A new week was kicking off, and four movies with solid box office potential were hitting theaters: Universal's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Paramount's Rugrats in Paris, Sony's The 6th Day, and Miramax's Bounce.
Bounce, a romance starring Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow, had a $35 million budget and was opening in 1,918 theaters.
No way around it—the Christmas season was in full swing, and the big studios were throwing everything they had into the ring. Even with Harvey Weinstein's clout, it was tough to snag a bigger opening for Bounce in such a crowded lineup.
By comparison, Saw, which had been flying under the radar, had built unstoppable momentum after two weeks. With 2,674 theaters, it couldn't match the scale of commercial giants like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Charlie's Angels, or The 6th Day, but among non-mainstream films, it was absolutely dominating.
Dunn was confident that even with fewer screens than the big blockbusters, Saw could hold its own against any competitor at the box office!
On November 13, Saw raked in $2.11 million.
On November 14, it premiered successfully in its first overseas market, the UK, pushing its North American total past $15 million!
No doubt about it—this winter, this low-budget B-movie was set to stage a fierce comeback!
It felt like a revival of the golden age of B-movies from the '70s!
On November 15, Dunn was back in New York. This time, it wasn't a college campus but the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
And he wasn't with a sultry stunner like Alessandra Ambrosio. Instead, he had Taylor Swift—a little girl as delicate as a porcelain doll—by his side.
The kid was thrilled, chattering nonstop. But she was sharp—whenever Dunn spotted someone he knew, she'd quietly zip it.
The Victoria's Secret runway had made a name for itself in the fashion world. It might not have the prestige of New York or Paris Fashion Week, but with buzzwords like "lingerie" and "supermodels," the show drew even more attention.
Around the runway, Dunn recognized plenty of faces—Hollywood stars, a few Wall Street investors, and even some old guys in their sixties and seventies. Guess you're never too old to feel young at heart.
"Wanna check out backstage?" Dunn whispered to little Taylor.
"Yes, yes!" She clapped her hands excitedly, then tugged at his sleeve, giving him a playful look. "You get to see the pretty ladies changing!"
Dunn laughed, half-annoyed, half-amused. "Don't talk nonsense!"
As they got up to leave, a weak voice called out nearby, "Director Walker…"
The voice sounded familiar. Dunn turned, his eyebrow shooting up. Approaching were Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow.
They looked cozy—arms linked, fingers intertwined, like a couple in love.
"Oh, Ben! Hey, Gwyneth, you look great today," Dunn said with a polite, generic compliment.
He didn't have a shred of fondness for either of them.
Gwyneth Paltrow was Harvey Weinstein's go-to actress, and Ben Affleck? Ungrateful didn't even cover it.
"Thanks," Gwyneth replied politely, keeping it low-key. She glanced at Taylor, hesitated, but didn't say more.
Ben Affleck, clearly uneasy, mumbled, "Director Walker, what a coincidence running into you here."
Dunn smiled, his tone free of sarcasm. "Yeah, I figured I wouldn't see you until Pearl Harbor came out."
Ben squirmed, mortified.
Dunn didn't care. He was just a small-time actor—big deal if they fell out completely. With Ben's habit of playing both sides between Dunn Films and Disney, he'd only flex in front of nobodies. In front of the real players, he'd just play nice.
Gwyneth forced a smile. "Director, you're a big deal. We're just…"
Dunn waved it off with a grin. "By the way, are you two… dating?"
Ben jumped in eagerly. "No, no, it's just for the studio—promo for Bounce, you know."
Dunn nodded. Using celebrity dating rumors was a tried-and-true publicity trick.
"Alright, you guys do your thing. I've got stuff to handle." He gave a casual nod, grabbed Taylor's hand, and walked off.
With Hollywood small fry like them, Dunn didn't need to watch his step. Power at the top decided everything.
To be blunt, even with his current beef with Disney and Miramax, if Dunn wanted to blacklist Ben Affleck, Disney couldn't stop him.
But why bother? He wasn't about to waste energy on a nobody and risk looking like a petty bully.
Taylor glanced back at Ben and Gwyneth, who were visibly relieved, then tugged at Dunn. "Dunn, they're not a couple?"
"Nope."
"But they looked so close! Didn't you say girls should respect themselves and not just hang onto random guys?"
Dunn rubbed his temple. "They're actors. Uh… they're acting."
