Even long after this day—when the young had grown older, and even after they'd seen many more massive productions—thinking back to that airborne aircraft carrier rising from the ocean still made their hearts race.
In the future, there would be flying craft bigger, flashier, and more powerful than this one. But somehow, compared to the carrier in their memories, all of them seemed dull and lifeless.
The one in the trailer defied description—it was immense, majestic, a perfect fusion of strength and beauty. When seawater poured off its hull like a flood from an opened sluice gate, the surge of emotion was like boiling waves, etching a deep mark in the hearts of everyone who saw it.
At that moment, some people began to feel uneasy. They were Laila's haters, and the last thing they wanted was to see her succeed.
"Just that aircraft carrier alone is worth several hundred million!" — those were the exact words of one film critic.
From that carrier, he saw the movie's raw allure—and Laila's ambition. If she wasn't dead serious about breaking the all-time box office record, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to create such a spectacular scene.
That also raised a question—did this mean the script she'd written in just two weeks might be worth anticipating? If she truly lacked confidence, would a director of her caliber sink such an expensive special-effects budget into a terrible script?
The seasoned eyes of Hollywood thought not. In just a minute and a half, the teaser already said more than enough.
The opening superhero lineup alone guaranteed that the heroes' fans would turn up. From the sky-high box office numbers each hero had generated in their solo films, it was obvious—people loved them and would happily pay for them.
And now, Laila was bringing several of the most popular heroes together from the very start, standing atop the expectations of countless fans, with a rock-solid baseline for ticket sales. As long as the film wasn't unbearably bad, it was bound to make money. The only question was—how much? That would depend on the script and the director's skill.
To be fair, if Laila had claimed she was aiming for the second-highest box office in history, no one would have objected. After all, she'd topped a billion dollars more than once. Titanic's $1.8 billion haul didn't seem so unattainable anymore after Avatar's $3 billion.
People believed that if she wanted to, she could surpass that $1.8 billion record. But number one? That was harder to swallow—not three hundred million, not even $1.3 billion, but a staggering $3 billion.
No one had forgotten the shockwaves that number sent through the world. Whether moviegoers or industry insiders, everyone had been stunned, and most believed it could only be beaten with the help of inflation—by making money worth less.
Now, Laila has unveiled her first trailer. Between the roster of superheroes and that jaw-dropping aircraft carrier, forecasters already believed a $1 billion box office was easily within reach.
With her influence and a strong marketing campaign, it might even be possible to surpass Titanic's $1.8 billion. But $3 billion… better not try to challenge that terrifying mountain.
If the Titanic were an iceberg, Avatar was Everest—it was almost certainly impossible to climb past it.
Whatever the critics thought, the fans didn't care.
Laila's reputation for never making a bad movie had spread worldwide. They didn't need another Dark Knight–level classic from her—just a solid, exhilarating blockbuster. In that case, they'd buy their tickets without hesitation, and they wouldn't come alone—they'd bring their friends to boost the box office.
Of course, not everyone was praising her. After the teaser, her fans were excited—but so were her haters, because they saw what they believed was the film's biggest problem, one that might become the straw that broke the camel's back if mishandled—possibly even causing the whole thing to collapse.
"Is this movie worth anticipating?" one hater wrote in a lengthy Facebook post.
"Sure, Laila's made some very good films. But that doesn't mean she can't make a bad one. She's not a god—she can't be perfect forever. Take this time, for example. Success has blinded her, made her spout off about going for the all-time box office record."
"This time is different. Maybe to pull in enough superhero fans, she's crammed a pile of them into one film. Sure, that's a great way to milk the fanbase, but don't forget—the audience isn't stupid. You can't just throw a bunch of random stuff together and expect them to be happy."
"Want me to be clearer? It's simple—this is an ensemble film. Do you know what that means? It means a movie with many important characters—and here, every single one of them is a protagonist. In The Avengers, Iron Man is the lead, Captain America is the lead, Hulk is the lead, Thor is the lead—every single superhero is a lead."
"So, how do you divide the screen time? Let them all talk over each other? Or have each step forward to deliver a few lines?"
Plenty of people agreed with him. Ensemble films were notoriously difficult—especially ones where each character had a distinct personality and immense charisma.
If you just jam them together without finesse, the result is a fragmented mess—like stitching together patches of clashing fabric into a garment that looks less like fashion and more like a ragged quilt.
And it wasn't just fans—some critics also felt the concern was valid. The history of cinema had its share of failed ensemble films, many collapsing into incoherent fragments because the focus was too scattered and didn't serve the central theme.
No one knew if Laila might make the same mistake. She was still young, with far less experience than she imagined—otherwise she wouldn't speak so casually about challenging the box office record.
As the man said, perhaps her constant success had made her arrogant—too stubborn to listen to advice, too headstrong. The world doesn't guarantee that hard work will bring success; sometimes, people slam headfirst into a wall because they refuse to turn.
Yes, effort brings results—but whether those results are what you truly wanted is another matter entirely.