based on the box office, I'm afraid I will be criticized again soon."

Laila's words prompted laughter from the audience.

Isn't that right? Those "respected" movie critics always put themselves in the position of being the only sober ones, looking down on commercial films with high box office numbers.

Laila's movies always had good box office results, but each time, she would be criticized for her films lacking depth. They hoped she wouldn't "stray off the path," wishing she would make more meaningful movies.

Being directly pointed out by her, many people must have felt uncomfortable, thinking she was arrogant and young, and continuing like this would surely waste the talent given to her by heaven.

But even if that's the case, so what? From the beginning, Laila knew which path she should take, and how could these people understand?

After a couple of laughs from the audience, she continued, "I think musicals are very popular among people. I never believed there was a huge gap between meaningful art films and profitable commercial films. Why don't people want to watch the movies I make? Most of the time, shouldn't it be a problem with the movies themselves?"

The host's heart "thudded" for a moment. He had a premonition that his boss might say something extraordinary on his show! Was it going to criticize movie critics, or directly criticize the entire film industry? Whichever it was, the ratings for today wouldn't be a concern.

Laila continued, "Why do people go into the cinema to watch a movie? One simple reason is that it's enjoyable! Because it's enjoyable, people are willing to spend money to watch it. Whether it's an art film, a horror film, a comedy, or any other genre. Some people think that most people don't understand art, so excellent art films will always lack the recognition they deserve, with only a small number of people praising how good and philosophical they are."

"I've always found it strange. If you can't even get many people to watch it, what's the point of making a movie, no matter how meaningful and philosophical it is? For example, in a commercial film with a billion-dollar box office, I told a philosophical fable. How many people would feel the philosophy of this fable? It's better than the arduous art films that elaborate on this issue throughout the entire movie, and only a small number of people have seen it. It should be more accessible, more understandable, and more educational, right?"

The host looked at her thoughtfully, "So you think that current movies, those with educational significance, can actually be made more enjoyable?"

"Yes, exactly. It may be a bit difficult to do, but it's not impossible."

"Will you make one in the future?"

"Definitely. Right now, I'm still learning and exploring. After shooting so many movies, I still feel that there are many areas where I'm lacking. That's why I say it's very important for me that people are willing to watch my movies and support me."

The host asked her somewhat sharply, "You just said that you can combine commercial and artistic aspects, and then you said you can't do it yourself. If even a genius like you can't do it, can anyone really do it?"

Laila laughed. How could she participate in a show without finding her own people? This created an opportunity for her to explain. If it were on someone else's turf, they would probably want to make things bigger, leaving her no chance to dispel misunderstandings.

"Of course, there will be people! Actually, if you look at the movies I've shot before, many of them have good box office and high artistic value. Perhaps many people would say that it's related to the conditions of the past, in a time when there was a lack of leisure activities, movies were the only choice for many people. And now there are so many things to do, you can also buy or rent CDs to watch at home, and the conditions are no longer as good as before."