Chapter 164: The Power of the Animation Industry  

The next day, Dunn and his crew chartered a plane and left France. 

Along for the ride were Luc Besson's team and the French goddess herself, Sophie Marceau. 

As usual, Dunn sat between Natalie and Nicole Kidman. Sure, he couldn't exactly put an arm around both of them with everyone watching, but having two beauties by his side definitely made the long trip a lot more fun. 

"Oh, by the way, George messaged me. He said they're about to start shooting *Star Wars*. Are you still directing?" Natalie suddenly remembered, tilting her head to look at Dunn. 

Dunn blinked, caught off guard. 

He hadn't actually heard anything about it! 

But after a moment's thought, it made sense. 

Even though it was a Lucasfilm production with all the rights tied up there, the movie was funded by 20th Century Fox, and they held the distribution rights too. That gave them the power to pick the director. 

Dunn had kicked up such a storm with Fox lately that no matter how big the box office numbers or accolades were, there was no way Tom Rothman would let him direct the sequel. 

Anyway, with a franchise like this, the director wasn't the key piece. 

The original trilogy swapped directors, didn't it? 

And it still crushed it! 

Plus, when they rebooted the series, both 20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm had wanted George Lucas to helm the new trilogy. 

Dunn had swooped in out of nowhere and snagged the gig from George back then. 

Now, kicking Dunn out and putting George back in charge was just restoring the natural order. 

Compared to Dunn, George Lucas was the god of *Star Wars*. Another director might stir up a fuss with fans, but George stepping in? No one would bat an eye. 

Seeing Dunn space out for a second, Natalie guessed the answer and huffed. "Fox is so petty!" 

Nicole Kidman chimed in with a sly edge, "Let's hope Director Lucas doesn't tank the project." 

Under Dunn's direction, *Star Wars* had smashed records with a jaw-dropping $1.15 billion worldwide. 

Just three days ago, Dunn's financial assistant told him Fox had wired over his $1.7 billion cut of the profits. 

Now, the whole world knew Dunn was loaded. Tom Rothman couldn't squeeze him financially anymore, so there was no point in holding back the payout. 

As for whether George Lucas would mess it up… 

A slow, smug grin spread across Dunn's face. 

*Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace*, widely considered the weakest, most disappointing, and downright boring entry in the saga, had barely scraped past $600 million globally. It got roasted in North America and pushed George Lucas to think about retiring. 

"Are you plotting something shady again?" Natalie zeroed in on the tiny shift in Dunn's expression, staring him down. 

Dunn chuckled. "What shady plan could I have? I can't even get near this project now." 

Natalie hesitated, then let out a soft snort. "Honestly, I hope George screws it up. Let the world see how good you are." 

Dunn and Nicole exchanged a glance, both stifling laughs. 

Clearly, all three of them were on the same wavelength. 

Natalie knew it wasn't smart to dwell on the topic. She glanced over at Sophie Marceau, who was chatting with Luc Besson nearby, and lowered her voice. "Hey, am I crazy, or does she seem off today?" 

"What do you mean?" Dunn asked, puzzled. 

Natalie struggled to spit it out, whispering, "I don't know, it's just… the way she's walking looks weird. Like…" 

Dunn smirked. "Like what?" 

Nicole leaned in to listen, and Natalie didn't bother hiding it. No point—everyone knew where they all stood with each other. 

"Like… how I felt the morning after our first time living together," she muttered. 

Nicole's face twitched with an odd look. 

Dunn burst out laughing. "Simple explanation—she's new to it too." 

"Liar!" Natalie shot him a death glare. "She's in her thirties and has been married, Dunn. You think I'm an idiot?" 

Dunn coughed lightly, leaned in, and whispered something in her ear. 

Natalie's face turned beet red, a mix of shock and disgust washing over her. "Dunn, you… you… that's gross! How could you—" 

Dunn threw up his hands, all innocent. "Nat, it's not a big deal, right?" 

"Not a big deal? Are you gay or something?" Her tone was sharp, her expression sour. 

Dunn frowned. "Don't be ridiculous! I'm perfectly straight!" 

"Then how could you—" Natalie cut herself off, noticing Nicole sitting stiffly on Dunn's other side, acting like she wasn't part of this. Natalie's eyebrow flicked up. "Nicole, you heard us, didn't you?" 

Nicole sighed and nodded reluctantly. 

"So, you think this is normal?" Natalie pressed, staring her down. 

Nicole hemmed and hawed, dodging the question. 

Natalie blinked, her eyes darting between Dunn and Nicole. Then it clicked. "You two… you've done it too?" 

Nicole forced an awkward smile. 

Natalie's eyes rolled back, and she nearly fainted. 

… 

A couple of years ago, Dunn's workload was a breeze. Even pumping out a movie a year felt laid-back. 

But as Dunn Pictures grew—especially this year, with big moves in both film and TV—he suddenly had a lot more on his plate. 

Even with Bill Mechanic handling the day-to-day, leaving Dunn to focus on strategy, he was still swamped. 

Back in LA, he didn't even make it home. Bill Mechanic dragged him straight to Dunn Pictures. 

"Come on, I need a break!" Dunn groaned, putting up a weak fight against Bill's onslaught. 

Bill wasn't having it. "A break? You're how old? When I was in my twenties, I went a whole week without sleep to finish a movie. You just got back from a European vacation, and you're tired?" 

Dunn rolled his eyes and threw his hands up. "Fine, Bill, you win. What's going on?" 

"Your animation industry plans? They flopped," Bill said, spreading his hands with a helpless shrug. 

"Flopped? How?" 

Dunn's face turned serious, all traces of joking gone. 

Hollywood hadn't caught on yet, but Dunn knew the truth: animation was where the real money was. 

Pixar sold for a whopping $7.4 billion in 2007. Lucasfilm, with *Star Wars* and *Indiana Jones* in its pocket, only fetched $420 million in 2012. 

That's the edge animation has over live-action! 

The reason? Merch and spin-off rights. 

What's the biggest merchandising goldmine in Hollywood's future? 

The cultural icon of America? The global juggernaut *Harry Potter*? The Marvel Cinematic Universe's crown jewel? 

Nope! 

It's the soon-to-be-born "Disney Princess" franchise! 

Those decades-old cartoons would rake in cash from toys, books, clothes, cruises, drinks, movies, real estate, music—you name it. 

Toy sales alone would net Disney $500 million a year, stomping every other film franchise flat! 

That's the power of animation!

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