Chapter 875 - Laila's Wall of Honor

"You said that to deal with the media exaggerating about you?"

Laila smiled and leaned back into her chair. "Since those media outlets are hyping me up, I can only save myself." Given their penchant for causing trouble, trying to communicate with them to remove those topics was impossible. Even if they were willing, the direction of public opinion had already spread.

She estimated that the purpose of those trying to undermine her was to make the media excessively praise her, thus diminishing the judges' favorable impression and willingness to vote for her.

So she countered by revealing that the judges might not award her due to media hype. She believed that after some time, this perspective would overshadow the previous negative impact. After all, she wasn't lying, and there were plenty of statistics to support the claims in the post.

In this way, if the judges indeed didn't give her the award, the public would see it as proof that the Oscar judges were as narrow-minded as described in the post, unfairly treating the films in the competition to demonstrate their power.

Judges indeed disliked having their thoughts guessed by the media, but that didn't mean they liked having their thoughts exposed to the public. Even to prove the speculations wrong, they would seriously consider their votes.

Laila only wanted a fair chance. She spent five years honing and evolving her directing skills, several years refining the script and over a year making the film.

When she decided to make *The Lord of the Rings*, it was with the Oscars in mind. How could she allow a cowardly clown to use despicable means to ruin years of her hard work?

So she wrote the post and had the tech department post it anonymously on the most active forums, hoping it would be widely seen.

Then she had her internet army join in the hype, spreading the post everywhere to ensure it became a hot topic.

She had seen and done such public opinion guidance too many times in her previous life, with more advanced methods than those used today.

It was a public opinion war, and she had never lost one!

Roy, without knowing some inside information or understanding Laila so well, wouldn't have guessed this incident was related to her. No one would expect someone to post ten reasons they wouldn't win an award and make it widely known. Wasn't she afraid the Oscar judges would believe her and not give her the award?

Call Laila bold or thick-skinned, but her actions did steer the distorted public opinion in a strange direction. Even those who initially had high hopes for *The Lord of the Rings* were now hesitant to express their views.

With so many people believing the film wouldn't win any awards, openly expressing an opposing view would seem like a publicity stunt.

Many people sincerely appreciated the film and were confident in its ability to sweep the awards season. However, with the current chaos, it was hard to say if the judges would be influenced.

The media frenzy confused critics and news followers alike and worried those who cared about Laila. Especially the Moran family, who were concerned. Janet, upon learning of the situation, personally found her daughter and took her out, under the guise of bonding but actually to comfort her through shopping and spending money.

Laila initially thought her mother wanted to buy things, but after carrying numerous bags to a restaurant, she realized her mother's true intention through her roundabout comfort. It was an understandable misunderstanding, but Laila didn't mind the occasional outing.

Though Mr. Oswald was still abroad, as the real head of the Moran family, he had been informed of Laila's media manipulations. Supporting his granddaughter, he instructed his people to follow her lead and reprimanded the informant, emphasizing that Laila was the true acting president of the Moran family. Reporting behind the boss's back was unacceptable.

A loyal subordinate was essential, but one who disregarded the boss was intolerable. Through this incident, Mr. Oswald made it clear that Laila had the full authority of a president.

Despite the chaotic public opinion, *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King*'s box office was soaring like a rocket, now reaching $1.4 billion globally and approaching the record of the previous installment. Given its strong performance, surpassing another billion worldwide seemed possible.

Some of Laila's fans even hoped it would break the record for the highest-grossing film in history.

The highest-grossing film was *Titanic* with $1.8 billion!

This record, nearly ten years old, had been challenged only by Laila. No other director had come close.

Records are meant to be broken, and many hoped for a new champion. Being overshadowed by a film from ten years ago implied that today's movies were inferior.

It's not surprising that modern films struggle against older ones, given the different release rules. How long did *Titanic* run in theaters? Up to 183 days in some places!

Could any film today run that long? The answer is no.

Different environments and rules make breaking that record challenging.

That's why people believed Laila had the best shot at breaking it. The box office chart, except for *Titanic* at the top, was dominated by her films: the three *Lord of the Rings* movies, followed by *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone* and *Iron Man*.

When Laila's fans expressed their hope for a new box office record, the media and public realized Laila's remarkable achievements. This wasn't just a box office chart; it was Laila Moran's wall of honor!

Occupying half of the top ten spots, along with sequels directed by others and classics produced by her company, her achievements were truly "fearsome"!

Most astonishing was her age—only 27, a time when other directors were just getting small opportunities. While young directors were being nurtured, she was rewriting cinematic history. How could other directors compete?