Given the circumstances, $8 million on opening day was an impressive box office result—especially considering what came next: the drop-off was so minimal, it was practically negligible.
For most summer blockbusters, it's common to see second-week drop-offs of 50% or more. Time is the deadliest, most unrelenting enemy of box office numbers. That's just how things work—people who want to see a film usually rush to catch it as early as possible to avoid spoilers. Once the ending is revealed, interest tends to drop.
But Blood Diamond broke all those "rules."
At the end of its first week, the film's daily box office remained remarkably stable—even ticking upward over the weekend. This result left box office analysts completely stunned.
Released on a Wednesday, the film pulled in over $40 million in its first five days, easily securing the #1 spot for the week's box office.
Media outlets, big and small, scrambled to cover the news. Especially Moran-owned publications, which wasted no time in elevating their young boss to mythic status—proclaiming her triumphs to be "unmatched by any in history, and likely in the future."
Domestically, the film made $40 million in its first week. Globally, it earned another $30 million, bringing the total to over $70 million in just one week. And that was only the beginning—the film still had a long runway ahead of it. Even the most skeptical forecasters had no choice but to shut their mouths and admit their misjudgment.
As one unnamed industry insider said in an interview:
"Never assume you can predict Laila Moran. She has a way of shattering expectations again and again with every film. When we thought she'd stick to blockbusters to protect her record, she chose a genre with limited appeal. When we thought a dark, heavy film would struggle, it casually crushed the box office and claimed #1 for the week."
In the crowded summer box office, a $40 million debut might land you second or third. But in April, a relatively quiet month with few big-name releases, Blood Diamond took first place with ease—the runner-up didn't even make half of what it did.
Laila was very pleased with the result—but she didn't let up. She continued deploying her online team to guide the public conversation, stoking fan enthusiasm and keeping the momentum high for week two.
As a result, the second week brought in another $32 million, once again claiming the #1 spot and solidifying the protection of one of Laila's long-held records. As for her other milestone—the minimum $300 million benchmark—no one was doubting that anymore.
First-week global gross: $70 million.
Second week: $65 million.
In just two weeks, Blood Diamond had pulled in $135 million+.
At that point, who could still believe it wouldn't cross the $300 million mark before going off-screen?
Especially considering that the film hadn't yet been released truly globally. Several countries had yet to join the rollout, meaning their numbers weren't even included in the current tally. Regardless of how much more came in, everyone now believed $300 million was inevitable.
Seeing the headlines in the newspapers, countless readers couldn't help but sigh in awe—She did it. There was only one word to describe it: legendary.
But Laila knew that success was never a one-woman feat.
It had taken a perfect storm:
— Her massive global fanbase.
— Strong quality and word-of-mouth buzz.
— Her skilled use of online promo teams.
— The fans' organic promotion of the film.
And yes, although it wasn't exactly a "good" thing, the Martin incident had given the film unexpected exposure. News of her kidnapping had been everywhere—global headlines. Even people who normally weren't interested in movies had heard about the director who was abducted by armed bandits while filming.
When you combined all those factors, it wasn't hard to understand how the box office had exceeded expectations. The timing, the people, the effort—it all aligned.
By the time the results were confirmed, Laila had returned to New York.
Ever since becoming a mother, she had felt a kind of restraint that she'd never experienced before. Even if she wasn't the one caring for Eli every hour—since Janet, Claire, and her grandparents were all there to help—she couldn't help thinking about him constantly. Worrying, missing him.
That was why she had initially resisted the idea of having children too early—because she'd known it would slow down her filmmaking momentum. But now that this "restraint" had truly entered her life, she found she didn't regret it at all.
Yes, it was a restriction—but it also came with the warmth and fulfillment of a real family.
If she could go back in time to when she was first faced with the decision, she'd still choose the same path. She would still choose to keep the child.
Even though little Eli meant she had to stay home for now and couldn't yet move forward with her next project, her passion for filmmaking hadn't been extinguished.
So, when the baby was asleep, Janet walked in and saw Laila—once again—pulling out her script.
Honestly, Janet was starting to fear the sight of her daughter holding a script. It was always a sign that the urge to direct was flaring up again.
"My darling, you're not thinking about filming again, are you?"
"I am," Laila replied without hesitation. "You know I came across a script I love. If not for Eli, I probably would've shot it already."
Janet frowned, clearly disapproving. "Do you remember how old your son is right now? This is the time he needs you the most. Can you bring yourself to leave him at home when he's so little?"
Laila had thought about that. Choosing between her child and her career had taken real effort. "Mom, I'm just reading the script. I won't start anything until Eli turns one."
"One year old?" Janet crossed her arms, looming over her daughter like a queen. "And what makes you think a one-year-old doesn't still need his mother?"
Laila scratched her nose. "But the place I need to go isn't suitable for him—it's too dangerous."
That was the wrong thing to say. The moment "danger" left her lips, Janet practically exploded.
"Lai! La! Have you forgotten what you promised me? You swore you'd never go to dangerous places to film again!"
Laila wanted to slap herself. No wonder they say pregnancy scrambles your brain for three years—she must've lost her mind to let that word slip out.
"No, no—you misunderstood, Mom! I just meant it's a bit dangerous for a baby. For adults, it's fine!"
"And you think I believe that?" Janet reached out and poked Laila in the forehead. "Listen to me—and listen well. As long as you still consider me your mother, don't even think about filming in dangerous places again. If you don't believe me, you're welcome to try and see what happens!"