During Christmas, Laila and Roy attended the premiere of Sherlock Holmes. This time, they were there as guests but still attracted enormous attention. Mainly because Laila had been out of the public eye for quite some time — the last time anyone saw her was that accidental interview on a movie program.
Tonight, she wasn't dressed extravagantly — a simple pantsuit made her look sharp and energetic, accentuating her long, slender legs. Because they were in a rush and didn't have time for custom tailoring, Roy simply wore the Burberry outfit from the brand he endorsed. Even so, the two of them instantly became the most eye-catching pair on the red carpet.
Sherlock Holmes was produced by Warner Bros., and thanks to previous collaborations, Laila maintained a good relationship with them.
The Warner Bros. executives at the premiere were very happy to see Laila attending in person. Several of them gathered around her, expressing their hope for future collaboration.
Laila didn't refuse.
She was someone who couldn't resist a good script. As long as they could offer something that satisfied her, she was more than willing to work together again. As for the money, even if she was making a film for someone else's studio, her "appearance fee" was not something ordinary directors could ever dream of. At her level, not only did she receive hefty compensation, but she also took a share of the box office profits.
Sure, it wouldn't be as profitable as producing her films, but for her, an appealing script was a powerful weapon — a "killer move" that could easily stop her in her tracks.
The premiere was a great success. Ever since Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. had gone from a fallen genius actor to a brilliant comeback star. His role as Iron Man had earned him many new fans and significantly boosted his box office draw. Based on this alone, Laila believed Sherlock Holmes would do quite well.
And she wasn't wrong. While Avatar firmly held onto the top spot at the weekly box office, Sherlock Holmes still debuted strongly in second place, earning over $60 million in its first week.
This was a fantastic achievement, especially considering it managed to hold its own under the crushing dominance of the Avatar juggernaut.
Laila thought that if it hadn't run up against Avatar, they probably could've earned another $10 million.
By mid-January 2010, Laila returned to Hollywood with Eli, Claire, and Roy.
She had to come back — there were too many aspects of her new film project that required her attention. Many things couldn't be handled over the phone. Even as the boss, she couldn't justify making her team repeatedly fly back and forth in this kind of weather. She didn't care about the travel expenses, but she did care about her staff's health.
So despite Janet and the grandparents' reluctance to let little Eli leave, Laila and her family returned.
It was little Eli's first time at their Beverly Hills home. The unfamiliar environment made him a bit reserved. If not for the familiar presence of people he knew, he probably would've already burst into tears.
Well, actually... he wouldn't cry.
Looking at his tiny face frowning at such a young age, it was hard to imagine him ever throwing a tantrum over unfamiliar surroundings.
Laila remembered when he first learned to crawl. He once fell off the bed quite badly, but never shed a tear.
It wasn't that they hadn't taken good care of him — no one expected him to learn to crawl so early. She had only put him on the bed briefly to change his clothes, but before anyone could react, he had already toppled off and landed hard, even bruising his chubby little arm. Yet, clutching his bruised hand, the boy didn't make a sound, just furrowed his brows tightly, his entire body radiating an icy "stay away" vibe.
Laila, having lived two lives, had never raised a child before, so she didn't know what was normal in other families. But raising Eli sometimes felt like raising a little CEO-in-the-making. Tease him? He'd frown. Try to feed him something he didn't like. Those eyes would immediately flash with undisguised disdain.
She had to admit, raising a child like this was quite entertaining. Laila often teased little Eli into frowning, while she laughed so hard she nearly doubled over. She even wickedly took lots of photos, planning to show them to him when he grew up.
Laila had chosen to return to Hollywood in mid-January for a specific reason: the 67th Golden Globe Awards were scheduled for January 18th.
She had received the invitation early on, inviting the entire Blood Diamond team to attend the ceremony. As expected, Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated for Best Actor in a Drama, and Laila herself was nominated for Best Director. Blood Diamond was also competing with Avatar for Best Picture.
Interestingly, another major contender that year was The Hurt Locker, directed by Cameron's ex-wife. Critics had been full of praise for the film even before the nominations were announced, and it quickly became one of the season's favorites. Many critics believed its story and depth surpassed Avatar — not in terms of technology, but in terms of narrative and substance.
In Laila's memories from her previous life, it was indeed Cameron's ex-wife who ultimately triumphed at the Oscars. She wondered if things would play out the same way this time.
As Oscar host Steve Martin once famously quipped: "Who can resist when that guy makes a film everyone loves?" After Avatar dominated the box office for five weeks and broke record after record, any criticism against it seemed futile. If the movie was so bad, why would so many people support it with their wallets?
On the red carpet, as always, Laila and Roy became the most talked-about pair. Even Leonardo, walking beside them, couldn't steal the media and fans' attention away from them. After all, Laila kept such a low profile that events like this were practically the only chance for people to see her.
Viewers watching the live broadcast at home couldn't help but feel she had an inexplicable aura that naturally drew all eyes to her.
"Laila looks even more beautiful after having a child."
"I swear, she's the most beautiful director out there!"
"If she would star in one of her movies, I'd go see it just to watch her on screen."
"Roy is the luckiest man on earth."
Similar discussions flooded online forums and Facebook. Compared to many beautiful actresses, Laila's looks were merely "above average." But she had a remarkable sense of style — or rather, Janet had a remarkable sense of styling her. Look at the clothes she wore — every piece was personally designed and crafted by Janet.
With a top-tier designer tailoring every outfit specifically for her — matching her skin tone, eye color, and overall aura — how could she not look stunning?