Legendary Pictures' Michael Ovitz and Warner Bros.' CEO Barry Meyer jointly attended the signing ceremony for a film slate investment deal between their two companies.
The event was a big deal—super formal, with tons of industry heavyweights dressed to the nines, all there to witness this historic moment.
Legendary Pictures, the first company in history to focus on brokering movie business investments, officially stepped onto the Hollywood stage—and it was a dazzling debut!
Plus, the first-ever film financing model of its kind in Hollywood history—"slate investment"—finally clinched the crown after a month and a half of buzz. It's now the hottest new financing approach in town, hands down.
As the first to take the plunge, Warner Bros. doesn't seem to be taking on any real risk. This slate investment partnership is set to solve their movie funding woes for the next two years, no sweat.
For Warner—and honestly, all of Hollywood—this is a game-changing new era!
Ever since Director Dunn's Titanic took the world by storm, the phrase "new era" has been the hottest topic in Hollywood.
But what is this so-called new era for Hollywood?
Just Titanic alone?
Sorry, but even if you lump Titanic, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, and Spider-Man—three movies that each raked in over a billion bucks worldwide—it still doesn't define Hollywood!
Dunn's got talent, vision, and influence, no doubt. But he's just one guy, and Dunn Films is just a small-scale movie outfit.
His success? It's a fluke. He doesn't represent Hollywood!
All that media hype about a "new era" for Hollywood? To a lot of old-school players and industry bigwigs, it's total nonsense.
But then came the "slate investment" model, and suddenly, all six Hollywood giants are thinking the same thing: the new era? It's here for real!
Dunn's brainchild, this "slate investment" thing, is legit opening a new chapter for Hollywood!
Its impact outweighs even the handful of blockbuster movies Dunn's churned out. His stock in Hollywood? It's about to skyrocket.
Legendary Pictures raised $500 million, which isn't exactly a secret around here.
Now, they've locked in a deal with Warner Bros. Over the next two years, they'll pump $2.4 billion into Warner, spread across 40 of their upcoming films.
That means, with no extra investors on the horizon, Legendary's leftover cash can only handle one big client!
But Hollywood's got other heavy hitters: Universal, Sony, Paramount, Disney, and 20th Century Fox.
Too many monks, not enough meat!
Disney and Fox, who've got bad blood with Dunn Films, aren't even dreaming of a shot.
With Dunn backing Legendary, there's no way he'd help his sworn enemies with their cash flow problems.
Good thing the "slate investment" model Dunn cooked up isn't rocket science. The basic idea? Any Wall Street analyst could break it down clear as day.
Word is, Disney and 20th Century Fox are already scheming in the shadows. Since Legendary's out of reach, they're planning to hit up private equity funds themselves and pull off their own slate deals.
But that's a huge gamble. Whether it's Hollywood or Wall Street, moving that kind of money without a solid middleman to vouch for you? Good luck.
The slate investment concept is gorgeous on paper. Top venture capital firms have crunched the numbers, and the returns beat out even the world's biggest hedge fund, Bridgewater.
Still, it's a brand-new game. Legendary only scored on Wall Street because Dunn's name was attached!
Disney and Fox don't have Dunn to back them up. Trying to pull a Michael Ovitz and sweet-talk Wall Street into coughing up big bucks? Not impossible, but it's a hell of a climb!
Meanwhile, Sony, Universal, and Paramount—three giants who've never directly clashed with Dunn Films—are counting their blessings. They've got all kinds of PR tricks up their sleeves to woo Michael Ovitz, cozy up to Dunn Walker, and snag that second client spot with Legendary!
Universal, Dunn Films' old partner, is betting everything on Dunn. While he's filming in Boston, they're faxing him a dozen docs a day to show how serious they are.
Dunn, though? He's playing it cool.
Universal's in a rough spot under Vivendi right now.
Back in the day, Dunn was all about helping out in a pinch—he'd probably have talked Ovitz into throwing Universal a bone.
But things are different now. Ron Meyer's dodging Dunn's hints like they're nothing. He doesn't buy Dunn's predictions and hasn't given up on Vivendi's future yet.
Dunn's dead-set on buying Universal Pictures, and Ron Meyer's the key!
If Ron could rally Universal's execs to mutiny, Dunn could swoop in with a management buyout and take the lead!
Then, even if Vivendi decides to sell Universal later, with multiple big players bidding, they'd have no choice but to pick Dunn Films.
So right now, Dunn's not lifting a finger to help. He's just gonna watch Ron Meyer sink into despair, then ride in like a knight in shining armor and take Universal for himself!
…
2000 is absolutely Dunn's year!
He's already dropped three bombshells on Hollywood this year alone!
Spring: He cleaned house in the stock and futures markets, becoming a mega-rich tycoon overnight—oh, and an FBI investigation made him a prime crime suspect.
