For Michael Eisner, Dunn Films' resilience and adaptability were way beyond what he'd expected.
If the "portfolio investment plan" succeeded, it'd be a game-changer for all of Hollywood.
And Dunn, the mastermind behind it, would earn some serious respect.
Lately, Michael Ovitz had finished registering his new company, Legendary Pictures, and was busy schmoozing private equity funds and investment banks in Manhattan, trying to reel in big money.
If he pulled it off, Legendary Pictures would shine bright in Hollywood, and the industry's heavyweights would trip over themselves to partner up.
This was Dunn's ace in the hole—and the biggest roadblock to Eisner's efforts to crush Dunn Films.
If the portfolio plan flopped, it'd be smooth sailing. Eisner knew Hollywood's giants well enough—they'd turn on Dunn Films in a heartbeat and grind it into the dirt.
But if it worked? Sanctioning Dunn Films would be a tall order, even for a media titan like Disney. Treating it like they did DreamWorks wouldn't even be on the table.
So Eisner played it smart. He stepped back from the mess, paused the feud with Dunn Films, and slyly dragged Mattel into the fray.
It eased Disney's heat while keeping the pressure on Dunn Films.
Mattel Toys? Eisner didn't give them a second thought.
Even if Dunn had some clever counter-move, hit Mattel back, or even took them down, it wouldn't touch him.
Big shots like him just dropped a word, and the little guys charged in.
No need to get his hands dirty every time.
Dunn was a tough nut to crack, and Eisner had to weigh the pros and cons of going head-to-head.
…
Cambridge, Massachusetts, was a famous college town, home to some of the world's top universities with major clout. The American Association of University Women often held talks, forums, or events here, pushing women's values and life goals.
In plain terms: preaching feminism!
A Beautiful Mind was shooting in the area, but Dunn's head wasn't in it.
Mattel's jab had him steamed.
And Disney pulling strings behind it? He wasn't letting that slide.
He needed a way to hit back.
Recently, a survey from the AAUW revealed that harassment was rampant for female college students—about 62% said they'd faced verbal or physical harassment when polled.
So, on Sunday, September 17, the AAUW's Harvard chapter was hosting a forum in the Sociology Building's Lecture Hall 1, third floor. Big-name feminist Gloria Marie Steinem was set to speak.
When Dunn heard about it, a light bulb went off. A feminist forum? Perfect chance!
…
On Friday, September 15, theaters got hit with a wave of new releases.
Warner's Bait, DreamWorks' Almost Famous, Dunn Films' Memento, Lionsgate's Love Stinks, Disney's Duets, and six others—11 films total—dropped that day.
If Girl, Interrupted had Dunn's producer credit to boost its box office a bit, Christopher Nolan's Memento had to stand on its own, clawing its way through the pack of 11.
Memento didn't get much hype. To break out, it'd have to lean on its classic cult vibe.
Good thing it only cost $5 million to make—Dunn wasn't banking on it to slug it out with Warner's Bait or DreamWorks' Almost Famous at the box office.
But at the very least…
It had to outgross Disney's Duets, right?
Duets, with a $21 million budget, starred Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow in an upbeat musical comedy.
From budget to buzz, genre to cast, Memento couldn't hold a candle to Duets.
Dunn's only weapon? The director, Christopher Nolan!
Nolan in the game—who could compete?
Memento might've been low-budget with a weak lineup, but so what?
Dunn was dead sure Nolan's name alone could crush Duets!
Another showdown between Disney and Dunn Films in the movie arena was about to kick off.
That day, Warner's Bait opened in 52 theaters, pulling in $40,000—second only to Universal's crime thriller The Watcher.
DreamWorks' Almost Famous, a stellar music drama, cost a hefty $60 million. But instead of teaming up with Universal, DreamWorks went solo on distribution.
Predictable result: they got squeezed. Almost Famous opened in just 131 theaters, but its quality shone through, raking in a surprising $1.18 million that day.
$1.18 million wasn't huge, but among the new releases, it landed second, just behind Warner's action flick Bait.
Better yet, the film hit the ground running with media and critics, who pegged it as a shoo-in for next year's awards season.
Next up: Dunn Films' Memento.
Thanks to Universal handling distribution, this cult flick—way less mainstream than Almost Famous—scored 427 opening theaters. It cleared $1 million that day, hitting $1.09 million.
Not a blockbuster haul, but for a $5 million film, it was the kind of return any producer would envy.
Fourth place brought Disney's Duets. With 581 theaters, it managed just $860,000.
Disney's new release got overshadowed by Dunn Films again—and that wasn't all. Critics raved about Memento, giving it near-universal praise and a box office edge.
Duets? A total flop with reviewers!
Even Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow's performance got slammed—critics called her the weakest Best Actress ever, and she lived up to the title.
Famed critic David Thomson, writing in The New Republic, basically danced on Disney's grave while cheering Dunn Films—
"Memento isn't a big-budget affair, but this young British director weaves a tangled plot with cool, sharp visuals, blending violence, mystery, and more. It even digs into philosophy and psychology—a bold, exploratory gem."
"Duets, a musical comedy, boasts songs sung by its cast. But that can't hide how trite, bland, clichéd, and dull it is. Compared to DreamWorks' Almost Famous in the same genre, it's got nothing going for it."
"Talking Memento and Duets means mentioning their studios—Dunn Films and Disney. Since this summer, these two have been duking it out in the movie game, and the outcome's clear: old-school giant Disney's lost again."
"From My Big Fat Greek Wedding to The Wedding Crashers, and this year's Spider-Man, Girl, Interrupted, and Memento, Dunn Films' output has nailed it in both buzz and box office."
"Disney, though? Maybe they're spread too thin across too many industries and dropped the ball on filmmaking. Word is they're banking everything on Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor. But can a guy who only knows explosions pull off a war flick like that? Dunn doesn't think so."
"Old-school movie-making doesn't cut it in the new era. Dunn's undeniably the leader of this new wave. If Disney doesn't adapt fast, they could get swept away by the tide—and that's no exaggeration…"