After leaving Slywood Animation, Dunn's mood stayed unsettled for a while.
He'd checked out some of the Fantastic Four footage they'd produced, and honestly, it was impressive—polished and mature. With a bit more refinement, it could totally hold its own on the big screen! Hard to believe this was just a team Tosca Musk had thrown together in three months. Even the director was a fresh grad from NYU's art school—a woman, no less.
Sure, for animated films, technical hurdles are the easy part to clear. The real challenge is finding a story and concept strong enough to carry it. Could Bone Treasure Adventures really cut it?
Dunn had no clue. In his past life, there'd been no animated movie of that name, and he'd never even seen the original comic. But according to his team, it was a hit with kids, which seemed legit. With the rise of IPs, that could be the foundation for success.
Maybe…
Maybe Slywood Animation—something he'd quietly looked down on and never took too seriously—actually had a shot at making a decent animated film. Dunn realized he might've been boxed in by his old-world thinking.
His presence had already flipped Hollywood upside down. What if… he could nurture a fourth animation titan alongside the big three? In his past life, Tosca Musk was just a run-of-the-mill live-action producer. Thanks to him, her path had taken a wild turn.
"Maybe I should give her another chance," Dunn muttered, half-closing his eyes as he sank into thought in the back of his bulletproof Rolls-Royce.
Hollywood's landscape was already so different from what he'd known…
While Dunn quietly weighed his own impact, his private phone rang. The caller? A big name—Michael Eisner!
Dunn chuckled to himself. This time, he didn't play dumb, letting some warmth slip into his tone. "Hey there, Mr. Eisner!"
He could already guess why Michael Eisner was calling. Half a month ago, Disney had quietly lifted their ban on Dunn Films. Per their original deal, the deadline had hit, and Dunn Films was supposed to make a move.
The past two weeks had been rough on Disney. Industry heavyweights had started throwing subtle shade at Eisner, their words laced with disdain. Even Disney's board—led by Roy Disney himself—had voiced their displeasure. Of course, only Roy, the last Disney family member with a stake in the company, had the guts to challenge the Disney king.
Now, Eisner was itching to put this mess behind him and climb out of the "ban" quagmire. "Dunn, the half-month mark's here!"
Dunn paused, then said calmly, "Mr. Eisner, that wasn't exactly my condition, was it?"
Back then, Dunn had agreed to delay lifting the ban for half a month, sure—but only if Disney offered an apology and an explanation.
Eisner's brow furrowed, his tone souring. "Anne Hathaway already apologized to you."
Dunn laughed. "Mr. Eisner, don't take me for a kid. Hathaway's apology was personal, between us. It's got nothing to do with Disney."
Since nothing real had happened between him and Anne Hathaway, Dunn had the confidence to say it.
Eisner's voice deepened. "Dunn, this needs to end!"
"I know. Truth is, I wanted to wrap up this nonsense back in early August," Dunn said with a grin, his tone firm despite the casual vibe.
He wasn't backing down—not an inch—against Michael Eisner!
"It's almost November now. No point in digging up the past."
"I get that. That's why I haven't said anything harsh about Disney in my recent interviews. You've probably noticed," Dunn replied evenly. "Mr. Eisner, I don't like starting fights, but if someone comes at me, I'm not stepping back either."
Eisner took a deep breath, reining in his temper. "Dunn, just tell me—what's your angle here?"
Dunn grinned, feeling a rush of pride. Going toe-to-toe with a titan like this and coming out on top? That was something to brag about. "Mr. Eisner, I'm not the type to push my luck, heh. I just can't stand seeing certain lowlifes jumping around like they own the place."
"Are you hinting at me?" Eisner's voice turned icy, his chill practically seeping through the phone.
Dunn jumped in quick. "No, no, Mr. Eisner, you've been misled by some snake. There's never been bad blood between us."
"A snake?" Eisner's eyes twitched as a name clicked. "You mean… Joe Roth?"
Dunn burst out laughing. "Great minds think alike!"
Eisner's tone hardened. "No dice. He's the head of Disney's production department!"
