Chapter 216: Why He’s Raging at Disney

Animated films are Disney's bread and butter.

Sure, Michael Eisner and Steve Jobs have their beef—Eisner's even been known to trash-talk Pixar internally, saying their stuff's got "flesh but no blood," missing soul.

But he knows Pixar's potential better than anyone!

So it hit him like a truck when Dunn teamed up with Jobs and took a stake in Pixar Animation Studios!

Disney and Pixar are partners, no doubt, but their distribution deal only covers five films.

Once that contract's up…

If no new player steps in, Disney's still Pixar's only real option. Across Hollywood, no one's animation game even comes close to Disney's combined might.

But now, things are shifting—and it's real.

Dunn's set up Sillywood Animation Studios and bought into Pixar. His intentions couldn't be clearer, could they?

Good thing building a global distribution network isn't an overnight job. It takes massive cash and connections worldwide—something Dunn Films isn't quite up to yet.

But then came the next two acquisition rumors, and Michael Eisner broke out in a cold sweat.

Dunn had tried to buy DreamWorks Animation—and even made a play for Universal Pictures!

Both deals fell through, but Eisner's sharp enough to spot the pattern in those flops.

Why'd DreamWorks Animation cling to years of losses rather than sell to Dunn Films and call it quits?

Why'd Seagram let Vivendi scoop them up instead of offloading Universal for cash to revive the company?

Simple: they didn't take Dunn Films seriously!

Sure, Dunn's movies make a splash—from My Big Fat Greek Wedding to Spider-Man, each one seems to carve out a shiny chapter for his company.

But box office wins don't mean a studio's suddenly big-time.

Influence? That's a slow-burn asset you build over decades!

Unless something wild shakes things up, a company's clout can't explode overnight like personal fame can.

Spider-Man's triumph can skyrocket James Franco to stardom and make Dunn a household name, but it's not enough to catapult Dunn Films into the big leagues.

The Big Six studios? Every one of them has produced and distributed thousands of films, grinding away for decades to earn their clout.

A company with just a handful of releases like Dunn Films? Not there yet.

But…

If something extraordinary happens, that's a game-changer.

Take the 1998 World Cup in France, for example.

The French team had never won it all. The previous two tournaments, they couldn't even break out of Europe. Once a European champ, they'd slid into second-tier status after Platini retired.

Then their legend, Cantona, got booted from the squad over a spat with the coach. This time, they only squeaked into the finals thanks to the host-nation slot.

Nobody took that team seriously. They chopped through the rounds and hit the final, sure—but everyone chalked it up to luck. They edged Italy on penalties, then faced a shaky Croatia in the semis, leaning on home-field vibes to stumble into the championship.

No one was convinced!

Betting odds showed it too—fans were all-in on Brazil.

Then… France smoked Brazil 3-0, snagging the title!

A team nobody rated stepped over four-star Brazil's corpse and instantly became the world's greatest squad!

Zidane, trampling Ronaldo, turned into the era's top star, crowned World Footballer of the Year—when he'd never even cracked the top three before.

That's the power of a freak event!

It can whip up massive influence in a heartbeat!

For Dunn Films to plant its flag in Hollywood and stand toe-to-toe with the Big Six, they'd need a moment like that.

So… who's the stepping stone?

Michael Eisner's eyes narrowed to slits. He could see through Dunn's ambition and strategy now.

Everything playing out? It's a smokescreen!

This summer looks like Fox and Disney ganging up to crush Dunn, forcing him to fight back.

But in reality, Dunn's probably loving it!

It's his plan—he's baiting Disney on purpose, waiting for them to swing so he can play the underdog and win over the industry's sympathy.

Once he's got that goodwill, Dunn'll strike—like now, ripping off the mask completely, even hanging up on Michael Eisner himself!

Because he's ready. He's gonna step on Disney to shout to Hollywood—and the world—that Dunn Films can take on anyone!

