The filming process could be considered smooth—or not, depending on how you looked at it. The performances? Flawless. Both actors were true professionals who had studied the script inside out, fully internalizing their characters and motivations. Their understanding of the roles was so precise that even Laila, the director herself, had to admit she couldn't do better.
Every expression, every movement—they delivered exactly what she wanted in front of the camera, filling her with growing confidence about the film's success.
But not everything went according to plan.
The problem? A troop of mischievous monkeys.
No one could quite figure out what species they were, but they were unnervingly intelligent—and extremely curious.
At first, they only appeared occasionally, peeking down from the treetops to observe the crew. But then one day, a baby monkey scampered down from the canopy, and a crew member—finding it unbearably cute—gave it a snack.
Pandora's box was opened.
The next thing they knew, a whole troop of monkeys began showing up at the shoot daily. And they came with an attitude: no food, no peace. Even with food, they'd still cause trouble. Turn your back for a second, and your gear might vanish. If it wasn't food, they'd sometimes bring it back… though it'd usually be chewed on, slobbered over, or otherwise mangled beyond recognition.
There were around 30 of them. To prevent further disruptions, Laila's crew had no choice but to bring along a large pack full of snacks every time they entered the rainforest to shoot.
The cost wasn't the issue. As long as the monkeys stopped interfering, it was worth it. But their curiosity was relentless. They'd suddenly leap from the trees mid-scene, dart across the set, or even mess with the camera equipment. Once, during an intense scene between Roy and Leslie Cheung, two monkeys jumped onto their shoulders in the middle of a take, completely ruining what had been a perfect performance.
That was when Laila snapped.
Everyone in the crew knew how high her standards were. Working under her direction meant everyone was constantly on edge, doing their best to avoid even the slightest mistake.
She always said, "Yes, a good actor can redo a scene. But how can you guarantee the next take will be better than the one you ruined? Emotions aren't fixed—they ebb and flow. Even a slight variation in delivery can change the impact entirely."
Imagine a scene that could've been legendary—scrapped because of some careless interference. Could anything be more frustrating?
Having worked with her for years, the team understood this deeply, and they all strove to give her their best.
But the monkeys… were a wild card she couldn't control. And it was clear now—if they didn't deal with them, filming simply couldn't continue. This time, they'd only jumped on the actors. But what if next time, their claws or teeth accidentally hurt someone? Laila couldn't take that risk.
So why were there monkeys on the island to begin with?
Laila asked the island staff and learned that the monkeys were natives—long-term inhabitants of the rainforest. The island was home to several hundred of them, and the troop bothering the crew just happened to live near the filming area.
Technically, it was Laila and her team who were disturbing their home.
The monkeys weren't considered dangerous—there had never been any recorded attacks on humans. When the island underwent environmental management years ago, they'd been removed from the list of animals to be relocated or culled.
"But what now?" Laila sighed in frustration. "If they keep this up, I can't shoot at all."
A staff member hesitated for a moment, then offered a suggestion:
"What if we bring in some trained predators? I heard the scent of big cats can scare them away."
"You think that would work?" Laila had heard similar things before, but she'd never seen it in action and wasn't sure how effective it was.
The staff member scratched his head, clearly unsure himself. "I'm… not positive, but it should work?"
Laila sighed again. "Well, let's try it then."
She couldn't bring herself to harm the monkeys. After all, it was her team who had intruded into their territory. How could she justify killing the rightful residents? That'd be outright robbery, wouldn't it?
Besides, the monkeys—annoying as they were—hadn't done anything malicious. At worst, they demanded snacks and stole a few odd items. If they realized something was useless, they even returned it—albeit a little damp and chewed.
If they hadn't disrupted the filming so badly, Laila wouldn't have considered doing anything about them. Now, all she wanted was for the predator's scent to work and for things to return to normal.
The next day, sure enough, someone brought a leopard to the set.
It was a sleek black panther from a zoo abroad—its fur glossy and jet-black, its golden eyes razor-sharp, exuding a powerful aura of controlled menace.
Laila's eyes lit up the moment she saw it. She'd assumed a zoo-raised leopard might be too tame to be intimidating—but in person, the big cat was every bit the embodiment of grace and strength. Its body rippled with raw, contained energy.
Luckily, it was kept securely in a cage, so there was no risk of it going rogue.
"Do you think this will work?" Roy asked, fascinated. He reached out, wanting to touch the sleek fur—only for Laila to smack his hand away.
"You wanna lose that hand?" she glared.
"I thought it was trained?" Roy winced, rubbing his hand.
Laila snorted. "Trained or not, it's still fed raw meat. You think it'll pass up a soft, tender snack like that?" She pointed at his hand.
Roy looked down at his calloused palm, worn from years of martial arts training. "This is soft and tender?"
Could she not make him sound like some pampered pretty boy? He did have eight-pack abs, after all!
Laila gave him a cold smirk. "How do you know it doesn't prefer something with a little chew to it?"
Roy fell silent. He knew better than to push further—who knew what kind of insult would come next?
Nearby, the crew stifled their laughter until their faces turned red. This was why Laila was considered one of the best directors in Hollywood—her way with words alone made her a legend.
Leslie Cheung's young assistant was also trying hard not to laugh. She had decent English skills, which was how she got the chance to accompany him to this shoot. What surprised her most was how down-to-earth Laila was. Sure, she was strict during filming—but compared to other directors, some of whom weren't even as famous but had much worse tempers, Laila was incredibly easy to work with.