"Laila, have you made up your mind?"
Louise had known about the plan since Iron Man. You could say she'd known for years that Laila had a massive scheme in the works—she just hadn't expected her to pull it out now. That meant she was serious this time.
Laila nodded. "Yes, I've thought it through. I don't just want to win—I want to win beautifully. Louise, I need your help."
"Of course! I'll do everything I can to help you!"
For some reason, as she spoke those words, Louise felt a long-lost fire reignite inside her. That flicker of passion she'd thought was buried for good surged back up from deep in her heart.
The thought that she might leave her name in history as the producer of the highest-grossing film of all time—she could barely contain her excitement.
Yes! Without realizing it, she and Laila had been working together for over a decade. In those ten years, she had witnessed miracle after miracle and watched as Laila's relentless drive helped her achieve dreams she'd never even dared to imagine. Ten years ago, when Reynolds was still alive, she would've laughed if someone told her she'd one day stand on the Oscar stage to accept the Best Picture award—not just once, but twice.
Back then, she would've thought it was a joke.
The growth of their company, the rise of Dragon Soul and Phoenix in Hollywood—so much had happened that she'd nearly forgotten the early days, when she and a few partners had once chased their dreams with youthful fervor.
She, too, had once given everything for film. She had once chased her dreams, just like in the movies, running into the sunset.
So why not go crazy one more time with Laila?
If this was her last wild ride, she'd die happy. No regrets.
But what she didn't know was: just when she thought Laila had already gone bold enough… Laila made an even bolder move.
She wanted to hold a press conference.
"Do you know what'll happen if you hold a press conference right now? Those reporters will eat you alive!"
At this point, Louise was beyond shocked—terrified was more accurate.
She had been hoping they could film the movie quietly. Then, when it came out, they'd never publicly state it was made to challenge the all-time box office record. That way, even if it didn't hit the mark, no one would say anything nasty.
But Laila just smiled.
"Of course, we're holding a press conference. And not just any press conference—it's going to be huge. I want the whole world to know: I'm making a film to challenge the number one spot in box office history."
"Why? That's too risky. If you fall short by even one dollar, the media will tear you apart."
Louise knew how ruthless the media could be. One minute, they'd be angels helping you promote and amplify your voice. Next, they'd stab you in the back just to generate clicks.
Never trust the media. They could take the same story and spin it any way they wanted, depending on which way the wind—or money—blows.
"You have Moran Media on your side, sure, but even they can't silence every outlet."
And the current media climate has made that painfully obvious. Even with Moran Media's resources, they hadn't been able to control the narrative in America. If another war of words broke out in the future, how much help would they be?
"Louise, I know what you're worried about," Laila said with a wry smile. "You're thinking, if this movie fails, at least I'll have a way out."
She patted the stack of newspapers on the table.
"But look at this. Do you think I still have a way out?"
Louise didn't even need to look at the headlines to know what was written.
And because of that… she couldn't answer.
For someone like Laila, she was already past the point of retreat.
"…"
After a moment of silence, Louise let out a sigh.
"Are you sure you understand what will happen if you fail—and that you're willing to accept that outcome?"
"Yes, I know," Laila said firmly. "And I won't fail."
Louise looked at her, wishing she could open her skull and see what kind of thoughts were swirling inside. Why deliberately push yourself into a corner when there were safer ways to move forward?
"…Alright. I'll set it up for you. But are you sure you don't want to approach this more softly?"
Laila chuckled.
"Louise, I think you misunderstand what I'm trying to do. Believe me, if I want to make the highest-grossing film in history, then this press conference is necessary—and it has to be as massive as possible. If time allows, we can even bring in international media."
Louise's eyes went wide. For a moment, her brain short-circuited—she nearly fainted.
Not only did she want to stir up every American news outlet—she wanted foreign media, too? In Louise's mind, this translated to: It's not enough to make a scene at home—let's embarrass ourselves on the global stage too.
"Laila, do you even realize what you're saying?"
"I do. Of course I do."
It wasn't the first time she'd seen Louise react this way, and it always amused her. Had she said something so terrifying?
"Louise, think about it. Why did Cameron's films make so much money?"
Louise rubbed her forehead, trying to keep her brain from overheating.
"Beautiful visuals, groundbreaking tech… story, effects, and so on."
"You're not wrong," Laila smiled confidently. "But you forgot the most important part—marketing! And when it comes to marketing, I don't lose to anyone."
Louise couldn't argue with that.
That much was common knowledge. Anyone who knew Laila knew how she'd engineered one miraculous campaign after another.
"But what does film marketing have to do with this press conference?" Louise still didn't fully get her plan. But she didn't pretend to understand. In her view, not being able to predict Laila's strategy was a good thing. If she could read her moves that easily, she wouldn't have nearly driven Phoenix into bankruptcy ten years ago over a single bad review from Cooper.
"It's everything," Laila said, propping her cheek on one hand, tilting her head.
"What's the hottest topic right now? Me. All that gossip. And what do reporters care about most? Whatever everyone else cares about."
"Now imagine—once I hold a press conference, how many people will show up just to dig for dirt? And if I drop the bombshell that The Avengers is going to challenge the number one box office spot in history… can you even imagine the explosion it'll cause?"