"How's the editing going?" he asked tentatively.
"Of course, it went well. I've already finished my work—doesn't that count as smooth sailing?" Laila smiled as she set the newspaper down and gave him a reassuring look.
Only then did Roy notice the newspaper in her hand. "Is this... a movie ad?"
"Yeah. Director Cameron's new film is set to release next year. It's about time to start building up some hype."
"Why are you so interested in that?" Roy asked. "I remember you didn't care much about this kind of stuff before." At least, he'd never seen her staring so seriously at a newspaper.
"Do you remember IMAX?" Laila looked at him.
"Of course. Didn't Nolan use it in some of his films?"
"That's right." Laila nodded. "But those were just select scenes. This time, Director Cameron is going full IMAX plus 3D. I think it might cause a massive sensation."
Roy chuckled. "Like The Lord of the Rings?"
"If only it were that simple." Laila shook her head with a smile. "You're a young guy—wouldn't you be curious about a film shot with cutting-edge technology? Especially when the director is the man behind Titanic, the one who created a box office record that not even Laila Moran could break."
At that, Roy's brow furrowed slightly. "Wait, are you saying all those posts and articles from before were part of the publicity push for Avatar?"
"It's not impossible." Laila figured if that post was written by Cooper, he probably just wanted to stir things up and make her uncomfortable. But at her current level, a few posts weren't enough to knock her off her pedestal.
Seeing that ad made her think back to those widespread reports across major media outlets. Thinking about it now, the timing felt very much like riding the tide. Maybe the post had nothing to do with them, but what came after definitely had Avatar's fingerprints all over it!
"Aren't you friends with Director Cameron? He wouldn't go that far, would he?"
"I do know Director Cameron, and my mother's good friends with him too. But do you think he's the only one behind a movie production?" Laila shook her head. "To make more money, it wouldn't be surprising at all if they used the opportunity to step on me a bit and lift him. I wouldn't even be shocked if they did something worse. That movie's worth it."
"You have that much faith in his film?" Roy had always admired her judgment in cinema. If even she believed it would be a hit, it probably would be.
Laila shrugged. "Yeah, because it's James Cameron. I think it'll be even harder for me to surpass the highest box office record in history."
"Hold on!" Roy stared at her in surprise. "Are you saying he could top the box office charts again? Surpass Titanic?"
"You'll see when the time comes." Laila hoped she was just joking, but facts were facts, and no one could change that.
Roy thought for a moment. "It's fine. We're not clashing with his film next year anyway." No matter how powerful the movie was, let it go bully the poor souls releasing in the same slot.
"Let's not talk about that. I'm leaving work early today. Want to catch a movie?" Laila stood up from behind her desk, grabbed the coat hanging nearby, and hooked her arm through his.
Roy certainly wouldn't turn her down. As they walked out together, he asked, "Anything good showing?"
"Who knows? We'll pick when we get there. It's a date."
"Alright, it's a date!" Roy grinned, grabbing her purse and coat, thinking to himself how much he loved those two words—"a date."
It turned out to be a pretty good one. They picked a comedy—plot aside, it had some decent jokes that let them switch off their brains and laugh along with the crowd.
"What do you think about me making a film like that?" Laila asked on the way home, recalling the scenes from the movie.
"You serious?" Roy burst out laughing. "A gross-out comedy with toilet humor? Trust me, if you ever actually made something like that, there'd be a mob ready to tear you apart. In movie lovers' eyes, you're a legend—a flawless director! They wouldn't want to see you tarnished."
"Tarnished? I wouldn't call that a stain. It was kind of fun, wasn't it?" Laila was reminded of The Hangover, which was set to release the following year. A raunchy, crude comedy that went viral across the globe—it was crass, over-the-top, but had people laughing their guts out.
"No, no, that's not your thing," Roy said, wincing at the mental image.
Laila had just been speaking off the cuff—she knew she wasn't cut out for that kind of film. Her personality wasn't wired for comedy, so how could she direct one? Even with the kung fu comedy she made with Jackie Chan years ago, she felt as if she'd let go a little more, it might have turned out better.
The reason she asked was simple—her fingers were itching again. Or maybe it was more accurate to say her fighting spirit had been rekindled. In her past life, she could only watch from afar as one Hollywood heavyweight after another rose to fame. Watching James Cameron pull off box office miracle after miracle, all she could feel was envy and admiration. The gap between them was too wide—he was a cloud in the sky, and she was dust on the ground.
But things were different now.
Now, she was Laila Moran—Hollywood's undisputed top-tier director. She had signature works, box office hits, and a flawless critical reputation that swept up award after award.
If she wanted to make a movie, there would be endless funding ready to back her. She didn't even have to think about the budget. She had a full suite of media channels at her disposal for one-stop promotion.
So now that she was facing Avatar again, all those memories of how wildly popular it became came flooding back.
If before, she had felt indifferent about Titanic—like she could surpass it anytime she wanted—then Avatar had well and truly triggered her adrenaline.
To be honest, she was almost at the very peak among Hollywood directors. The only one who could be called her rival… was probably Director Cameron and his films.
To borrow a line from a pretentious novel: she had reached the realm of Invincible Sword Saint—life without rivals had grown boring.
Having a worthy opponent was a blessing. It gave people motivation to keep striving forward. Not that Laila was the kind to slack off just because she had no competition. Even if she were the only director left on Earth, she'd keep making films. Because this was what she loved.
Right now, she just wanted to have a real showdown with Director Cameron—to find out where her true limits lay. To see if she really couldn't beat the box office record he created.