Just like France crowned itself over Brazil, Disney's the stone Dunn picked to launch Dunn Films to the top!

He's planning to stomp Disney into the dirt to prove to DreamWorks Animation and Universal that Dunn Films is a powerhouse—a safe harbor worth docking at.

Eisner took a deep breath, his face dead serious.

It's all speculation, sure, but with his gut and experience, it feels damn close to the truth!

Dunn's got the nerve of a lion, dreaming of climbing over Disney to rule Hollywood!

Eisner's pulse raced. He couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed the phone again, dialed Dunn's private line—this time, he'd make it clear.

"Hey, this is Dunn. Who's calling?"

"I'm Michael. Michael Eisner."

He caught Dunn's flat tone and felt a spark of rage flare up. Swallowing it down, he tried to keep things calm—at least get a real talk going.

But Dunn's voice flipped, booming with fury. "Are you kidding me? Another prank call? I told you—I don't know you! If you're a fan, send an email. Stop screwing with my work!"

"I'm Michael Eisner, from Disney—"

He didn't even finish. Eisner froze.

The line went dead again—nothing but dial tone.

Dunn didn't give him a chance to explain. Hung up, just like that!

Eisner slammed the phone down with a bang, roaring, "Kid, you're out of control!"

…

The A Beautiful Mind crew was already gearing up. The production department greenlit an initial budget of $45 million.

Russell Crowe's paycheck: $6 million. Nicole Kidman's: $5 million. Dunn? He took a symbolic $500,000 as director.

The original A Beautiful Mind had a $58 million budget, with just $450,000 for lead actress Jennifer Connelly.

But back then, the producer, director, and writer fees ate up $12 million, and shooting in story order—for the actors' sake—jacked costs way up.

Now, Russell Crowe's been prepping the role for three months. A normal shooting schedule will do just fine.

Dunn handed the early prep to his production assistants—Morgan Carey, Glenn Feyero, and Erin Kelly—while he bolted to a seaside spot outside Mexico City.

A huge crew was at work there. Back when Dunn shot Titanic, he'd used the massive water tank on this lot. Now, James Cameron was back with his Unsinkable crew, revisiting old turf.

The second Dunn hit the set, he caught Cameron's hoarse bellow. "Matthew, what's that reaction? You shoot too many horror flicks and forget how to act? Drop that jumpy crap and give it to me straight!"

"Got it, director. I'm on it," Matthew McConaughey replied, sounding a little meek.

Fair enough—anyone working with Cameron ends up tamed.

Dunn didn't interrupt the shoot. Instead, he sidled up to executive producer Grant Hill for a quiet chat. "How's it going? Smooth?"

Grant sighed, shaking his head.

"What's up?"

"Shooting-wise, James is top-notch, no question. But sometimes he's too picky. That last take? I thought Matthew nailed it."

Dunn grinned. "Perfection takes grinding, right? James just wants it flawless. Anyway, $200 million budget's gotta be enough, yeah?"

Grant nodded. "Budget's fine. It's the schedule that's killing us. Mel's not even here yet—who knows how that'll go."

Mel Gibson was still in France shooting Mr. & Mrs. Smith, so Unsinkable had to film everyone else's scenes first.

"How're you juggling Mel's stuff?"

"Mel's doing 30 days of solo scenes on Smith, then 50 days here—his part's not huge. After that, he'll head back to wrap up Smith."

Dunn smirked. "What a hassle! I told him back then—just stick to one gig. Guy's gonna wear himself out!"

Grant chuckled. "Commercial flicks, man—hopping sets is standard. No need to deep-dive into a role like it's some art piece. Oh, check it—who's this?"

Dunn followed his nudge and grinned.

Striding over was a stunner—hair piled high, red gown flowing, drop-dead gorgeous. His old flame, Liv Tyler.

Her long dress screamed costume—'50s vibes with a timeless allure. She glided over, all grace and charm.