In truth, as long as a film's box office reaches a certain threshold, it naturally stirs up public enthusiasm for moviegoing. Some people might not have stepped into a cinema for years—or even decades—but once they hear that a particular film has grossed billions of dollars, curiosity gets the better of them. They start wondering: Just what kind of movie is this?
Some go see the film just so they won't seem out of touch among friends or coworkers. They don't want to be the only ones who haven't seen the movie everyone's talking about.
This is exactly the demographic Laila has her eye on. The more casual viewers she draws in, the higher her chances of pulling off this box office challenge.
If the film were to perform like it did in her previous life, hitting 2.8 billion, it would already surpass Avatar's record. But, alas, in this life, the global box office benchmark had somehow been pushed up by another 300 million.
Hitting 3 billion was due in part to the earlier awakening of Eastern cinema, and also thanks to the technical support from Laila's own visual effects company. Both elements were connected to her—so even if she lost, she could only admit defeat.
To be honest, if the box office really did hit 2.8 billion, Laila would already be very satisfied. With those numbers, even if she didn't beat Avatar, who could still point a finger at her and call her a bad director? And if someone did try to say that, they'd better take a look at their own achievements first.
Besides, her biggest advantage is that she's still young. She's got plenty of time ahead to keep challenging that box office record. Who's to say she won't break it one day? And who can deny her place in film history as it already stands?
Even if she never succeeds in breaking that record, her mark on the history of cinema is not something just anyone can erase.
2.6 billion. 2.7 billion...
At this point, it felt like the whole world was watching to see where the final number would land. Many believed that if the record wasn't broken this time, it might take another decade or more before another film could pull it off, just like what happened with Titanic. In other words, Laila's film was currently the best shot anyone had at breaking the record.
Others argued that if Laila could make one film like this, she could make a second. After all, hadn't it been less than two years from the moment she decided to make this movie to its release? Even if she only challenged the record once every two years, she'd still have plenty of chances. So why worry about losing this round?
But of course, things weren't that simple.
One more clear-headed media outlet broke down the reasons why Laila's film had managed to gross over two billion. They believed that a lot of it came down to sheer coincidence.
For example, when Laila decided to make this film, she was at the peak of her fame. Every move she made attracted massive attention. Announcing a new film at that time was guaranteed to spark public interest.
Then there was the fact that she had boldly declared her goal was to break Avatar's record. That immediately rallied her fanbase and got them hyped. In a way, it was like doing a massive teaser campaign in advance, building up ticket sales from would-be fans.
Laila's skill in generating buzz is nothing short of brilliant. During production, all kinds of "leaks" and rumors about "abnormal filming conditions" kept interest high. Who could believe all that happened without her planning it?
Even in the final stages before release, she just so happened to be framed by someone.
If that scandal hadn't come to light early, it could've destroyed her career. But fate twisted in her favor—she emerged unscathed, and the bad publicity turned into good. The entire world became aware that her film was about to hit theaters.
All of these factors combined gave The Avengers its stunning box office performance.
As for support from Eastern cinema chains and Laila's overall publicity strategy—that's not even being considered in the analysis, because those are advantages she could leverage again in future films. The report only tallied the "unexpected" elements, suggesting that without those, the outcome might've been very different.
Laila herself agreed with this perspective. When she decided to shoot the film, it was precisely because she felt that moment was the best possible timing. If it had been any other time, she wouldn't have said outright that she was aiming to break records. She has many ways to prove herself—there's no need to gamble her future and reputation on one project.
One particularly interesting point from the report was the suggestion that Laila's fanbase still had a part to play—that perhaps, with their support alone, the film might just break Avatar's record after all.
What prompted this view was the film's recent unexpected box office uptick. The rise wasn't huge, but for a movie that had already been screening for quite some time, the increase was unusual.
The report cited examples from online sources, pointing to Laila's fans as the reason for this unexpected surge.
Her fans are known for their loyalty. Many had been following her since her debut, and most were young people. You could say they'd grown up alongside her.
Her first film hit theaters when she was just eighteen, and her fans were around the same age. Over the years, their unwavering support had formed a deeply rooted foundation for her box office numbers. Many articles had even quoted fans saying, "Even if she makes a bunch of weird stuff, it'll still sell three hundred million."
Since Laila's debut, her box office records had remained unbroken. Take Blood Diamond, for example—a film that critics were pessimistic about due to its gritty realism and dark tone. They assumed younger audiences wouldn't be into it. But even that supposedly "unmarketable" film ended up grossing 400 million worldwide.
How did that happen?
Sure, Laila's directing skills played a part, but her fans also worked hard to support her.
Over the years, many of those young fans had entered the workforce, gaining stable incomes and relationships. Love and family gave them even more reasons to go to the cinema. Under these conditions, Laila's films naturally became their go-to choice.
To them, Laila wasn't just a celebrity. She was their symbol. Sure, Hollywood had other young directors, but none as extraordinary as her. Her success gave fans a strong sense of identification—they saw her success as their success.
So even if Laila herself wasn't fixated on those two record-breaking achievements, her fans were—and they were more than willing to fight to protect them.