Chapter 208: Three Acquisition Strategies  

After waiting a full three days, the person Dunn had been anticipating finally showed up at his office. 

Weston Cotton was 45 years old, of average build, and wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses that gave him a refined, scholarly vibe. Dressed in a formal suit with a festive red tie, he carried a black laptop bag, exuding the polished air of a business elite. 

Introduced by Bill Mechanic, Weston Cotton greeted respectfully, "Hello, Director Walker. You might not know me, but we've already worked together on four films. *Titanic*, *My Big Fat Greek Wedding*, *Wedding Crashers*, and *Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace*—I handled the marketing and distribution for all of them." 

Dunn smiled and shook his hand. "Weston, you're too polite. I've heard about what happened to you at Fox. Bill says you're really talented, and I'm looking forward to working with you again." 

Weston Cotton shrugged calmly. "I wouldn't call it a 'what happened.' It makes sense, doesn't it? 20th Century Fox swapped out their CEO just six months ago. Replacing another decision-maker so soon could've shaken things up even more." 

Dunn shot him a surprised glance. 

This guy was cool-headed and steady—not full of himself or bitter. He'd been a key player at 20th Century Fox, yet he got unfairly sacked. Most people would be stewing with resentment, but here he was, brushing it off like it was no big deal. That's some serious professional maturity. 

Dunn glanced at Bill Mechanic, then cracked a joke. "Weston, Bill told me about you three days ago. I've been on pins and needles waiting for you ever since." 

Weston gave a polished explanation. "Sorry for keeping you waiting, Director Walker. But since this is an interview, I had to come prepared. Even with Mr. Mechanic's recommendation, I figured showing my worth would matter more." 

Bill Mechanic chimed in, "Over the past few days, he's dug into our company's strategic plans and growth needs. He put together a 60-page PowerPoint to lay out his management ideas and vision." 

"Sixty pages? That's a ton of work!" 

Dunn gave Weston a surprised look and noticed his eyes were a little red, his face showing signs of exhaustion. 

Weston smiled. "I owe it to Mr. Mechanic's trust. Without the files he gave me, I'd still be totally in the dark about Dunn Films' strategy." 

Dunn waved it off with a grin. "No worries. Even if we don't strike a deal, we can still be friends. So… how about we take a look at that PowerPoint?" 

"Sure." 

Weston Cotton sat down on the sofa, pulled out an HP laptop from his bag, and started setting it up with ease. 

Dunn and Bill Mechanic sat on either side of him. Soon, a simple, no-frills PowerPoint slid onto the screen. The title on the first page grabbed Dunn's attention right away: *Building an Independent Film Distribution Department*. 

Weston didn't catch Dunn's reaction, his focus locked on the presentation. "Mr. Mechanic mentioned that Dunn Films is dead-set on growing its independent film distribution arm. I happen to have some experience in that area, so I figured I'd tackle that first." 

"Great!" 

Dunn's voice was steady, though he was trying hard to keep his excitement in check. 

Weston continued, "Mainstream commercial film distribution usually falls to big multinational companies. Take 20th Century Fox, for example—they've got over 16,000 employees worldwide, and more than 11,000 of them work in global distribution. Getting a film marketed and released in over 100 countries is a massive operation. With Dunn Films' current size, it can't support a department that big. And even if you started building an international distribution network from scratch, it'd take at least five years." 

Dunn nodded along as he scanned the data on the slide. "Exactly. That's why I'm planning to just buy one outright. For now, Dunn Films only needs an independent film distribution channel that covers North America." 

"Straight-up acquisition?" 

Weston, deep in his PowerPoint flow, couldn't hide his surprise and turned to look at Dunn. 

He'd heard from Bill Mechanic that Dunn Walker was ambitious—big dreams, bold moves. When making the presentation, Weston had been told to think big, even toss in some wild ideas if he wanted, just don't play it too safe. 

So, Weston had crafted three acquisition strategies tailored to Dunn Films' current goals. 

But he hadn't expected Dunn's ambitions to dwarf even his wildest guesses! 

Buying a company with a worldwide distribution network? That's next-level. In all of Hollywood, only six companies fit that bill: Disney, Paramount, Sony Columbia, Universal, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox! 