Summer: Spider-Man hit theaters, sparking a box office frenzy! Normally, theaters run at about 15% capacity, but for its first two weeks, Spider-Man was packing seats at 90%. With $1.2 billion worldwide, it screamed the return of superhero flicks.
Fall: The slate investment plan rolled out, and it's a total game-changer for Hollywood's future. Even giants like Columbia and Paramount are kissing up to him now—a once-in-a-century sight around here…
Dunn's a walking headline!
Or maybe he's just a chaos magnet. In just a few short years in Hollywood, he's carved out his own turf and left his mark on this century-old titan in all kinds of ways.
And that's not all. The latest Time magazine? Dunn's on the cover again. This time, it's not about movies, slate deals, or market battles—it's about feminism!
He's out there championing women's rights, which has zilch to do with Hollywood.
Hollywood's always had a shiny facade—political correctness is its biggest flex. The power players squeeze female artists dry while preaching feminism to polish their image.
But Dunn's not like other actors. He's a director, a studio boss, and he's planning to make a feminist movie!
It's a touchy, fragile topic!
In other words, a thankless slog!
Why does Hollywood treat male and female actors differently? Because guys carry the box office, and women are usually just sidekicks!
Even a timeless classic like Thelma & Louise swept awards left and right—but how much did it make?
A measly $45 million at the box office!
And that's a rare win. Over the decades, most feminist films have tanked hard.
Even this year's well-reviewed Girl, Interrupted from Dunn Films is just aiming to break even. So far: $27.86 million in North America, $3.27 million overseas.
Doesn't Dunn know this genre's a market dud?
No way—he's a commercial movie guru. He sees the landscape crystal clear.
So why's he still dead-set on investing in feminist films? Two possibilities:
Either he's a legit feminist, genuinely wanting to fight for women's rights, or… his ambitions are so massive that the cost of a feminist flop is pocket change to him!
Don't let Dunn's youth fool you. Behind that easy smile is a mind too mysterious and complex to pin down. Especially after the slate investment dropped, Hollywood's view of him has totally flipped.
He's damn impressive!
And nobody can figure out what he's really thinking.
"Hey, since when am I starring in a movie?" Taking advantage of the weekend, Natalie swung by the A Beautiful Mind set and breezily moved into Dunn's guest room.
In the bedroom, a few women's pajamas and some flirty lingerie hung around—obviously Nicole Kidman's. Natalie didn't bat an eye, just flopped onto the bed and glanced back at him. "Well?"
Dunn stepped out of the bathroom, casually adjusting his robe, grinning. "Oh, you mean the Time interview? Ha, it's just an idea for now. Script's not even started."
"And you didn't think to run it by me?" Natalie shot him a mildly annoyed look.
Dunn's eyes widened. "Wait, what? Aren't you always griping about not getting enough movie roles? What, you don't want to be the lead?"
Since Léon: The Professional, Natalie hasn't landed a real starring role. In the Star Wars prequels, she's technically the female lead, but it's a bit part—the Jedi are the real stars.
"Who said that? Of course I do!" Natalie huffed. "But you're so bossy! Why not talk to me first? It's my career—you don't get to decide for me!"
"Alright, Nat, my bad. I'll check with you next time. This interview kinda blindsided me—I'm not even ready yet. No script or anything," Dunn said, throwing up his hands in surrender before hopping onto the bed next to her. "You gonna shower? Or should we just…"
"Why's your mind always on that?" Natalie rolled her eyes and snorted. "I swear, are you made of steel or something? I'm hitting the shower. After… you're telling me what this movie's even about."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Jerk!"
…
2000's been a wild, epic ride for Dunn.
Maybe it's because he went easy on Disney in that Time interview. Maybe the slate investment ripple effect was too huge. Or maybe Disney just doesn't have the guts to keep fighting Dunn Films in the movie game…
Whatever the reason, Michael Eisner's finally waved the white flag.
And then, the most jaw-dropping news started circulating in Hollywood's inner circle.
Two months after Disney slapped a ban on Dunn Films, they quietly sent out a memo scrapping it.
Meanwhile, Dunn Films' ban on Disney? Still an active, official document—every Hollywood insider's got a copy.
After their bloody showdown, media titan Disney—led by Michael Eisner, who'd dominated Hollywood for two decades—cracked first, bowing to Dunn and admitting defeat!
Is Hollywood's power structure about to get a redraw?
Who knows.
But Disney's surrender sent shockwaves through the core of Hollywood—way bigger than the slate investment buzz.
This time, it's a smaller-scale sensation.
But for Hollywood, the impact? It's more stunning than anything Dunn's pulled off before.
Don't forget who he's up against: Michael Eisner!
The Disney king himself!