Chapter 376 - On the Show

In the United States, like the time she went on FOX for a TV show, if there were no top executives to welcome her, she wouldn't even bother going in. But here, it was different. Nobody cared about her grandfather's identity, and nobody paid attention to her association with the Moran Group. After all, it was a foreign media conglomerate, and it couldn't have much influence domestically.

So in the East, what garnered the most attention for Laila was her identity as a Hollywood director.

Wu Mo led her upstairs while introducing her to some information about the television station, and at the same time, he explained the content of the show.

"This show mainly discusses various topics with guests. They will show you a list of questions that will be mentioned during the program. If there's anything you don't want to be brought up, you can let them know in advance. Additionally, if you have anything you'd like to share on the show, you can discuss it with them."

Having appeared on numerous shows in the United States, Laila was familiar with this process. She also knew that due to her status as a "foreigner," the hosts and production team wouldn't be too demanding. Besides, the programming on the national television network wasn't as entertainment-focused as in foreign countries; they would likely ask questions about movies and her personal experiences.

When they arrived at the studio, Laila met the director and host of the show. The host, Wang Tao, was already quite famous, and his show was well-loved by the audience. His hosting style was more emotional and sentimental, and he didn't ask overly intrusive questions.

"These are the topics we'll be discussing shortly, Director Moran. Please take a look and let us know if there's anything you'd prefer not to discuss." Perhaps knowing that Laila was proficient in Chinese, he began speaking in Chinese right away.

Laila quickly glanced at the list. "No problem, it's much more relaxed than the questions I've encountered abroad."

That was the truth, but it made the people around her laugh.

"We found some of the previous shows you participated in online. While our style may be a bit different, we hope you can feel as comfortable here as you would at home. Also, feel free to share anything you'd like to be included in the show."

Laila smiled and nodded, "Thank you, I think we'll have a very enjoyable time on the show. By the way, just call me Laila."

Wang Tao dropped the formalities as well, smiling warmly. "Laila, welcome to our national television network."

Soon, the official recording of the show began.

Laila and Wang Tao sat on opposite sides of a small round table.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today we have a special guest with us, Laila Moran, hailing from Hollywood, USA," Wang Tao introduced Laila to the camera. In truth, more detailed information about her had already been covered extensively in the media recently, but for the sake of viewers who might not be familiar with her, some basic introductions were necessary.

"Laila, is this your first time visiting the Eastern Kingdom?" Wang Tao asked.

Laila smiled and nodded, "Yes."

"For your first visit, what are your impressions of the Eastern Kingdom?"

Having lived as an Easterner for thirty years in her previous life, Laila knew what the audience liked to hear. "The Eastern Kingdom is a wonderful country. I've been to the Great Wall and the Forbidden City in the past few days, and everything I've seen has been so beautiful."

Wang Tao continued, "So, what has left the deepest impression on you?"

Laila deliberately pondered for a few seconds before responding, "It would probably be the Eastern cuisine. My grandmother is also from the East, and she used to cook delicious Eastern dishes for me since I was a child. So, coming here, I've tried many of the things she recommended, like tofu pudding and Peking duck."

Wang Tao chuckled, "You've come to the right place then. The Eastern Kingdom boasts eight major cuisines that can keep you eating for centuries."

After chatting for a while, they finally moved on to the main topic.

"Laila, you're a well-known Hollywood director. Do you have any knowledge of Eastern films?"

"Describing it as knowledge might be an exaggeration," Laila knew she couldn't reveal too much on television, "but I do have some Eastern films that I really enjoy."

With great interest, Wang Tao asked, "Which ones, for example?"

"Such as some of the works by Mr. Chow Sing-Chi; I find them very entertaining. There are also directors like Chen Kaige, Wu Yusen, and Xu Ke. And currently, Ang Lee's film 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' is showing, which I believe will perform well even in North America."

'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' had officially premiered in the Eastern Kingdom in early July and was still in theaters, so Wang Tao was quite familiar with this film.

"What do you think are the differences between Hollywood and Eastern films? There are very few films like 'Rush Hour' that can simultaneously appeal to both Eastern and Western audiences. Yet Hollywood films can achieve very good results in the Eastern Kingdom."

Laila touched on the subject of films. "In simple terms, it's a cultural difference. Eastern films placed in the Western market often face difficulties because the Western audience may not understand the hidden meanings in certain plot elements. Eastern people, on the other hand, are more open and accepting, which leads to a higher acceptance rate for Western films."

This was essentially complimenting the Eastern audience, and Wang Tao knew it. He was pleased because what she said was true. Regardless of how one might interpret it, it was indeed the case. Otherwise, how could one explain why Western films could earn so much at the Eastern box office while Eastern films struggled in the West?

As for filmmaking techniques, storylines, and so on, Laila had already deviated from the expected path.

After discussing Hollywood films for a while and looking into the future of Eastern films, Wang Tao finally brought the conversation to the main reason for her visit.

"I heard that you are planning to invest Billions of dollars in building cinemas in various Eastern regions. What gave you the confidence to make such a bold move?"

Billions were purely an exaggeration, perhaps she might invest that much in the future, but it was still difficult to come up with that amount of money at this stage. Even with her grandfather's hundred-billion-dollar fortune, it wasn't all sitting in cash in the bank.

Laila remained silent for a moment before speaking with a serious expression, "Before making this decision, I conducted some research on the investment environment for Eastern films. In my research, I found that the equipment in Eastern cinemas is very outdated, with only about 1% meeting the standards of the 1990s."

Wang Tao was taken aback, "That low?" This was the first time he had heard such a thing.

"Yes, that low," Laila nodded solemnly. "What could have caused this situation? Last year, in 1999, the Eastern Kingdom's total box office was only 800 million RMB, with 102 films released, of which only 20% were profitable."

"Why is it like this?" Wang Tao asked the same question as her. Because this was indeed a staggering figure. Consider how much her film could earn at the box office, and it could rival several years' worth of Eastern films!