With Dunn Films' current scale, which one could they even swallow? 

Weston shook his head, pulling his thoughts back to the presentation. "An independent film distribution department is a lot simpler. You'd usually need a team of about 50 people, and it'd take around six months to get it up and running." 

"Six months?" Dunn frowned. "No way, that's too slow!" 

Disney's *Unbreakable* was hitting theaters in mid-November—just over three months away. Dunn Films needed to get its distribution department ready fast and then handle the release of *Saw*. 

Weston flipped to the next slide. "I know. Mr. Mechanic told me that in November, Dunn Films' subsidiary, Rampage Studios, has a movie coming out. But building a distribution department from scratch takes at least six months—and that's with my connections and resources. Back when I set up Fox Searchlight's distribution arm, it took me a solid 10 months." 

Dunn mulled it over. "So what's the solution?" 

"Acquisition!" 

"Acquisition?" 

Dunn's eyes lit up, catching his drift. 

"Yep, just buy a small production company that already has an independent distribution network in North America." Weston tapped the spacebar, and the next slide popped up with a company name in big letters: Good Machine Film Production Company. 

Dunn raised an eyebrow. The name rang a bell. 

Weston explained, "This production company was founded in 1991 by James Schamus and Ted Hope." 

"James Schamus? Wait, isn't he Ang Lee's producer?" 

While working on *The Chronicles of Narnia*, Dunn vaguely recalled that Ang Lee's biggest collaborator—a guy who doubled as screenwriter and executive producer—was James Schamus. 

Weston grinned. "You got it! Schamus is Director Lee's right-hand man. Every movie Lee's made in Hollywood has had his backing. Good Machine got its start by investing in Lee's film *Pushing Hands*." 

Bill Mechanic, who'd been quiet for a while, piped up. "That's a small outfit, right? Do they have a full distribution department?" 

Weston nodded. "It's not huge, but it's solid. They couldn't handle something like *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*, but for distributing a low-budget B-movie? They've got it covered." 

Dunn squinted, saying nothing. 

Something clicked in his mind. 

Good Machine Film Production Company… wasn't that a well-known indie film outfit? In 2004, Universal Pictures bought them out, renamed them Focus Features, and they churned out hit after hit, earning a rep as the "second Miramax." 

Dunn had long set his sights on acquiring Universal Pictures. 

If Universal was going to snap up this company eventually, why not jump in early, grab it for a steal, and solve Dunn Films' current needs in one go? 

Yeah, this acquisition idea was solid! 

"How much?" 

"Good Machine has produced 13 films so far—small-budget indies with modest profits. They're not too pricey. I'd estimate around $15 million." 

Dunn gave a firm nod. "Done! I'm sold on the acquisition plan. Weston, this job's yours. Buy Good Machine as fast as you can, then beef up and polish their distribution department for me. Oh, and one more thing—Good Machine is a terrible name. Once the deal's done, rename it Focus Features!" 

Weston blinked, stunned. "Director Walker, I… I…" 

Dunn clapped him on the shoulder with a casual smile. "This proposal alone proves you're fit to be Dunn Films' VP. In other words, Weston, you're hired." 

"Huh?" 

Weston was floored—shocked and thrilled, his head spinning. 

Sure, he'd been a VP at 20th Century Fox, but he'd known Dunn for less than 20 minutes, and now he was being named VP of Dunn Films? That kind of trust hit heavy. 

Going from Fox's VP to Dunn Films' VP was technically a step down. 

But with Bill Mechanic as a precedent, who could complain? 

The former top dog at 20th Century Fox had jumped ship to be Dunn Films' number two. What room did Weston have to grumble? 

Bill Mechanic was used to Dunn's unconventional style by now—his wild personality and snap decisions made him a total oddball in Hollywood. 

"Alright, Dunn, let's hold off on the hiring talk for a sec," Bill said. "Weston mentioned three acquisition plans, right? Let's see what the other two are about." 

Bill nudged Weston's arm, signaling him to pull it together and move on with the presentation. 

Dunn crossed his legs and grinned. "Sure. Who knows? Maybe Dunn Films will send out three acquisition offers today." 

He already had full confidence in Weston Cotton. 

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