Even the President of the United States had once said that the Oscars were rife with racial discrimination. There had even been instances where, for two consecutive years, not a single Black actor was nominated in the performance categories.
Some people even claimed that to win an Oscar, you first had to be American—and then you had to be white.
So, if it came down to appearances alone, Roy had a much better chance of winning the award than Leslie Cheung.
In Laila's heart, she surely recognized both of their acting skills, believing them equally outstanding. But emotionally, she still leaned toward her idol. After all, Roy had already proven himself with an Oscar, while her idol had been denied the chance to go further simply because Hollywood didn't take East Asians seriously.
Still, she didn't want to see Roy give up before even stepping onto the battlefield. In her view, that was the act of a coward. You could lose, but you couldn't back down before the fight. If he started entertaining thoughts of retreat just because his opponent was strong, it would only disappoint her.
"I've got confidence, of course." Roy snorted through his nose.
Over the past days, he had learned a lot from that man. The cultural differences between East and West meant that certain interpretations diverged, and after gaining a better understanding of those differences, Roy felt that his acting skills had grown even more refined. In terms of pure acting ability, he didn't think he'd necessarily lose.
"Good. As long as you've got confidence. Who ends up taking the award—let's leave that for the Oscar judges to decide."
Laila smiled at him, sincerely hoping he'd maintain this mindset until the end. The Roy, full of drive and determination, was the most charismatic version of him. She didn't want to see that old, self-doubting version ever again.
Before the Golden Globes, Laila and everyone else bid farewell to Golden Island, where they had stayed for several months, and returned to their own homes.
This year's awards season didn't have much to do with Laila personally, though several films under her company had received solid reviews. Her Rising Talent Project had already become one of the most successful initiatives in Hollywood, supplying Laila with a steady stream of exceptional young talent.
They had not only the technical skills but also accumulated real experience through the program—and, importantly, had connected with like-minded peers from all over the world. United by a shared dream, they all deeply valued the opportunities in front of them.
A large number of low-budget films had been released; although not every one of them made it to theaters, a portion still managed to generate decent revenue through DVD sales. Just from these income streams alone, Phoenix Company earned profits that made many rival studios green with envy.
However, when those profits were placed next to what Dragon Soul Studios was making, they paled in comparison. Dragon Soul focused solely on high-quality productions, with each film costing over $100 million to produce—some even exceeded $200 million. For example, the Transformers series, the Iron Man series, and other Marvel superhero films.
These high investments brought equally high returns. Every single film generated tremendous value for the company—not just through box office earnings, but also through merchandise and DVD sales. So much so that whenever Hollywood insiders talked about Dragon Soul, about Laila, and Marvel, it was always with envy. Many of them wished they had been the ones to acquire Marvel back then.
Still, not everyone agreed with that sentiment. When Laila first acquired Marvel, there were plenty who were skeptical. Wall Street analysts even predicted it would be the worst decision of her career—claiming she had essentially bought her little brother a "toy."
The outcome, however, was clear for all to see. Laila not only defied all expectations by producing Iron Man, but also launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe and The Avengers from there.
Many believed that if it weren't for her—the visionary at the helm of Dragon Soul—Marvel would still be the struggling company that had to sell off its superhero rights just to stay afloat.
The box office success of superhero films wasn't just a win for Laila. It also stirred the ambitions of DC Comics, which had long held onto a goldmine. Just like Marvel had the Avengers, DC had its own Justice League.
In terms of lineup, DC arguably had the upper hand. They boasted the two most iconic superheroes—Batman and Superman.
By comparison, the members of Laila's Avengers couldn't hold a candle to those two in terms of global influence.
How many people knew about Superman and Batman? Countless. Their presence dated back decades, with films, TV shows, and cartoons etching them into public memory.
And yet, the gap between the two franchises was staggering. Take the Justice League film from her previous life, for example. It barely made $100 million in its first three days. Meanwhile, The Avengers raked in $200 million in the same time frame. That alone made it clear: Justice League flopped.
Back in Hollywood, Laila continued overseeing the post-production of The Avengers while simultaneously working on the film's promotional strategy.
She'd always said it: No matter how good James Cameron's movies were, if they didn't have strong promotional backing, they wouldn't hit those insane box office highs.
And if she could secure a marketing budget, she would make sure to use it to the fullest. Every major film with backing would go all-out on promotion.
This time, Laila had no intention of pinching pennies. She didn't care if this campaign became the most expensive in history—her goal was simple: let the entire world know that this film is coming out—and that it's freaking amazing!
Public perception was a key factor. Even if advertisements packed theaters on day one, if audiences walked out thinking, "Only a fool would pay to watch that incoherent mess," then no amount of marketing could save the film from tanking the next day.
Online platforms now played a far greater role in spreading word-of-mouth than critics ever could. The majority of people paying to see blockbusters were young audiences, and young people dominated the internet. Trying to trick them into watching a known flop was pointless. It was far smarter to go back and fix the movie properly.
Sitting at her desk, Laila began listing out all the advantages of The Avengers on paper: a lineup full of marketable characters, a strong comic book fanbase, and a cast of handsome men and beautiful women. Whether people came for the visuals, the plot, or the effects, this movie wouldn't disappoint.
But that didn't mean there weren't concerns to watch out for. For instance, there was a post by Cooper that raised some very valid points. He believed that cramming so many superheroes into one film risked making the plot feel disjointed. If not handled carefully, the whole thing could end up looking like a patchwork mess, losing its original appeal.