It's been exactly half a month since Dunn Films fought back and issued a ban against Disney.
In that time, Dunn Films' movies have continued to soar, while Disney's films have been pulled from theaters one after another. Meanwhile, big names like Jack Nicholson, Mel Gibson, and Johnny Depp have made bold appearances, signing deals with Dunn Films without giving Disney's ban a second thought.
Things are spiraling in an unpredictable direction.
Michael Eisner initially thought that if Dunn Films dared to respond with a "ban," the Motion Picture Association, backed by the six major studios, would step in officially to rein them in.
But that's not how it's playing out!
Eisner made a few calls to the other major studios, only to get vague, noncommittal responses. It was clear they were dodging him.
With his sharp mind, Eisner quickly put it together.
That kid Dunn… he must've paid a steep price to win the support of the other major studios!
But…
With Dunn Films' current assets and scale, what could they possibly offer to make Hollywood's giants green with envy?
"Film rights?"
Eisner shook his head immediately. No way!
If the major studios teamed up to carve up Dunn Films, the film rights would just be split evenly among them.
"Actual cash?"
Eisner let out a dry laugh.
Sure, Dunn's a filthy rich guy, but he's not stupid. Why would he hand over his own money to the other major studios? At their core, those Hollywood giants are Dunn Films' potential rivals.
Eisner's no fool. He's already figured out that Dunn must've teamed up with Michael Ovitz and made some hefty promises to the other studios. Otherwise, they wouldn't let Dunn Films run wild like this.
The Wolf of Wall Street bombed at the box office, but a few tens of millions in losses are a drop in the bucket for Disney, with its market value exceeding $50 billion. It barely makes a dent.
At most, it's a bit of a PR embarrassment, letting Dunn have his moment to gloat.
From the start, Eisner took Dunn, this Hollywood newcomer, seriously. But now he's realizing he didn't take him seriously enough.
The surprises Dunn's bringing are way beyond what he imagined.
"Maybe… it's time to meet this kid face-to-face?" Eisner narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.
Know your enemy, and you'll win every battle.
Michael Eisner, who's dominated Hollywood for years, has rarely been outplayed like this by a rookie like Dunn. Amid his anger and astonishment, he's also growing a bit curious.
He's never met Dunn. Everything he knows about him comes from media reports and hearsay.
Some things seem like a big deal on the surface, but once you talk it out, they're no bigger than a speck of dust.
Of course, Eisner would never admit he's considering backing down. With Disney's power, they don't need to bow to anyone!
But spending so much effort to fight a film company worth less than $2 billion? It's just not worth it!
Recently, several shareholders have emailed him, voicing their dissatisfaction.
Dunn was right about one thing: Disney's film division is weak.
Since Jeffrey Katzenberg left, their animated films have tanked. Their live-action films? They're barely holding on thanks to Jerry Bruckheimer and Harvey Weinstein, with none of the swagger of an old-school studio.
Being repeatedly outmaneuvered by Dunn Films in such a short time boils down to Disney's film business being too fragile.
Right now, Disney's core is its television business!
Beyond ESPN and the ABC network, Eisner's got his sights set on reviving the Disney Channel's glory days!
The Disney Channel, a pay-TV network focused on kids and teens, has been challenged by Warner's Cartoon Network and Viacom's Nickelodeon.
That's not good enough for Eisner's appetite.
In the teen and kids' market, Disney has to rule!
Building a cable network from scratch takes time. To quickly dominate this space, acquisition is the best move.
Eisner's already got his target: the Family Entertainment Channel under Twentieth Century Fox.
With 81 million subscribers in the U.S., 10 million in Latin America, and 24 million households in Europe, the acquisition could be worth at least $5 billion.
It's a steep price, but once the deal's done, the merged Disney Channel will dominate affordable family entertainment!
Compared to that massive market, the film business's meager profits are nothing.
Thinking of this, Eisner gave a self-deprecating chuckle. Dunn… just some wet-behind-the-ears kid with a bit of talent, making a few hit movies and bouncing around Hollywood like he owns it.
Is it really worth stooping to his level?
Maybe it's the string of blows to Disney's films that's left him disheartened. Maybe it's Dunn Films' unstoppable momentum, with A-list stars publicly backing them. Or maybe it's Dunn's ability to rally the other major studios…
Whatever it is, Eisner's not as furious as he was before. He's calm now, even brushing off Dunn's provocative comments in the papers with a scoff and a smile.
"It's time to meet him."
…
The schedule for A Beautiful Mind isn't rushed, so Dunn's taking his time with filming.
Eight hours of shooting a day, two days off every weekend, and not a cent in overtime pay.
Mel Gibson's cameo scenes wrapped up quickly. The guy didn't even take a break, hopping on a private jet straight to the set of Unsinkable.
Then Dunn got a call from Bill Mechanic with some unexpected news.
"Dunn, Michael Eisner wants to meet you!"
"Who?"
Dunn froze, not quite processing it.
Bill Mechanic repeated slowly, "Disney's chairman, Michael Eisner!"
Dunn burst out laughing. "You're kidding, right? He wants to meet me? What, to beg for mercy on his knees?"
Bill's tone was dead serious, no hint of a joke. "Dunn, this isn't just some rumor. Eisner passed the message through Ron Meyer. He's probably seen the writing on the wall and doesn't want this ban nonsense to drag on."
Dunn waved a hand, telling the crew to take a half-hour break, then strolled back to his trailer, saying coolly, "So, Michael Eisner's really throwing in the towel?"
Bill sighed. "It's not exactly throwing in the towel. With even Mel Gibson on our side, the influence is huge. Keeping this up isn't worth it for anyone."
Dunn raised an eyebrow. "Bill, what's your take?"
"Like he said, the ban's just a farce." Bill paused. "If Disney's backing off, and we keep pushing, the other studios won't be happy."
Dunn smirked. "Bill, you're right. But Eisner's thinking the same thing! Why should I play along with him?"
"Dunn, you…"
"Hmph! He's the one who started this ban nonsense. Now that it's spiraling out of control, he wants to call a truce? On what grounds?"
"Because he represents Disney!"
"Ha!"
Dunn let out a cocky laugh, then said coldly, "So what if it's Disney? Bill, don't say I'm full of myself, but Eisner's been playing emperor too long, thinking everyone's his servant. He's got some bad habits!"
Bill sighed again. "Dunn, dragging this out doesn't do either of us any good. The ban's got to be settled eventually."
Dunn replied calmly, "Of course. The ban disrupts the market, and it can't go on forever—I get that. But resolving this depends on my terms, not his!"
"Dunn, you're letting emotions cloud your judgment."
"No, Bill, I'm perfectly clear-headed and calm." Dunn's voice was steady and firm. "Dunn Films is a new company, and I'm not going down DreamWorks' path. This is the perfect chance to make an example out of Disney and show all of Hollywood that Dunn Films isn't DreamWorks. We won't be pushed around!"