Michael Eisner had never been so embarrassed. He'd thought Britney Spears, the so-called "pop princess," was Disney's biggest star—cute, famous, and charming. But she turned out to be utterly unreliable.
Natalie, sharp as ever, could sense Eisner was on the verge of losing it. She knew they couldn't keep poking the bear, especially not letting Britney keep spilling his secrets.
"Britney, let the guys talk. Come with me—I'll introduce you to a real superstar, Nicole Kidman!"
Like best friends, Natalie took Britney's hand, and they happily sauntered off to another corner of the room.
Michael Eisner let out a long sigh of relief, clearing his throat. "Dunn, earlier… there might've been a misunderstanding."
Dunn laughed heartily. "Oh, definitely a misunderstanding! My reputation out there isn't great, but that's just the media making stuff up."
"Exactly, exactly! Some outlets are just irresponsible with their reporting!" Eisner jumped in, visibly relaxing.
Dunn wasn't dwelling on the topic, which was a huge relief for Eisner.
What a mess!
Especially with Universal Pictures executives watching closely.
Universal was Dunn Films' distributor and partner, naturally hoping the two companies could smooth things over. Ron Meyer chimed in with a knowing smile, "Yeah, some things start as a casual comment, but by the time they spread, they're blown way out of proportion. That's how misunderstandings happen."
Everyone in the room was sharp enough to know he was referring to the "ban" rumors.
Eisner shot Meyer a glance, nodding with a smile. "Exactly. Hollywood's not what it used to be—it's under attack from outside forces. But Hollywood's a collective. We need to stick together, not give outsiders a show to laugh at."
Dunn clapped his hands enthusiastically. "Mr. Eisner, you're so right! Hollywood's a big family. Old-school studios, new film companies—we're all part of it. If we get along and pull in the same direction, this family only gets stronger."
"Precisely!" Eisner's eyes lit up. He'd expected Dunn to be stubborn, but the kid seemed to get it.
Seeing the conversation flowing smoothly, Ron Meyer, playing mediator, decided to cut to the chase. "A while back, I heard something—not sure if it's true or not, haha—but word is Dunn Films and Disney issued bans against each other?"
Dunn and Eisner exchanged a glance, both bursting into laughter.
Eisner said, "A misunderstanding, definitely a misunderstanding!"
Dunn grinned. "Yeah, Dunn Films might've crushed Disney at the box office, but I'm sure Mr. Eisner's not petty enough to issue a ban, right?"
Eisner's face flushed, but he forced a smile. "Of course not. Just normal market competition."
Dunn nodded eagerly. "That's what I thought! Disney wouldn't do something that shameless."
Bill Mechanic, listening in, gave a wry smile and shook his head internally.
He'd thought Dunn genuinely wanted to mend fences with Disney, but those words? Pure tiger-in-sheep's-clothing stuff—smiling while hiding a dagger.
Eisner was visibly uncomfortable. He was starting to regret showing up. Even if they reached a truce, Dunn's sharp jabs in front of everyone were making him lose face.
Ron Meyer quickly stepped in as peacemaker. "Disney's brand is impeccable. No way they'd do that, right?"
Dunn glanced at him, smirking faintly. "Sure, haha. But a month ago, Dunn Films got Disney's ban notice. If Mr. Meyer had stepped in to mediate back then, maybe all these misunderstandings wouldn't have snowballed."
Meyer's face froze, looking worse than if he'd been crying.
Was the situation now the same as a month ago?
Back then, Dunn Films was riding high, dominating the summer box office with Spider-Man, using Disney as a punching bag to grab headlines.
Disney, pushed to the brink, played the villain and came after Dunn Films.
Even as Dunn's partner, Universal would've stayed on the sidelines.
Universal only got a 10% cut from Spider-Man's distribution, covering marketing and other costs. If Disney took down Dunn Films, Universal's close ties meant they'd likely scoop up Spider-Man or other superhero projects. That was way more valuable than a measly 10% cut!
Look at DreamWorks—nominally independent, but most of its business was already in Universal's pocket.
This was Hollywood. Relationships mattered, but the giants cared about profits above all.
Things were different now. Dunn, alongside Michael Ovitz, had cooked up an enticing "portfolio investment plan" that could revolutionize Hollywood's financing model over the past three decades.
It was a streamlined, sustainable, all-encompassing funding solution—massively appealing.
If it succeeded, it could solve the studios' cash flow problems for good. To Hollywood's giants, that was far more exciting than a few movie rights.
Maybe… Eisner had heard whispers of this plan and realized its importance, prompting him to try patching things up with Dunn Films.
Dunn's verbal jabs at both Eisner and Meyer had soured the once-cordial atmosphere.
Bill Mechanic waved a hand. "Let's leave the past behind. We're all friends here—talk it out, no need to make things tense."
"Exactly, talk it out!" Meyer agreed enthusiastically.
Dunn's eyes locked onto Eisner, unyielding.
Eisner's brow twitched, irritation flaring.
The kid had spirit, sure, but this aggressive attitude was too much!
"Dunn, the ban thing… let's just drop it."
Eisner decided to shift tactics. His earlier conciliatory approach had only emboldened Dunn. If soft didn't work, he'd go hard. His tone turned stern.
Dunn, still relaxed, smiled cheekily. "Drop it? What do you mean?"
"It's been over a month since the ban rumors started. They haven't spread far, but they've caused a bad stir. Let's both take a step back and call it quits."
Eisner dropped the friendly act, his face hard, his words carrying a hint of a threat.
Dunn's infuriating smile didn't waver. "Sorry, Mr. Eisner, I'm not sure I follow. For Disney, the ban's been going on for over a month. But for Dunn Films? It's only been a couple of weeks."
Eisner's expression darkened, his commanding aura erupting, making even heavyweights like Mechanic and Meyer feel a chill.
The sharp, domineering presence he'd cultivated over two decades was undeniable.
Mechanic, who'd worked under Eisner at Disney, felt old shadows creeping back under that intense pressure.
Truth be told, Dunn was rattled by the outburst.
But he had to stay steady, had to stand firm. All eyes were on him. Any sign of hesitation or fear, and Eisner would walk away unscathed.
Dunn took a deep breath, suppressing his nerves, his face calm. "What, did I say something wrong?"
Eisner's eyes narrowed to slits, his expression stormy, staring Dunn down.
His gaze was like two piercing arrows, sharp enough to bore through Dunn's skull.
But Dunn didn't flinch.
"I'm not some pushover, and you're no master strategist!"
"Trying to intimidate me?"
"Don't forget—I'm the guy who produced Saw!"
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