Chapter 215: When Things Go Awry, Something’s Up!  

In Hollywood, the typical box office trend starts high and tapers off. Movies that buck that pattern—starting low and climbing—are usually classics with killer word-of-mouth. 

Coyote Ugly? It scraped together less than $7 million in its first three days. That pretty much sealed the fate of Jerry Bruckheimer's debut comedy-musical—dead on arrival! 

Word from inside Disney was that the big boss, Michael Eisner, was furious and ready to take Dunn down for good! 

How exactly he'd do that? No one knew yet. 

Either way, Dunn Films' next two releases—Girl, Interrupted and Memento—were about to feel Disney's wrath! 

The rumor was half-baked, but it wasn't baseless. The bad blood between Dunn Films and Disney was out in the open by now. 

Know your enemy, know yourself—that's how you win every time! 

Dunn sent someone to dig into Disney's upcoming slate. Mid-August and mid-September, they'd be rolling out The Crew and Duets. 

When Dunn saw the report, he just laughed. 

Girl, Interrupted and Memento might have niche audiences, but they were both word-of-mouth juggernauts—certified classics! 

Sure, they'd get crushed if they went up against mainstream blockbusters, but against The Crew and Duets? This wasn't even a fair fight—it'd be a tank rolling over a speed bump! 

It was August now, and the cutthroat clash with Disney in the movie market hadn't drained Dunn too much. 

Spider-Man had shifted into long-tail mode, soaking up the last drops of box office juice. The goal was to push North American earnings past $500 million within three months, then pull it before the Christmas season to rush it to the TV market. Cash in on the year's hype while it was still hot and score a sweet deal. 

So, it was time to gear up for the next project—A Beautiful Mind. 

The film's stars, Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman, had been prepping for over three months, ready to roll whenever the cameras started. 

Dunn's big question now was: whose directing skills should he "mirror" for this one? 

Sticking to his usual playbook, he tracked down Dunn Films' Chief Artistic Analyst, Manohla Dargis, and cut to the chase. "Manohla, if I'm not directing A Beautiful Mind, who do you think's the best fit?" 

The script for A Beautiful Mind was adapted from the book of the same name. Dunn had steered the vision, while Manohla led the writing team to polish it, so she knew the project inside out. 

"Director picks…" 

Manohla frowned slightly. "Dunn, this isn't really my wheelhouse. I can toss you a list of names—directors whose styles fit biographical character studies—but for the final call, you'd better check with Glenn." 

Dunn nodded. "Fair enough. Give me the list." 

Manohla thought it over slowly. "Roman Polanski, Robert Zemeckis, Oliver Stone, Miloš Forman… oh, and Sam Mendes. I love his style. Girl, Interrupted turned out amazing—it could totally snag Best Picture at the Oscars!" 

"Sam just won Best Picture with American Beauty this year. You think Girl, Interrupted could defend the title next year?" Dunn chuckled and shook his head. "Thanks, Manohla. Can you grab Glenn for me? I'll get his take too." 

The list Manohla rattled off was stacked with heavyweights—names that echoed through Hollywood! 

Roman Polanski and Miloš Forman, especially, were legends in their own right. 

But Dunn wasn't feeling either of them. 

Polanski's vibe was pure European arthouse. A Beautiful Mind was an unapologetic "American Dream" flick, drenched in U.S. values—total mismatch. 

As for Forman? Guy was too old! 

He was old-school, even older than Francis Coppola, a flag-bearer of the "Czech New Wave." His films had swept awards across Europe and Hollywood—pretty much every major trophy, including two Best Director Oscars. 

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Amadeus—classics that film schools still dissected. 

But lately, the old man couldn't keep up with Hollywood's pace. His slow storytelling, heavy plots, and minimalist shots had no room in today's market. He'd have better luck chasing awards in Europe. 

Every era has its heroes, but not every hero fits every era. 

Take Alfred Hitchcock—the suspense thriller godfather. Drop him in today's world, and his stuff would sink like a stone. 

