Chapter 934 - Best Picture

The excitement over the Best Director win had barely subsided when the host introduced the next presenter—two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington—to unveil the final and most prestigious award of the night.

At this moment, Laila's countless fans in front of their TVs suddenly realized that celebrating so early might be premature. If Laila were to win the upcoming most important award, they could save all their excitement for then.

Would she win that award? 

Everyone was hopeful, yet no one could be sure. 'The Lord of the Rings' had already swept all the awards it was nominated for, including the highly suspenseful Best Director award. If it also won Best Picture, wouldn't that tie an Oscar record?

At just 27 years old, could she achieve such a monumental feat?

Denzel Washington was one of the few Black actors to firmly establish himself in Hollywood. His exceptional acting skills had won over countless fans. Nearly every film he starred in was considered a classic, such as 'Training Day', which earned him the Oscar for Best Actor. In the film, he played a cop walking the fine line of the law, and his performance made him the second Black actor in Oscar history to win the Best Actor award.

Dressed in a sharp suit, he solemnly walked onto the stage: "Over the past 79 years, we have honored 79 outstanding Best Pictures. Now, let us anticipate the birth of the 80th."

"The nominees for Best Picture are..."

Since it was the producers who would take the stage to accept the Best Picture award, the nominees' names were announced alongside their films.

Laila had independently financed her film, and all producer credits went to Louise. Thus, it was Louise's name that was called alongside 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'.

"And the Oscar goes to... 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King', produced by Louise Beck."

"Wow!"

The moment the final result was announced, the entire venue erupted in frenzy. Viewers at home and those watching the broadcast elsewhere also went wild.

Eleven awards! They had actually done it! Laila had done it! Tying an Oscar record and achieving a flawless sweep of all nominations!

The guests rose to their feet, applauding vigorously as Louise stood up from her seat behind Laila and, amidst the cheers of the crew, made her way to the stage.

Louise, dressed in an elegant deep blue gown, had not been defeated by the passage of time. At over fifty years old, she exuded the mature charm of a woman.

The camera captured her slightly reddened eyes, and her slightly unsteady steps revealed that her calm demeanor was merely a facade.

She accepted the trophy from Denzel, thanked him, and then stepped up to the microphone: "This is truly an immense honor and a complete surprise! So many people have contributed to the creation of this film, especially Tolkien, who wrote a magnificent work. It has been our privilege to bring it to life."

"Of course, there's also Laila and her dream team. Without them, this film would not exist. They are more deserving of standing here than I am."

"Thank you all so much, thank you to the Academy, thank you to everyone who contributed to this film, and thank you to our fans and supporters! Thank you!"

After her speech, Louise raised the trophy amidst applause and stepped down from the stage.

Waiting for her were her colleagues and Laila's warm embrace.

"You spoke so well!"

"That was an incredible acceptance speech!"

After Louise left the stage, the host took the podium to announce the official conclusion of the awards ceremony.

Although the live broadcast had ended, the shockwaves from this year's Oscars would take a long time to fade. After watching the ceremony, who could even remember that the writers' strike had dominated headlines just a short while ago?

The happiest yet most tormented were the journalists, who were torn over which topic to feature as their headline. There were simply too many options.

The Best Actress upset, a villainous role winning Best Actor, the inappropriate acceptance speech by the Best Supporting Actress, the first Spanish actor to win Best Supporting Actor...

Of course, the most talked-about topic was Laila and her 'Lord of the Rings'. But even this topic could branch off into numerous angles, such as the film's perfect sweep of eleven awards, tying an Oscar record, or Laila breaking the record as the youngest Best Director winner.

While the media worked overtime to churn out news, Laila had already returned home with her newly engraved trophy.

As everyone knew, Oscar trophies were not engraved when handed to the winners, as no one knew who would win until the envelope was opened. The final result had to be announced by the presenter before the engraving could take place.

Thus, after receiving the trophy, winners had to go to a specially arranged area for on-the-spot engraving before taking it home.

Laila's haul this year was so substantial that she was among the last to leave.

But she didn't mind the wait. Even if it took several more hours, as long as the trophy ended up in her arms, the wait was worth it!

By the time Roy finished freshening up and returned to their room, he found Laila sitting on the bed, fiddling with the Best Director Oscar she had just won.

"Not tired yet? It's time to rest," he said as he sat down beside her.

Laila's gaze was somewhat distant. "Not tired. Don't feel like sleeping."

"What's wrong? Still happy?" Roy chuckled and kissed her forehead. It was rare to see her in such a dazed, adorable state, and it melted his heart.

He could understand her feelings. When he had won the Oscar for Best Actor, he had been even more exaggerated, clutching the trophy for two or three days without letting go.

Laila shook her head. "I don't know. I just feel... empty inside."

"Is it because you've achieved what you wanted and now feel like you've lost your goal?"

Laila's eyes widened in realization. "That's exactly it. I spent so many years working toward this, and now that I've finally achieved it, it feels like something's missing."

Roy smiled softly. "I've felt something similar. My biggest wish used to be to bring my brother to live with me, send him to the best school, and make sure he'd never be bullied again. When I finally achieved that, I suddenly felt like I'd lost my purpose."

"How did you solve that problem?" Laila asked curiously.

"Simple. I just found a new, even harder goal to pursue." Roy looked at her with a smile. "Have you achieved your goal? If I remember correctly, you once said you wanted to create an original film and stand on that stage again. Have you forgotten that already?"