Taylor frowned, puzzled. "But this isn't a movie set?"
Dunn sighed. "That woman's not a good example. Don't copy her."
"Oh." Taylor nodded, half-getting it. "So girls shouldn't just hold hands with any guy, right?"
"Right," Dunn said. "Only your dad or your future husband should get that close. That's what makes a good girl. Look at Natalie—your big sister—when's she ever gotten cozy with some random guy?"
"Not even for filming?"
"Nope! They can use stand-ins or camera tricks… Never mind, you're too young to get it. Just remember what I said."
Taylor scrunched up her face, staring at her hand gripped tightly in Dunn's. Her delicate features clouded with worry as she muttered, "What am I gonna do…"
Backstage at Victoria's Secret was locked down tight—no entry unless you were staff.
But Dunn was an exception. He'd already cleared it with L Brands, the parent company, and had a special pass.
The moment he showed up, a staffer greeted him—a soft-spoken guy who rubbed Dunn the wrong way.
"What's going on over there?" Dunn asked.
"Oh, they're shooting behind-the-scenes stuff," the guy said with a laugh. "It'll be edited into a video and air on TV in December."
Dunn's face darkened. "Tell them not to film me!"
"Huh?"
"Didn't hear me?"
"Oh, uh, yes! I'll go tell them!"
Dunn wasn't about to be polite.
L Brands, Victoria's Secret's parent company, was worth less than $2 billion. When they heard Dunn was visiting backstage, the CEO himself had shown up, buttering him up and handing over the pass.
L Brands relied on Victoria's Secret for its fame, and Victoria's Secret relied on supermodels—who, in the grand scheme, were just Hollywood's "outer circle."
The gap in status was massive!
As he strolled through backstage, Dunn spotted another familiar face—Leonardo DiCaprio!
"Leo?" Dunn grinned, a stark contrast to his reaction to Ben earlier. "What are you doing just standing around?"
Leo's eyes lit up. Ignoring Dunn, he crouched down, winking playfully at Taylor. "Hey, little cutie, are you a Victoria's Secret model too?"
Taylor rolled her eyes dramatically and huffed. "No way I'd be a model! Dunn says models are dumb. I'm gonna be a singer!"
"Ha! Big dreams!" Leo laughed, rubbing his nose awkwardly after her jab. Then he shot Dunn a wary look. "This is the changing room."
"Changing room?" Dunn's pulse quickened, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
He knew supermodels weren't like low-tier wannabes—they wouldn't change in plain sight. But he was Dunn!
Which of those angels dreaming of Hollywood would turn him away?
Leo, though, stood like a guard dog, blocking him. "Don't move! I said, this is the changing room!"
Dunn smirked, covering Taylor's ears and lowering his voice. "Leo, quit pretending! Come on, let's go check it out!"
"Get lost!" Leo shoved him, growling through gritted teeth. "Dunn, Gisele's in there changing!"
"Oh?" Dunn froze, then burst out laughing.
No wonder Leo was so on edge, playing bouncer—he was guarding his girlfriend, Gisele Bündchen!
Dunn leaned down, whispered something to Taylor, then grinned at Leo. "Let her go in—shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Leo sighed and stepped aside.
Dunn chuckled, his expression teasing. "Leo, this is the Victoria's Secret changing room. The view in there… heh, way better than the strippers at your club!"
Leo's face turned green. "What's the point if Gisele gets mad at me?"
Dunn shrugged, smug as ever. "Too bad for you. Guess I'll enjoy the scenery solo."
"I told you, Gisele's in there!" Leo snapped, frowning. "Dunn, she's my girlfriend. She's not like the others—respect her!"
Dunn clapped him on the shoulder. "Relax, man. I don't mess with a friend's girl. I've got principles."
"Hmm?" Leo eyed him suspiciously.
Just then, the changing room door swung open, and Taylor poked her head out, sneaky and thrilled. "Dunn, come quick! There's tons of angels changing in here!"
Leo nearly choked.
Where'd this kid learn that?
Dunn cracked up. "Gisele Bündchen done changing?"
"Yeah, hurry up!"
Taylor waved him over, bouncing with energy.
Dunn stifled a laugh. "Leo, I'm heading in. You good holding the fort?"
"Hmph!" Leo grunted, his face a mix of misery and resignation.
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