Dunn scoffed. "Head of production? So what? Under him, Disney's movies are on a fast track to the grave! Look, Mr. Eisner, I'll be straight—I've got a score to settle with this guy. If he's out, the ban's done. End of story."
"Dunn, are you threatening me?" Eisner's voice dropped, cold and sharp.
"Nah, just a trade," Dunn said, pausing for effect. "This summer, Joe Roth caused me a ton of headaches—spread a bunch of crap that trashed my rep. How's a sleaze like that still working at Disney?"
Back in the summer, Joe Roth had teamed up with 20th Century Fox's Tom Rothman to stir the pot, hitting Dunn Films from both sides, trying to tank Spider-Man and bankrupt him. Lucky for Dunn, Spider-Man came out swinging, crushing all the haters.
But that grudge? Dunn wasn't letting it go.
Plus, Joe Roth was the big backer for Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay at Disney. If Dunn could knock him out now, he'd have free rein to bury Bruckheimer and Bay when Pearl Harbor dropped next year. And one more thing—The Sixth Sense director M. Night Shyamalan had been signed thanks to Roth. If Roth left Disney, it'd open the door for Shyamalan to jump ship.
All that added up to one thing: Joe Roth had to go!
Eisner's voice boomed with authority. "Joe's the top dog in Disney's film division. Right now, we need stability in management."
Dunn replied coolly, "Oh? That so? Well, too bad then. Sorry, Mr. Eisner—Halloween's coming up."
Eisner's pulse jumped. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing much," Dunn said, all nonchalant. "Just a heads-up. Disney's Unbreakable premieres November 22nd. Meanwhile, Dunn Films' Saw hits theaters November 1st."
Eisner knew Saw—a B-movie. He'd even ordered roadblocks for Dunn Films during its rating process. He sneered, "Dunn, you're saying a little B-movie's gonna take down a mainstream Disney blockbuster after 20 days?"
"Sounds weird?"
"Heh, you're pretty cocky!"
"Guess we'll see?"
"Kid, too much confidence can trip you up!"
Eisner snorted, realizing Dunn wasn't budging. With no chance to sway him, he hung up. Maybe a small loss would teach the guy to back off.
Saw versus Unbreakable? Dunn must've lost his mind from all the wins—talking nonsense now. Saw cost a measly $1.5 million—barely a Hollywood flick—while Unbreakable had a $75 million budget. They weren't even in the same league!
Plus, Unbreakable was directed by M. Night Shyamalan, practically a Sixth Sense redo, and it was hitting theaters 20 days after Saw. No way it could flop!
…
Back at Dunn Films, a message was waiting for him.
Martin Richards, a big-name Hollywood producer, had dropped by, looking to buy the film adaptation rights to the musical Chicago from Dunn Films. Earlier this year, Dunn had planned to shoot Chicago and had his production team secure the rights. But after 9/11, he'd pivoted to A Beautiful Mind.
Hearing this, Dunn's eyebrow twitched, a smirk curling his lips.
He remembered it crystal clear—in his past life, Chicago was a Miramax production. It killed it at the Oscars and raked in $300 million at the box office—a massive win for a musical. Now, with Miramax and Dunn Films on the outs, and Harvey Weinstein blacklisted by Dunn, there was zero chance of a collab.
But Harvey wasn't giving up. Sending an old-school producer like Martin Richards to swoop in? Cute move—too bad it was naive. You might fool others, but not Dunn Walker, the guy who saw it all coming!
"Tell that old geezer to stay out of things that don't concern him—unless he wants to get burned!" Dunn shot down the offer without hesitation.
Erin Kelly from the production department hesitated. "Boss, isn't that a bit rude? Mr. Richards has a lot of clout in the industry."
"Clout?" Dunn sneered. "He's playing lapdog for someone else and still thinks he's got face? Hmph. Tell him the rights aren't for sale. If he keeps pushing, kick him out! Anyone tied to Harvey Weinstein's gotta be trash."
Dunn didn't give a damn about Miramax anymore—they were small fry. His sights were on their parent company, Disney!
A new month was rolling in.
Saw versus Unbreakable. A fresh war was brewing—no guns, just glory…