Chapter 210: Shake Up His Movie!

Generally speaking, movies with budgets under $3 million don't really count as "Hollywood films." That's because they don't have to follow union rules or share profits with the guilds. Of course, if something goes wrong on set, the unions won't step in either.

So, in theory, a $1.5 million investment like *Saw* wouldn't qualify as a Hollywood movie. Films like that usually make their money back through DVD sales, video rentals, and fees from specialty cable channels.

Dunn's plan to acquire and establish Focus Features was all about folding Rampage Pictures under its umbrella, rather than having it report directly to Dunn Films.

Think of it like the relationship between Miramax and Dimension Films.

Originally, Dimension was a subsidiary of Miramax. But when Disney bought Miramax, they made it clear they wanted Dimension split off—Disney didn't want a company like that under its brand.

Dunn Films isn't as obsessed with political correctness as Disney, but it still has to keep an eye on its image.

Good movies? Dunn Films takes the credit. Bad reputation? Let Focus Features carry the baggage!

In Hollywood, movies costing between $3 million and $30 million are usually considered low-budget. Between $30 million and $80 million, they're mid-budget. Anything over $80 million? That's what the media loves to call an "A-list blockbuster."

By August, the summer movie season is winding down.

So, early August becomes the final battleground of the summer slate.

Take August 4th, for example—three hyped-up movies are dropping at once: Disney's *Coyote Ugly*, Sony's *Hollow Man*, and Warner's *Space Cowboys*.

After that, it's time for the smaller and mid-tier films to shine. Like the Palme d'Or winner *Dancer in the Dark*, hitting theaters on August 15th, New Line's *The Cell* on August 18th, and Universal's *Bring It On* on August 25th.

The past two years, Dunn Films owned the August slot.

In 1998, *My Big Fat Greek Wedding* and in 1999, *The Best Man* both pulled off insane box office wins in August.

Especially *My Big Fat Greek Wedding*, which Dunn directed himself. With a $250 million haul, it beat out heavy hitters like *Saving Private Ryan* and *Armageddon* to claim the top spot on the North American box office chart that year!

This year, though, *Dancer in the Dark* clearly isn't up to carrying the August torch.

Right now, *Spider-Man*'s buzz has cooled off. It's still scraping into the weekly top 10, but the drop-off is steep.

After dominating the whole summer, Dunn Films is looking a little dim as the season closes.

Meanwhile, Disney—riding high off *Scary Movie*'s success—is picking up steam. Their big August play? *Coyote Ugly*.

With Disney's promotional machine in full swing, *Coyote Ugly* doesn't boast big stars or a famous director. Its main selling point? Producer Jerry Bruckheimer!

Known for action flicks, Jerry Bruckheimer stepping into a comedy-romance-musical caught a lot of media off guard. Interviews started pouring in.

"Art's all the same to me—movies are movies. We don't need to box them into strict categories like romance, musical, or action," Jerry told *The Hollywood Reporter*, looking totally at ease.

The reporter pushed back. "But in our minds, different genres have different audiences. Your past films were action-packed, aimed at guys. *Coyote Ugly* is clearly for women—its leads are all actresses."

Jerry shrugged it off. "Times have changed. We can't keep looking at movies through the same old lens. Take *Titanic*—it's a disaster movie, sure, but it's also a romance. No contradiction there, right? Same with my new project, *Pearl Harbor*. It's a mature, top-notch film—stunning, authentic war scenes paired with a heartfelt love story."

The reporter jumped on it. "So, you're saying *Pearl Harbor* could sell like *Titanic*?"

Jerry grinned. "*Pearl Harbor* is a massive commercial investment. We even got the military's okay to shoot on the Nimitz aircraft carrier—for that real, jaw-dropping impact! I'm confident its quality won't fall short of *Titanic*."

The reporter wasn't satisfied. "Box office too? Neck and neck?"

Jerry kept it cool. "Records are made to be broken."

The reporter's eyes lit up, sensing a scoop. "Oh, and what about the rumors you don't get along with Director Walker?"

"Dunn Walker? Sorry, we're not close."

"What about the gossip in the papers?"

Jerry chuckled, waving it off with a wise, elder-statesman vibe. "No big deal. He's young, full of fire—it's natural. As an industry vet, I'm not about to stoop to his level and bicker. That'd just make me look petty! You media folks don't need to hype it up—I'm not sweating it."

The reporter was practically bubbling with excitement. "Let's talk *Coyote Ugly*. What's your box office prediction?"

Jerry shrugged. "Who can say with ticket sales? But it's a solid movie, super competitive. You can tell just by looking at it another way—Dunn Films' *Dancer in the Dark* didn't dare go up against us in early August. They pushed it to mid-month to dodge *Coyote Ugly*."

"Oh? Is that right? I heard *Dancer in the Dark* won the Palme d'Or at Cannes!"

"A European award doesn't mean much stateside. If it did, they'd have scheduled it head-to-head with us, don't you think?"

Jerry laughed it off, waving his hands. "Alright, enough of that. Don't print that last bit—people might think I'm picking on the new kid! Ha, not at all. I've got faith in Dunn. He's got some chops."

…

At Hillside Manor, Dunn's got a staff of 29—1 butler, 5 maids, 5 chefs, 2 gardeners, 1 fishpond keeper, 4 security guards, you name it.

The head housekeeper—a sixty-something British lady—and two maids are full-time, 24/7, splitting two guest rooms in the mansion.

The housekeeping agency said there's no need for fancy bedrooms; a converted storage closet would do. Some rich folks even have maids sleep on a ledge in the laundry room.

But as high-profile public figures, Dunn and Natalie have to go big on respecting human rights.

That night, they were up against *Coyote Ugly* in the box office showdown.

Even with *Dancer in the Dark*'s Palme d'Or cred, and even though the theatrical cut was tweaked a ton from the festival version to suit North American tastes.

Dunn smiled softly, running his fingers through her damp hair. "Don't worry. For you, I'd do it too."

"For me?"

Natalie rolled her eyes playfully, huffing. "Oh, please. You're just sweet-talking me. He's coming for *you*, not me."

"Is he now?"

Dunn gave her a sly grin. "Once you hear my plan, you won't think that."

"Oh?" Natalie perked up, her face lighting up as she snuggled into his arms. "Tell me, tell me! What's the plan?"