The Washington Post directly mentioned his name, stating: "Roy Seasonstar's performance is the most fascinating part of the film. After the Joker disappears from the screen, The Dark Knight loses much of its energy and vitality."
The Washington Times went even further, using a bold, eye-catching headline to remind everyone who hadn't seen the movie yet: "Believe all the hype surrounding The Dark Knight—because it's all true, and might even be understated."
The last time such unanimous praise was seen was a year ago when The Lord of the Rings was released. Back then, almost everyone believed the Lord of the Rings trilogy would likely be Laila's magnum opus, a classic she could never surpass in her lifetime. Yet the truth proved that she was a miracle director who could turn any film she made into an instant classic.
The media's rave reviews ignited the hottest period of the summer box office. Whether they were movie fans or not, people flocked to theaters to see just what kind of role Roy had played to earn such universal acclaim.
And when these audiences walked out of the theaters, the vast majority of them became a new wave of "organic promoters," spontaneously spreading the word about the film.
Was the movie as good as the media claimed?
—Yes! Absolutely!
Was Roy's performance truly that unforgettable?
—He delivered the most perfect performance of his life. If this role doesn't earn him another Oscar, it would be the Academy's biggest mistake.
Countless people joined Roy's fan clubs immediately after watching the film. Whenever someone asked questions like the ones above, they would passionately advocate for him. They desperately wanted more people to be as captivated by Roy's performance as they were—because such acting deserved to be seen by as many as possible.
If not for the pre-release hype about Roy's looks, the audience's reaction might not have been so intense. But because of the earlier buzz, people paid extra attention to his appearance. Now, with his acting skills exploding on screen, how could they not be thrilled? A star who was both devastatingly handsome and an acting powerhouse—what reason was there not to adore him?
When the producers saw the public's response, they couldn't help but admire Laila's marketing strategy.
With such a tight schedule, there had been no time for large-scale promotions. Yet in that short period, she had managed to execute such an effective campaign. Most impressively, she had spent almost nothing on it—just hiring a few online influencers to post threads and steer some discussions. How much could that possibly cost? Compared to other promotional methods that ran into the millions or even tens of millions, this was dirt cheap.
Watching the film's stellar box office numbers, endless praise, and sustained high levels of public interest, the producers could only give Laila a thumbs-up while lamenting that she wasn't part of their company. If she were willing to keep making films for them, they wouldn't hesitate to hand her budgets in the hundreds of millions without blinking! Unfortunately, this young lady belonged to the rare category of people who lacked nothing—except a shortage of money. Trying to hire her with a hefty paycheck was simply impossible.
Regrets aside, they didn't hesitate to contribute when needed. Riding the wave of public excitement, they organized the cast and crew for a whirlwind of promotional events—TV appearances, fan meet-and-greets—leaving no stone unturned.
When the weekly box office rankings were announced, The Dark Knight unsurprisingly and deservedly claimed the top spot with over $100 million in earnings.
The first week was a triumph, and so was the second. By the end of Week 2, countless media outlets were using bold headlines to marvel at how Laila was continuing her insane box office streak.
From her debut in 1998 up to now—a full decade—she has miraculously achieved this incredible feat. Even a hundred years from now, it was unlikely anyone would ever match her record.
But no matter how much the American media buzzed, it had little to do with Laila anymore. She and Roy had already set foot on Eastern soil. The reason? Naturally, it was for their performance at the Olympic opening ceremony. The organizers had been extremely accommodating, agreeing that they didn't need to arrive too early for rehearsals. But they couldn't push their luck too far, could they?
Arriving months in advance was impossible, but squeezing their schedules to show up eight to ten days early was manageable. So by the end of July, they had already boarded a private jet and arrived in the East.
Of course, their trip wasn't just for the Olympics—they also planned to promote The Dark Knight through various programs. Since they were making the trip anyway, it would be a waste not to capitalize on the opportunity.
Thanks to Laila's influence, the expansion of cinema chains in the East significantly boosted the local film industry. Not only were foreign films performing exceptionally well at the box office, but domestic productions were also thriving, showing early signs of a cinematic renaissance.
When Eastern fans learned that Laila and Roy were coming, they spontaneously organized to greet them at the airport. While they had a rough idea of the possible dates, they didn't know the exact day of arrival.
Fortunately, someone in the fan group had connections at the airport. Since Laila was arriving on a private jet, they could coordinate the welcoming party as soon as her flight details were confirmed.
By the time the plane bearing the Moran family insignia touched down, over a thousand fans had gathered, coordinating through group chats to form an enthusiastic reception committee.
As Laila stepped off the plane, she was met with chants of her and Roy's names. Seeing the crowd of fans holding up signs, her nose tingled with emotion, and her heart pounded fiercely.
The familiar accents, the familiar air, the unmistakable essence of the East—the homeland her soul could never let go of. No matter the hardships of her past life, nothing could sever the bond she felt with this place.
"Looks like we're pretty popular here," Roy said, taking her hand and waving at the fans, instantly triggering another wave of cheers.
"Roy is so handsome!"
"Welcome to the East!"
"Laila—!"
Laila sniffled and waved back. The airport was quite a distance from the city, and she knew it couldn't have been easy for so many fans to make the trip.
"Help arrange transportation for the fans later," she said quietly to the company vice president who had come to receive them. "Don't let them spend any more money."
Unlike the fans, the vice president had boarded the plane as soon as it landed to greet them personally.
"Don't worry, we'll make sure every fan gets home safely," the vice president assured her. This was his first time dealing with something like this—what other executive had ever had a thousand fans show up to welcome their boss?
Still, with only about a thousand people, chartering a few airport shuttles would suffice. As a local, he easily arranged everything, even going the extra mile to provide each fan with a boxed meal on the bus.
This spontaneous gesture further boosted Laila's reputation among her fans.