Each age demands a different flavor, and A Beautiful Mind? It might look like an "arthouse" piece on the surface, but deep down, it was a star-driven, audience-pleasing, mainstream-values half-commercial drama. 

Nothing like those European films packed with philosophical lens debates. 

Five minutes later, Dunn's casting assistant, Glenn Fiero, strolled in. Hearing Dunn's question, he didn't even pause. "Out of those five? Only one's the perfect pick—Oliver Stone!" 

Dunn's face lit up. "For real?" 

"In the last twenty years, not many directors can juggle commercial and arthouse like champs. Two stand out: Steven Spielberg and Oliver Stone! Spielberg leans hard into commercial, while Stone's got that arty edge." 

Glenn paused, laying it out clean. "A Beautiful Mind blends commercial and arthouse, but it's got a heavier arty slant—right up Stone's alley. Plus, he's done JFK, The Doors, Nixon—killer biopics, all of them." 

"Sounds like… he's the guy…" 

Dunn's eyes drifted, muttering to himself. 

Glenn cracked a grin. "Boss, if I'm being real, there's one director I think fits even better than Oliver Stone." 

"Oh? Who?" 

"You!" 

"Haha! Cut the flattery and get outta here!" 

Michael Eisner's life was the stuff of legends—three times he'd stepped into chaos, and three times he'd turned it around. That track record made him a king at Disney, wielding unmatched authority. 

With his razor-sharp smarts and vision, he couldn't wrap his head around Dunn's months-long slugfest with Disney. 

Where was this twenty-something kid getting his guts and grit? 

He'd asked the production team, and their answer was unanimous: Dunn Walker was cocky, arrogant, and indulgent. Yeah, he had talent—tons of it—but back-to-back wins had stripped him of reason and restraint, leaving him reckless and full of himself. 

But… 

The more unanimous their take, the more off it felt to Eisner. 

If Dunn was that talented, his IQ, skills, and savvy had to be top-notch—movies were a brutal test of all-around ability. 

That's where it got messy. How could a guy this gifted let everyone see through him so easily? 

The more successful someone is, the hazier their public image gets. 

But Dunn? It was like he'd stripped naked for the world to gawk at. Did he really not care about what people thought or his own rep? 

When things don't add up, something's fishy! 

Eisner sent someone to dig up everything on Dunn—every scrap of news since he'd hit Hollywood, compiled into a report. 

Even condensed, it was over 30 pages. Eisner carved out time from his packed schedule to flip through it, page by page. 

At first, it was tabloid fluff—Dunn's flings with Kate Winslet, Liv Tyler, Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, and other starlets. 

Eisner didn't bat an eye. That stuff was small potatoes to him. 

Then he hit the part about Dunn navigating the "Aussie crew" and "British posse" like a pro, even cozying up to the French film scene lately. His expression shifted slightly. 

When he read about Dunn's ties to Francis Coppola, and his smooth collaborations with Spielberg, Lucas, Cameron, and other big shots, his face grew grim. 

Some clueless punk building a network this massive in just a few years? 

Bullshit! 

Eisner was more convinced than ever—Dunn Walker wasn't as simple as he seemed. 

Even the actresses he dated had a pattern. 

Small-time players, no matter how gorgeous, were just flings—quick hookups, then gone without a second thought. 

But big names, especially rising stars with potential? Dunn played it different—bringing them home, even shacking up long-term. 

Prime examples: Nicole Kidman, and his latest flames, Sophie Marceau and Charlize Theron. 

While casually charming his way through Hollywood's women, Dunn had quietly built a hefty female network. Actresses might rank low on the totem pole, but together? That's real clout! 

Eisner kept digging through the meticulously prepped dossier. The final section listed Dunn's past business acquisitions. 

Dunn Films buying Tarz TV? He didn't flinch. 

Dunn Capital investing in Hasbro? Still nothing. 

Dunn Films launching Sillywood Animation Studios? His face started to tighten. 

Dunn Capital dropping $1.9 billion to snag 15% of Pixar from Steve Jobs? That's when his jaw dropped!